The Minneapolis City Council passed a new law to make sure landlords’ properties are up to code before their license is renewed.
The city council said they passed this law to hold landlords accountable, citing unsafe homes and delayed repairs that often happen in low-income areas with renters of color and student renters.
Some college students explained that decent housing in Minneapolis is hard to come by.
RELATED: Minneapolis City Council to hear new policy that would protect renters
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“I don’t have air conditioning in my room. I live in the lower floors. It’s usually pretty hot. It was definitely a little dirty when we moved in,” Cole Coolidge, a college student, said. “This is the first house I’ve ever had, so I didn’t really know what I was getting into.”
A college student, who asked not to be on camera, said her first two apartments in the city were a nightmare.
“My fridge was broken for two weeks; they weren’t in a rush to fix it,” she said. “It wasn’t until my mom called because she’s my co-signer that they fixed it.”
RELATED: U of M students praise pre-lease protection ordinance after Identity Dinkytown delays
The Minneapolis City Council has passed a new ordinance to tighten oversight on landlords.
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Under the new policy, any rental property rated as tier three, meaning it has 40 or more code violations, will have to go before the city council to renew its license.
City data shows that at least 2,250 rental units have been flagged for violations that impact a tenant’s safety or quality of life.
RELATED: Minneapolis City Council passes ban on landlords using algorithms to set rent
“This policy is to hold landlords accountable,” council member Jamal Osman said in an Oct. 9 meeting. “We require you to have basic things for the safety and health of our residents.”
Some critics believe this ordinance will be ineffective and potentially lead to fewer housing investments in the city.
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“We are concerned that this ordinance could lead to unpredictable and potentially detrimental consequences like increased resident displacement and also stifle housing production and improvements,” Cathy Bennett, Twin Cities Housing Alliance housing policy expert, said in a Sept. 30 public hearing. “Our opposition to this ordinance does not diminish our call for serious and swift action against unsafe housing by enhancing the existing regulatory process.”
According to the city council, if a landlord’s license is revoked, the property owner can appeal the decision.
If the appeal is not successful, renters may qualify for Tenant Relocation Assistance, which could provide a payment equal to three months’ rent to help with relocation.
The new ordinance will go into effect in January 2027, giving landlords one year to ensure their properties are in compliance.
Police in Minneapolis are still searching for at least one suspect in the shooting that killed a man and injured three other people inside a bar on Tuesday night.
Ericka Wheeler, the mother of the man killed, is also searching for answers. She shared her grief and a call to action with WCCO.
“He always had that smile,” Ericka Wheeler said of her son, 21-year-old DaMarco Fletcher, Jr., who died in the shooting.
She said Fletcher had a personality.
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“Vibrant smile, lights up a room. He’s been having a big smile all of his life,” she said.
According to Wheeler, Fletcher fought from day one to prove he deserved all that life had to give.
“He beat odds. He was a preemie. He came in the world fighting. He was my everything,” she said.
Fletcher was a 2022 graduate of Armstrong High School. He excelled academically and athletically.
“When I say he was a natural talent, that’s wrestling, basketball and football,” Wheeler said.
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Fletcher was focused on helping others.
“He was a PCA worker. He worked for the state doing PCA, and he did respite care,” Wheeler said.
She added that her son was also studying to get his real estate license.
“I’m just broken,” Wheeler said.
Fletcher was shot multiple times inside the bar. He died at the scene.
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“I need the establishment to be held accountable, as well as the person who took my son’s life,” Wheeler said. “They should have had more security, better security, and they should have did a better job.”
She wants to know how a gun got inside the club and the person who pulled the trigger, to do the right thing.
“I want the person who did this to turn themselves in,” Wheeler said.
Gloria Brown, Fletcher’s aunt, said he tried “so hard” not to be a statistic.
“If you said he couldn’t do it, he was going to push himself until he did it,” Brown said.
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She added that Fletcher was one of a kind and set the standard for all his friends.
“He didn’t live with limitations because he always believed that he could do well. He believed he could set goals and he could achieve them, and he did just,” Brown said.
Wheeler said detectives told her that her son was not the aggressor or instigator. She hopes those who know the shooter will encourage him to turn himself in so they can begin to heal.
The Savanah Bananas will play three games against the Loco Beach Coconuts next year in Minneapolis, CBS Minnesota reports. If you’re not familiar with Banana Ball, it’s an energetic endeavor that looks a lot like baseball, but “has two-hour time limits for games, doesn’t allow mound visits, and walks and bunts don’t exist. In addition, if a fan catches a foul ball, the player is out. On top of that, there are choreographed routines for batter walk-ups.”
Minnesota high school teams are preparing for the Trump administration’s mandate to “change the rule that allows transgender girls to participate in high school sports … or risk consequences,” according to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s comprehensive explainer.
A wildfire near Finland continues to grow. The Crosby Fire now covers 210 acres in the Arrowhead, according to Northern News Now. Containment is currently up to 35%.
La Niña is back for this winter, MPR News reports. So be prepared to bundle up: “La Niña often leads to colder-than-average temperatures and wetter conditions across the northern U.S., including the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains and Midwest. Meanwhile, the southern U.S. typically experiences warmer and drier-than-average weather.”
