| MINNEAPOLIS– The Minneapolis City Council voted on February 5th, 2026 to allocate $1 million to provide one-time rental assistance to residents facing eviction due to the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. This action was in response to Governor Walz declining to enact an eviction moratorium, leaving thousands of renters in the city vulnerable to eviction during the ongoing federal occupation.
Operation Metro Surge has caused many families to lose income and need assistance paying their rent. For thousands of residents, simply leaving the house to go to work means facing harassment, violence, or abduction by ICE. Many residents are sheltering in place in fear, some have had their workplace close or hours reduced, lost access to childcare, or even had breadwinners taken by ICE.
“Residents are putting their lives on the line every day to protect each other, and are asking local government to do more to support them than just press conferences. The City Council is stepping up to use the tools we have to protect residents from evictions, and from ICE,” said Council Minority Leader Robin Wonsley, lead author on the rental assistance allocation.
“We need to prevent a wave of evictions over winter. Preventing eviction is always more effective, more humane, and more cost-efficient than waiting to re-house families. In moments of crisis, local leadership matters,” said Shana Tomenes of the Housing Justice Center.
“Over the last few weeks, we have been overwhelmed with the need for rent relief. Our community has done so much to meet the need, but this burden cannot be placed solely on our already-depleted community. We need elected officials to step up and follow our lead to do everything in their power to care for families,” said Becca Dryden of Minneapolis Families for Public Schools.
“Immigrants are suffering in our city every single day, and so far the City has offered a lot of words but no action. Today Council took the first meaningful step to keep residents safe by allowing them to shelter in place,” said Council Vice President Jamal Osman, a co-author of the proposal.
Council first considered a proposal by Minority Leader Wonsley to allocate the funding from the Contingency Fund, a fund set aside for unanticipated emergencies, which failed. The Council then voted down a proposal by Council Member Whiting to cut funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund after a robust discussion about the harmful impacts of cutting investments in affordable housing. Ultimately, the Council voted to allocate the funding from the City’s unallocated General Fund cash balance.
The City will partner with Hennepin County, who will administer these funds for rental assistance to families who have been impacted by the federal occupation and issued a notice of eviction.
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