Update on Mayor Frey’s Veto of Pause Evictions, Save Lives

City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 03/11/2026 02:20 PM CDT

Council Member Jason Chavez

March 11, 2026

A message from Council Member Chavez

Dear neighbor,

I am disappointed that Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed the Pause Evictions, Save Lives Ordinance. This policy would have temporarily given residents 60 days before an eviction is filed for the non-payment of rent. This is an anti-displacement measure, would help prevent evictions, give residents more time to pay rent, and would keep families together amid the occupation of our city by the federal government.

There’s been months of work and millions of dollars raised by thousands of our residents to help keep people in their homes. Minneapolis residents have been heroes and their tenacity has kept people safe and in stable housing. Unfortunately, Mayor Frey’s veto will lead to the mass displacement of our neighbors. This veto is a slap in the face of our immigrant neighbors who have been demonized and forced back into the shadows and the community who has spent months fundraising to keep families together.

The cameras may have left Minneapolis, but the majority of this city believes in supporting our immigrant neighbors. The data is clear, and we need solutions to address this crisis. Unfortunately, due to Operation Metro Surge, Minneapolis has:

At least $203.1 million in impact to Minneapolis in one month alone.
An additional 76,200 people citywide may be experiencing food insecurity as a result and there's an estimated $9.75 million in additional monthly food assistance costs.
At least $15.7 million in rent assistance is needed each month for households impacted to be able to pay rent. This estimated cost likely underestimates the need.
$47 million monthly estimate in lost wages.

Pause Evictions, Saves Lives is a strong tool meant to prevent eviction, displacement, and unsheltered homelessness due to Operation Metro Surge. It is always more humane and cost-effective to prevent eviction than to try and re-house families who have been evicted. Mayor Frey did not have a plan to address unsheltered homelessness before the “Operation Metro Surge” and is unprepared for a spike in evictions and homelessness due to his veto.

We won’t give up. As a result, the City of Minneapolis will need to massively increase funding for rental assistance and I will be supporting such efforts with my council colleagues.

Sincerely,

Jason Chavez - 9th Ward Minneapolis City Council Member

Español: Actualización sobre la “Operación Metro Surge” del concejal Jason Chavez

Estimado vecino,

Estoy decepcionado de que el alcalde Jacob Frey haya vetado la Ordenanza "Pausar Desalojos, Salvar Vidas". Esta póliza habría otorgado temporalmente a los residentes 60 días antes de presentar un desalojo por impago de alquiler. Esta medida anti-desplazamiento ayudaría a prevenir desalojos, daría a los residentes más tiempo para pagar el alquiler y mantendría a las familias unidas durante la ocupación de nuestra ciudad por parte del gobierno federal.

Miles de residentes han trabajado durante meses y han recaudado millones de dólares para ayudar a que las personas puedan conservar sus hogares. Los residentes de Minneapolis han sido héroes y su tenacidad ha mantenido a las personas seguras y con viviendas estables. Desafortunadamente, el veto del alcalde Frey provocará el desplazamiento masivo de nuestros vecinos. Este veto es una cachetada a nuestros vecinos inmigrantes, quienes han sido demonizados y obligados a regresar a la sombra, y a la comunidad que ha dedicado meses a recaudar fondos para mantener unidas a las familias.

Puede que las cámaras hayan abandonado a Minneapolis, pero la mayoría de esta ciudad cree en apoyar a nuestros vecinos inmigrantes. Los datos son claros y necesitamos soluciones para abordar esta crisis. Desafortunadamente, debido a la Operación Metro Surge, Minneapolis tiene:

Al menos $203.1 millones en impacto para Minneapolis en un solo mes.
Como resultado, 76,200 personas adicionales en toda la ciudad podrían estar experimentando inseguridad alimentaria, lo que se estima en $9.75 millones adicionales en costos mensuales de asistencia alimentaria.
Se necesitan al menos $15.7 millones por mes para asistencia de renta para que los hogares afectados puedan seguir adelante. Este costo estimado probablemente subestima la necesidad.
Se estima que $47 millones por mes en salarios perdidos.

Pausar los desalojos y salvar vidas es una herramienta efectiva para prevenir el desalojo, el desplazamiento y la falta de vivienda debido a la Operación Metro Surge. Siempre es más humano y económicamente eficiente prevenir el desalojo que intentar realojar a las familias desalojadas. El alcalde Frey no tenía un plan para abordar la falta de vivienda antes de la Operación Metro Surge y no está preparado para un incremento de los desalojos y la falta de vivienda debido a su veto.

No nos rendiremos. Por lo tanto, la ciudad de Minneapolis necesitará aumentar drásticamente los fondos para la asistencia con el alquiler, y apoyaré estas iniciativas junto con mis colegas del consejo.

Atentamente,

Jason Chavez - Miembro del Concejo Municipal del Distrito 9 de Minneapolis

Mayor Frey Vetoes Ordinance, Endangering Thousands of Minneapolis Renters Impacted by Operation Metro Surge

Joint statement by Council Member Wonsley, Council Vice President Osman, Council Member Stevenson, Council Member Chavez, Council Member Chughtai and Council Member Chowdhury, authors of the ordinance Pause Evictions, Save Lives.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed the Pause Evictions, Save Lives Ordinance that would have temporarily slowed evictions to protect families impacted by Operation Metro Surge. The Mayor’s veto, if sustained, will contribute to mass evictions of residents in our city who were impacted by Operation Metro Surge.

The Mayor’s veto is particularly distressing given the recent report by the City of Minneapolis indicating that the occupation left renters behind on rent by about $15.7 million after just one month. Additionally, over sixteen state legislators who represent Minneapolis requested Mayor Frey sign the ordinance to support their efforts at the capital to advance a similar state-wide renter protection.

Mayor Frey’s veto was with full knowledge that current resources for rental assistance are significantly insufficient to address the need. The Minneapolis City Council is working to support state legislators to secure the tens of millions required to keep people housed. But time is needed to secure those funds and distribute them to residents in need.

Mayor Frey has not articulated a plan to prevent mass evictions caused by Metro Surge. His announcement today that he supports an additional $1 million dollars in rental assistance is a victory for residents who worked with the Council to force the Mayor to make this concession. Now that Mayor Frey has made clear he believes only money for landlords, not policy, can prevent evictions — the Council will be looking at all the resources the City has available to increase rental assistance in Minneapolis.

Mayor Frey’s choice to prioritize landlord’s bottom line over thousands of residents facing housing instability illustrates that despite his national media presence during Operation Metro Surge, the Mayor is more interested in the landlord lobby’s needs than the working people of Minneapolis.

Pause Evictions, Save Lives is one of many tools the government must be prepared to utilize if we care about preventing the looming an eviction and homelessness crisis. Mayor Frey ignored housing experts who shared data to support this policy would mitigate against evictions. Rather than listen to these experts or the countless residents and impacted families who have testified about the urgent need for this measure, he rationalized his veto with unsupported claims from a handful of landlords. It is always more cost-effective to prevent eviction than to try and re-house families who have been evicted. It’s commonsense policy, rooted in compassion.

During Operation Metro Surge, working class residents fundraised tens of millions of dollars to keep each other housed and safe. Mayor Frey celebrated these efforts on national news. Now that the spotlight is off our city, Mayor Frey is allowing the eviction of the very same families who were targeted by the Trump administration.

The City Council will vote on whether to override or sustain the Mayor’s veto on March 26th, 2026. An override requires nine votes.

Contact the Ward 9 Office

Email: jason.chavez@minneapolismn.gov
Phone: 612-673-2209

City Hall
350 S. Fifth St., Room 370
Minneapolis, MN 55415

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