Minneapolis rent control ballot question approved by voters
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis voters approved a ballot question that would allow the city to enact rent control measures.
53 percent of Minneapolis voters voted to amend the city charter to give the council permission to enact limits on rent increases, either by a vote or by putting a specific proposal to voters. The permission language does not cap rent increases at a certain percentage.
The charter amendment was proposed in response to a nation-leading housing shortage in the Twin Cities, which has led to skyrocketing home prices and steep rent hikes. Voters in St. Paul were asked a similar question about rent control, although that proposal would put a strict cap on the percentage rent can increase in a given year.
Supporters said price controls would provide a safety net for low-income renters whose lives can be upended by a rent increase while critics argued limited rent increases will quash development and add to the existing housing shortage.
City Question 3: Authorizing City Council To Enact Rent Control Ordinance
Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to authorize the City Council to regulate rents on private residential property in the City of Minneapolis, with the general nature of the amendments being indicated in the explanatory note below, which is made a part of this ballot?
Explanatory Note
This amendment would:
1. Authorize the City Council to regulate rents on private residential property in the City of Minneapolis by ordinance.
2. Provide that an ordinance regulating rents on private residential property could be enacted in two different and independent ways:
a. The City Council may enact the ordinance.
b. The City Council may refer the ordinance as a ballot question to be decided by the voters for approval at an election. If more than half of the votes cast on the ballot question are in favor of its adoption, the ordinance would take effect 30 days after the election, or at such other time as provided in the ordinance.