Who governs hsg issues?
If you are a tenant in Minnesota (outside of Minneapolis) and you have a rental question, you can reach HOME Line’s Tenant Advocates for legal advice at (612) 728-5767 or call us toll-free from Greater MN at (866) 866-3546. If you are in Minneapolis, please consider our low-cost legal consultations for Minneapolis renters. Minneapolis renters whose landlord in foreclosure can contact us at 612-728-5767).
Rules for Tenants – Landlords
The federal Fair Housing Act protects individuals and families from discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, and disability in all housing transactions, public and private.
Most other tenant – landlord issues are governed by state law. This includes court rulings as well as state statutes, most of which are in Minnesota Statutes Chapters 327C & 504B). The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office provides a handbook with plain-spoken language describing these laws.
In addition, many cities have rental maintenance codes specifically regulating repair of residential rentals. These cities hire inspectors to enforce the rental code. Some of these cities also require landlords to get a rental license for each rental unit they manage.
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Funding for Affordable Housing Programs
Funding for affordable housing can come from the local, state, or federal level; however, the lions’ share of funding comes or originates from federal programs. For more information, visit:
- The website HUD in Minnesota for federal affordable hsg programs in MN
- MN Hsg Assistance in 2008 published by the state agency MN Housing
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Zoning
Local units of government often regulate how land within their jurisdiction may be used. This is called “zoning”. Zoning may include regulation of the kinds of activities which will be acceptable on particular lots (such as residential, commercial or industrial), the densities at which those activities can be performed (from low-density housing such as single family homes to high-density such as high-rise apartment buildings), the height of buildings, the location of a building on the lot (setbacks).
