HOME Line to expand free hotline service to Minneapolis beginning April 1

Free Tenant Hotline to open in Minneapolis on April 1^st

Minneapolis, MN – HOME Line, a non-profit Tenant Advocacy organization, announced today that it will be opening their Tenant Advocacy Hotline to Minneapolis renters effective April 1, 2014. Renters can call or email HOME Line on any rental issues they are facing and get free legal advice about how they can solve their rental problems. All calls are free and all information is confidential.

Six housing attorneys, and volunteers, primarily students from the four area law schools, take calls through the tenant hotline, and work with renters to find the best way to solve rental problems. The Tenant Hotline phone number is 612-728-5767 and the email-an-attorney address is www.homelinemn.org/email

HOME Line expects to serve 3,000 renter households in Minneapolis in each year, prevent 160 evictions and save renters over $300,000 in returned damage deposits and rent abatements. The top reasons renters call HOME Line are Repairs, Evictions, Security Deposits, Breaking a Lease, and Bed Bugs.

Karin Todd, a Minneapolis renter & current HOME Line board member notes, “As a recent grad from the University of Minnesota, I’ve had a number of situations where I needed legal advice about my rental situation.  When questions arise like ‘How long should it take my former landlord to return my security deposit?’ or ‘Is my lease still valid if my landlord is selling the building?’, having a knowledgeable organization to turn to ensures renters know their rights and are able to communicate effectively with landlords.  This advice is especially critical for students renting for the first time. HOME Line’s expansion will help 3,000 Minneapolis renter households access the resources they need.”

Pat Longs, a Senior Case Manager for Rapid Exit Programs, at CAPSH, Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin, works with families in shelters to find and keep rental housing. Pat also serves on HOME Line’s Board.  “HOME Line offers low-Income families the opportunity to be empowered to have safe, healthy, stable housing.  That in turn builds community. The services provided by this organization will be very beneficial and serve a population that has been traditionally underserved.  By offering services that focus on tenant-landlord relationships, HOME Line will be providing the opportunity to increase education of rental law to renters.”

About HOME Line

HOME Line provides free legal, organizing, educational and advocacy services so tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems.  HOME Line works to improve public and private policies relating to rental housing by involving affected tenants in the process.

HOME Line was established in 1992, serving suburban Hennepin County and has now grown with our Minneapolis expansion to serve the entire state.

More information on HOME Line is available at www.homelinemn.org

About our Minneapolis Expansion:

The City of Minneapolis funded its own housing services until it was shut down in December, 2011. Click here to learn more about why HOME Line had not originally served Minneapolis residents for free.