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Home / Publications / HOME Line in the News

HOME Line in the News

HOME Line is regularly featured in or referenced by a variety of news outlets. The following links provide a glimpse at some of those news articles or stories.

2015

  • Family Fights to Get Out of Lease After Mold Found in Hugo Home (Ch 5 KSTP News, 9/30/15)
  • Renting & the Law: Must tenant do chores without compensation? (Star Tribune, 3/14/15)
  • Renters challenge new rules at Pleasant Avenue apartments (Southwest Journal, 3/10/15)
  • Landlords have the upper hand in many rental markets (NPR Marketplace, 2/17/15)

2014

  • Women accuse their landlords of sexual harrassment (MPR News, 12/22/14)
  • Female tenants allege sexual harassment by landlords (MPR News, 12/11/14)
  • Tenant Rights on La Voz del Pueblo (11/16/14)
  • Lyndale neighborhood reaches out to renters (Southwest Journal, 11/18/14)
  • Wall Street Storms the Twin Cities with an Eerily Familiar Housing Scheme (City Pages, 9/24/14)
  • North Minneapolis residents fight out-of-state investors, poor maintenance (TC Daily Planet, 9/18/14)
  • Landlord loses his licenses, takes Minneapolis to court over fair housing (City Pages, 8/27/14)
  • Rental Repairs in Minnesota: The Case for Repair and Deduct (Bench & Bar of Minnesota, July 2014)
  • Rising rents pricing many out of Uptown (Southwest Journal, 6/30/14)
  • More renters receiving federal help get squeezed out of apartments (Star Tribune, 5/15/14)
  • Tight Mpls. housing market adds to squeeze on low-income renters (5/3/14, Star Tribune)
  • In the Twin Cities, you need to make $30,000 to afford a one-bedroom apartment, study says (4/24/14, City Pages)
  • Law students lend help to local renter hotline (4/7/14, Minnesota Daily)
  • Senior Housing Attorney Paul Birnberg appeared on AM 1280, (The Patriot).  He was a guest on “Where You Live” with Gene Sullivan, speaking about a legislative proposal we were advocating for to reform the eviction process in Minnesota.
  • Statewide tenant service expanding to Minneapolis (3/31/14, Star Tribune)
  • Hotline with free legal advice for renters expends to Mpls April 1 (3/28/14, Southwest Journal)
  • St. Paul bills low-income tenant for $1,000 – 23 years later (2/4/14, Pioneer Press)
  • MPR News Daily Circuit: 8 tips for new landlords (1/6/14, MPR News)

2013

  • RENTAL RATES: Low inventory likely to cost Twin Cities tenants
  • HOME Line attorney discusses tenants rights regarding bed bugs on Channel 12
  • Many landlords take active role in St. Paul’s Union Park neighborhood
  • Almost out in the cold: Landlord backs off eviction, but couple’s case highlights lack of help in ND rental disputes

2012

  • Burnsville hopes it can avoid repeat of rental woes —Marino Eccher, Pioneer Press, 12/9/12
  • HUD awards $5 million through new Tenant Resource Network —HUD Press Release, 6/14/12
  • Housing vacancies scarce in Minneapolis —Shayne Wells, KARE 11 News, 3/21/12
  • Foreclosure Leaves Renting Family in Limbo —Erik Runge, FOX 9 News, 3/19/12
  • Residents moving out of Burnsville apartments, but to where? —Katie Humphrey, Star Tribune, 2/29/12
  • Cities and the state should do more to protect the tenants of irresponsible landlords —Eric Hauge, Community Voices column, MinnPost.com, 1/30/12
  • Tenant Advocate Suggests a Route For Dealing With Country Village —Clare Kennedy, Burnsville Patch, 1/17/12
2011
  • City housing hotline shuts its doors —Eric Roper, Star Tribune, 12/30/11
  • BAD LANDLORDS: ‘Truth in leasing’ would balance things out  —Eric Hauge, Letter to the Editor, Star Tribune, 10/24/11
  • Burnsville suspends license of problem-plagued complex —Katie Humphrey, Star Tribune, 10/19/11
  • Burnsville apt. complex has rental license suspended —Dave Berggren, KARE 11, 10/20/11
  • Challenges prevail in off-campus housing —Madiha Mirza, UMD Statesman, 10/19/11
  • Foreclosure creates risk for tenants —Delane Cleveland, Twelve TV, 10/7/11
  • Affordable rentals in the Twin Cities – not so much —Lisa Gonzalez, TC Daily Planet, 8/29/11
  • What it’s like to be a young mother, homeless and looking for help —Cynthia Boyd, MinnPost, 5/26/11
  • Attorney Mike Vraa featured interview on AM 1280 WWTC “Where You Live” with Gene and Toni, highlighting HOME Line’s new tenant rights book. Podcasts of this show available here.
  • Area rental vacancy rate is at a 5-year low —Jim Buchta, Star Tribune, 4/28/11
  • Renter’s Attorney Expert on FOX 9 —FOX 9 News, 4/3/11
  • Renters’ refund on the chopping block —Clare Kennedy, Owatonna People’s Press, 1/31/11

Pioneer Press investigative series on notorious Twin Cities landlords:

  • Twin Cities landlord brothers shuffle ownership of properties that have reputation for squalid conditions —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 8/26/11
  • Notorious Twin Cities landlords slip toward financial ruin —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 3/13/11
  • Protecting renters —Eric Hauge, letter to the editor of the Pioneer Press, 1/22/11
  • Part 3: At troubled rental sites, more pain for the landlords —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 1/18/11
  • Part 2: Sanctions? Fines? Charges? None have put the landlords out of business —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 1/17/11
  • Part 1: The buildings are squalid, the tenants are fed up, and the landlords? They’re still in business. —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 1/16/11
  • Many complaints against landlords’ properties resolved just in time —Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, Pioneer Press, 1/16/11

2010

  • You may be gone, but the rent lives on —Lora Pabst, Star Tribune Whistleblower Blog, 11/12/10
  • Growing bedbug epidemic reaches U —Urmila Ramakrishnan, MN Daily, 11/10/10
  • Bedbugs bite tenants more ways than one —James Eli Shiffer, Star Tribune, 10/31/10
  • Attorney Mike Vraa featured interview on KYCR-AM radio’s “Where You Live” with Gene and Toni. —Podcast: KYCR-AM “Where You Live” Saturday, 10/16/10, 11am-1pm
  • Attorney Mike Vraa featured interview on Public Radio International’s “The Takeaway”
  • Landlord says Anoka picking too many nits —Jennifer Bjorhus, Star Tribune, 9/23/10
  • Knowing your rights as a renter —Julie Krienke, University of Minnesota Duluth Statesman, 9/15/10
  • Bedbugs are expensive to exterminate; some can’t afford it —Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio, 9/3/10
  • Out on the Street Because of Landlord Foreclosure? Not Necessarily… —Sharon Rolenc, Public News Service, 8/12/10
  • Rental Foreclosures: The New Homelessness —Andy Driscoll & Lynnell Mickelsen, KFAI Radio: Truth to Tell, 5/26/10
  • Tenants protected under Minn. law —Katherine Lymn, The Minnesota Daily, 5/26/10
  • When tenants pay but owners don’t —Bob Shaw, Pioneer Press, 5/24/10
  • Would-be renters forced to live with family, friends —Jennifer Bjorhus, Star Tribune, 4/13/10
  • Tenants thankful city fixed problem before Christmas —Mandy Moran Froemming, Anoka County Union, 1/7/10

2009

  • A good gift for some Anoka folks: Plumbing that works —Lora Pabst, Star Tribune, 12/24/09
  • Low-income renters worry about Pawlenty’s credit cut —Jessica Mador, Minnesota Public Radio, 6/22/09
  • Have you been unallotted yet? —Scott Russell, Twin Cities Daily Planet, 6/16/09
  • No hiding under the covers: Bedbugs are back —Madeleine Baran, Twin Cities Daily Planet, 5/4/09
  • Renters now homeless because of landlords —Jana Shortal, KARE 11, 6/9/09
  • Renters face uncertainty after Brooklyn Center apartment complex goes into foreclosure —Alexandra Renslo, Channel 12 TV (Northwest Community Television), 4/15/09
  • Low-income and nowhere to live —Madeleine Baran, Twin Cities Daily Planet, 3/22/09
  • Tough rental market hits families hard —Madeleine Baran, Twin Cities Daily Planet, 3/4/09

2008

  • Truth to Tell: Utility shutoffs —Andy Driscoll & Lynnell Mickelsen, KFAI: Truth to Tell, 12/17/08
  • Are laws protecting tenants in foreclosure working? —Jessica Mador, Minnesota Public Radio, 12/12/08
  • Event Helps Increasing Homeless With Health, Jobs —Frank Vascellaro, WCCO TV, 12/8/08
  • Wait time for Section 8 housing increases to 7-12 years? —Dan Olson, Minnesota Public Radio, 11/25/08
  • Meeting could help settle Park Street differences —Nancy Busiahn, The Cannon Falls Beacon 7/11/08
  • Park Street residents speak in opposition of assisted living —Sheryl Williams, The Cannon Falls Beacon 7/28/08
  • Residents oppose change to assisted living —Nancy Busiahn, The Cannon Falls Beacon, 6/28/08
  • North Oaks landlords spark outrage —Lora Pabst, Star Tribune, 6/28/08
  • Agencies, new state laws boost help for renters stuck in foreclosed properties —Andrew Tellijohn, MinnPost.com, 6/26/08
  • Mortgage defaults force Denver exodus —Brad Heath and Charisse Jones, USA Today, 4/3/08
  • Renters feeling foreclosure pinch, as well —Mike Vraa, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, 3/21/08
  • Looking for a place to call home in Plymouth —Jenna Ross, Star Tribune, 2/20/08
  • Eviction can come suddenly for renters —Cynthia Osterman, Reuters, 2/14/08
  • In Plymouth, demand for housing help far surpasses availability —Jenna Ross, Star Tribune, 2/13/08
  • Apartment owners, Brooklyn Center reach settlement —Lora Pabst, Star Tribune, 2/6/08

2007

  • Foreclosures often lock out renters: “Foreclosure doesn’t always hurt only the person whose name is on the mortgage. More renters are turning to support agencies for help.” —Kara McGuire, Star Tribune, June 9, 2007
  • Throughout spring and summer 2007, several Twin Cities Metro area housing authorities are opening their section 8 voucher waiting lists. Below are several media stories reporting on the openings, which overwhelmed housing authorities when thousands of low-income Minnesotans requsted applications.
    • MPR/All Things Considered Section 8 story
    • Star Tribune article (PDF)
    • Pioneer Press article (PDF)
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Recent HOME Line Posts

  • April Hotline Volume up 8% from 2024
  • In the Arena: Attending Legislative Meetings As a Newcomer
  • VISTA Member to Present Tenant Oral History Capstone Project
  • Overview of Tenant/Landlord Law CLE on May 8th!
  • 5/21/2025: HOME Line Tenant/Landlord Webinar Series: New City Ordinances
  • VISTA Member Harnesses Skill, Passion to Lead Creation of Duluth Tenants Union Zine
  • First Quarter Contacts Increased in 8 of Top 10 Categories
  • Recording of 4/23/2025 HOME Line Tenant/Landlord Webinar: Rental Housing Market Analysis with HousingLink
  • Contacts to Hotline increased 12% in February from 2024
  • VISTA member uses creativity and innovation to drive accessible renter engagement
  • Embracing Your Voice: Reflections From a First-Time Lobbyist
  • Recording of HOME Line’s 3/19/2025 Tenant/Landlord Webinar: Overview of Housing Subsidy Programs
Archive of previous HOME Line news posts

Legal Resources

  • Form Letters
  • Local Minimum Heat Rules
  • Local Crime-Free Ordinance Policies
  • Important Statutes & Selected Cases
  • Selected Legislative History
  • Court Forms

HOME Line
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