A bill that would provide emergency rent assistance to Minnesotans facing eviction passed the State Senate, but not without a fight.
DFL Senator Lindsey Port of Burnsville authored the bill, and led the fight to pass it…
“We have heard the warnings from housing organizations who see a tidal wave of evictions looming. We have the power to at least stop part of this crisis.”
Port argued the eviction rate currently is at its highest rate in state history.
Republican Eric Lucero of St. Michael said in an era where fraud has run rampant in Minnesota, emergency rent assistance has the potential to add a whole new layer of fraud cases…
“The ability to manufacture a lease and then to manufacture claiming they’re a tenant between two friends applying for rental assistance, Minnesotans do not trust government and the lack of checks and balances that are in here to protect against fraud.”
A few anti-fraud amendments were added to place some protections, and the bill then passed the Senate by a 35-32 vote.
(content: in part, courtesy MNN)
