Just Cause

Minnesota needs Just Cause Eviction Protections

From rural Minnesota, to the suburbs and the cities, all Minnesotans deserve to know why they are being evicted and have a reasonable amount of time to relocate. Just Cause is a common sense policy that benefits constituents from all political parties.

The Equity In Place coalition calls on Minnesota Legislators to pass Just Cause eviction protections (HF997 / SF1671) to help keep Minnesotans housed.

If you were told you had only 2 weeks to leave your home, your first question might be “Why?” and your second thought might be “How can I find new housing in such a short amount of time?”

Just Cause is a policy that ensures that the “why” is answered, and that sufficient time is allowed to prevent families from ending up on the street.

“I’ve watched friends and neighbors being forced out of their homes, it’s heartbreaking. In 2022, we passed Just Cause in Brooklyn Center, and we saw how much it protected our tenants. Everyone in Minnesota deserves that same protection. Housing impacts all of us, so no matter which political party you are aligned with, I’m asking all lawmakers to listen to our tenants and the voices of the people directly affected.” –Ms. Sharon Harris

Click here to view a PDF of our Just Cause one pager

Benefits of Just Cause

consistency: streamlines existing policy to cover all Minnesotans
fairness: protects against arbitrary, retaliatory, or discriminatory evictions and non-renewals
clarity: strengthens communication between landlords and tenants
saves money: saves costs for landlords, renters, and Minnesota taxpayers
proactive: keeps people housed, preventing homelessness

Whether we’re renters, homeowners, or landlords, evictions come at a high cost to all Minnesotans. A statewide Just Cause policy will lower unnecessary evictions and lease nonrenewals, and help Minnesotans thrive.

Video: HOME Line Tenant Narrative project

Just Cause is already working for many Minnesotans

Residents across the state living in manufactured housing, as well as all renters in Brooklyn Center, already benefit from Just Cause protections. So do renters in properties that receive federal low income housing tax credits. In Brooklyn Center, research shows that the policy successfully kept residents housed by decreasing evictions.

Now is the time for Minnesota to streamline existing Just Cause Eviction policy to define when and why eviction can happen.

Video: HOME Line Tenant Narrative project

Minnesota has an eviction problem.

Just Cause is key to the solution.

Minnesota has some of the highest eviction disparities in the country
Minnesota has some of the shortest timeframes for eviction, with an average 7 days for renters to vacate
Eviction filings are up 40% from pre-pandemic levels (Evictionlab report)
Eviction impacts health outcomes: including “depression, poorer health, higher levels of stress, and higher rates of material hardship” (Harvard University, Eviction’s Fallout)
Preventative policies like Just Cause lower homelessness by keeping people housed

Research supports Just Cause

A 2025 study from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota found that “passing Just Cause eviction protections will not result in reduced rates of new housing production or, subsequently, housing supply.” — The Good Case for “Good Cause”: Do Good Cause eviction protections reduce the rate of housing production? (Read the report here)