Evictions in the Twin Cities happening at the second fastest rate in the nation since COVID-19 pandemic

Minnesota is one of the top states in the country when it comes to evictions.

According to national data , the Twin Cities are second in the nation in eviction increases since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 12,000 filings in just the last year.

Rachael Sterling is an attorney with HOME Line, a non-profit that offers free legal advice for renters. She says for many renters who live paycheck-to-paycheck, eviction can be just a car problem away.

"And so, you got to make a choice of, do I pay to fix the car so I can get to work or do I pay my rent," Sterling asks.

Sterling says most evictions are for nonpayment of rent. She tells WCCO that when it comes to subsidized housing for people on fixed incomes, oftentimes the rent, which has been rising, is based on area median income and not necessarily on what the tenants are bringing in.

The increase so far this year amounts to a 144% jump compared to filings over an average year.

This isn't just a Minneapolis or St. Paul issue either. In fact, the entire state is battling high eviction numbers according Sterling.

"And so last year we had, over, 22,000 evictions filed here in Minnesota," Sterling says. This year is actually ever so slightly lower thus far."

Since the pandemic-era eviction moratorium ended, Sterling says many renters are right on a razor's edge with not being able to get to work and get paid, thereby not being able to pay their rent.

There were 25,083 evictions filed across Minnesota in 2023. There have been 10,028 evictions filed through the end of June so far this year.

According to the website Eviction Lab , Minneapolis-St. Paul has the second highest jump since pre-pandemic behind only Gainesville, Florida.

In Minnesota, the Governor’s Executive Order established an eviction moratorium on March 23, 2020. This Order remained in force until a phase out began in August of 2021 but an "off ramp" didn't allow for all evictions protections to end until June 1, 2022. Since that time, evictions across Minnesota have been well above pre-pandemic averages.

Things to note:

1) These numbers are the formal evictions filed by landlords with the court and do not include informal evictions like notices to vacate that may also result in a tenant moving out.

2) Not all eviction filings end with an actual eviction where the tenant is removed by the sheriff.

3) Evictions appear on the public court record as soon as they are filed and are not removed from the public record until the case is expunged.