Lawsuit accuses city of Minneapolis of inequitable housing code enforcement practices

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new lawsuit accuses the city of Minneapolis of discrimination by lax housing code enforcement, especially for rental properties in a part of the city with high populations of people of color.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of eight current and former residents of the city’s north side, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. It seeks to force the city to assign more housing code inspectors to north Minneapolis, where residents have for years complained of landlords who allow properties to fall into disrepair, but face few consequences. No financial settlement is being sought.

“Despite the issues with predatory landlords in north Minneapolis being widely known, the City of Minneapolis has consistently failed to take action,” the suit said.

Plaintiffs include tenants alleging a failure to crack down on landlords despite reports of lead paint, leaks, electrical problems and mold. A postal carrier claimed the city never responded to complaints of violations he found along his route, including homes without doorknobs, trash-filled yards and crumbling stairs. He said the city closed out his complaints even as violations persisted.

Arianna Anderson lived in north Minneapolis for years before moving her family to the suburbs. She is among the plaintiffs.

“I know the city of Minneapolis can do better. I know the funding is there,” Anderson said. “It’s just a matter of bringing attention to the situation.”

A Minneapolis spokesperson said the city “is reviewing the complaint.”

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Ben Kappelman, noted that the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has brought actions against landlords after they’ve committed hundreds of code violations.

“Rather than waiting for the attorney general to go after the really bad actors, you’ve got to stop these people from amassing all those violations in the first place,” Kappelman said.

Anderson, a mother of five, said she called the city dozens of times to complain about her former home. Water damage caused black mold and led to asthma attacks among her children, Anderson said. The sink leaked, and bees formed a nest in the walls — at one point about 100 of them swarmed inside, she said.

After Anderson grew concerned about lead paint, a city employee conducted an inspection, but no action was taken. A complete check years later revealed lead paint throughout the home, Anderson said.

Her landlord agreed to pay Anderson $9,406, make repairs and relocate her in 2022 after she took the company to housing court. Unable to find suitable housing in north Minneapolis, she moved to the suburbs.