With more than 31,000 votes, St. Paul residents came together across race, income and zipcode to pass one of the nation’s strongest rent stabilization policies.
Regardless of our race or residence, our age or income, we know our community is stronger and more prosperous when families, children and workers have a home they can rely on and can put down roots in our neighborhoods. But, a growing number of corporate and predatory landlords have chosen profit over people, spiking rents to make more money and forcing our neighbors who rent out of their homes.
We came together to stop that.
As Saint Paul residents, we organized and put this critical issue directly on the ballot. Housing Equity Now St. Paul (HENS) — a coalition rooted in community, especially those most impacted by housing injustice — gathered more than 9,100 signatures so we could vote YES on November 2, 2021.
While real estate interests and the landlord lobby spent nearly $4 million on a wildly expensive misinformation and intimidation campaign, the Keep St. Paul Home initiative relied on hundreds of volunteers and community organizations to collect signatures and make nearly 248,800 voter contacts during the election season.
The passage of this proposal marks a significant step toward addressing the affordable housing crisis in St. Paul and puts our elected leaders on notice that renter protections and housing stability are essential priorities for voters — homeowners, landlords and renters alike.
This victory is a testament to renters demanding our dignity and the transformative impact of community organizing. We couldn't be more proud of our collective effort as neighbors -- and our national leadership in advancing housing justice!
But our work is not done!
Join us to hold our city leaders accountable to the will of the voters and make sure this strong policy is implemented and enforced to Keep St. Paul Home for everyone!