Dear Neighbors, In order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, public health officials are recommending that Minnesotans stay home if they can. For too many Minnesotans, staying home from work is not an option. People who live paycheck-to-paycheck are in serious danger of missing rent and mortgage payments. Loss of stable, safe housing is catastrophic at any time, and we cannot allow this to happen during a public health crisis. As workers begin receiving unemployment insurance benefits and small businesses receive emergency loans to weather economic hardships, Minnesota is placing a statewide moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. Tenants who can continue to pay rent should continue to do so, but landlords and financial institutions cannot begin eviction proceedings that would remove tenants from stable housing. You can learn more about the announcement here. My office is a resource to answer your questions, connect you to resources, and help you navigate public agencies that are providing financial assistance. Email me at rep.paul.marquart@house.mn or call 1-800-551-5520 (please be prepared to leave a voicemail message -- staff are tele-commuting in order to comply with public health guidelines). Thank you to everyone for doing your part in fighting the spread of COVID-19.
Sincerely, Paul Marquart
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