Minneapolis Work
Neighbors for More Neighbors got our start supporting the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive plan, a big step toward allowing more kinds of homes in more parts of Minneapolis.
Since then, we’ve kept at it, we track specific proposals as they move through the Business, Housing & Zoning Committee and activate in support when needed. Our volunteers write emails, attend meetings and testify, and meet with local elected officials to encourage more homes in Minneapolis.
Additionally, we have continued to push for policies that make it easier to build different kinds of homes, advocate for tenant protections, and organize with those who believe Minneapolis should be a place where anyone can choose to live.
Minneapolis Comprehensive Plans
Our volunteers turned out to develop and support the passage of the 2040 plan, the strategic vision that the City is required to complete every 10 years under state law.
Volunteers organized ward walks with their council members, hosted public comment parties, reviewed and critiqued policy proposals, and showed up to hearings en masse.
We then made national headlines. People noticed our signs. They also noticed our messaging and action.
Did you know? Minneapolis is embarking on initial planning for the Minneapolis 2050 Comprehensive Plan. We are already engaged and ready to roll up our sleeves and press for even more visionary change.
Want to get involved? Sign up to volunteer!
Local Election Work
Local elections are crucial for Minneapolis housing. Elected city councilmembers shape the Minneapolis Comprehensive Plans, with the mayor providing final approval.
The upcoming 2050 Comprehensive Plan will determine whether we build on, or reverse, the progress made in the 2040 Plan. We actively organize to educate Minneapolis residents about how the candidates representing them will address the housing shortage.
For example, in advance of the 2025 Minneapolis city elections, Neighbors for More Neighbors partnered with Inquilinxs Unidxs Por Justicia, Wedge LIVE!, Housing Justice League, Housing in Action, and BikeMN to develop and sponsor a questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on housing issues in Minneapolis.
Housing Justice League
Who We Are
The Housing Justice League is a group of community-based organizations advocating for policy change and building grassroots support for housing justice in Minneapolis.
HJL members include Neighbors for More Neighbors, HOME Line, Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia, The Alliance, Housing Justice Center, Jewish Community Action, Harrison Neighborhood Association, and Powderhorn Neighborhood Association.
Why the Housing Justice League
Everyone deserves the chance to make Minneapolis their lasting home, and we know our community is stronger when neighbors who rent can invest in their housing and build ownership models that help their families grow and thrive.
Our Solutions
Together, we are advocating for a strong Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) policy that would give all renters the first right to purchase their building when it goes for sale, or transfer that right to a buyer of their choosing. This critical policy protects families from displacement, thwarts corporate speculation and profiteering, and gives our neighbors the chance to create new models of ownership and build wealth. Unfamiliar with TOPA? Learn more below!
Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)
What is it?
A Minneapolis Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act would promote the transfer of property ownership to tenants and affordable housing developers by enabling tenants to exercise a first right of purchase when the landlord chooses to sell. Landlords would be required to give tenants notice and allow a period of time for tenants to express interest, make an offer, and secure funding. If tenants are not interested in owning the property, they can assign or sell their right of first refusal.
Why is it Important?
TOPA is a tenant empowerment tool that seeks to address the power imbalance between property owners and the renters who pay the mortgage.
TOPA has already been shown to be successful right here in Minnesota, where all residents of manufactured home parks have the right of first refusal when the owner intends to sell for a different use or permanently close the park.
In Washington, D.C., TOPA has been used to improve or preserve more than 16,200 affordable homes.
Interested in learning more or helping with our Minneapolis Task Force?
We’re working alongside volunteers and partners to allow for more abundant housing to be built across the state of Minnesota.
