To: Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, AG Ellison, MN House and Senate Leadership, Mayor Frey, Mayor Carter, County Officials, and City Council Leadership

From: [Your Name]

Amid the coronavirus global pandemic and ensuing economic crisis, Minnesota must take action to protect our most vulnerable communities.

Housing is a human right, and no one should be put at risk of eviction, displacement, homelessness, or poverty due to missing a paycheck. Residents need protections guaranteeing housing despite loss of income incurred during a pandemic.

We are calling on Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, AG Ellison, MN House and Senate Leadership, Mayor Frey, Mayor Carter, County Officials, and City Council Leadership to enact the following measures:

• A moratorium on all evictions and suspension of eviction court

• Extending paid sick days to at least 8 weeks

• Opening state health exchange for special enrollment period​

• Forgiving all fees or debts accrued for utilities, housing, and other basic services during the crisis period

• A moratorium on utility shut-offs, and restoring ability to take over local power production

• Ensuring frontline healthcare workers receive testing, PPE, resources, and hazard pay

• Prohibiting the termination of telephone, internet, and cable services​

• Canceling all student loan and medical debt

• Guaranteeing pay for all school workers if schools are shut down

• A rent moratorium and ending state preemption of rent control

• Waiving all public transit fares, and protecting drivers by closing off the driver's area and only using back entry for buses

• Citywide meals-on-wheels programs

• Suspended mortgage payments and a moratorium on foreclosures

• Furloughing all prisoners awaiting trial and enacting a moratorium on cash bail

• Releasing all people from ICE custody and ending all ICE operations in the state

• Using emergency powers to commandeer hotels, uncondemned vacant properties, and underutilized dwellings to accommodate homeless individuals when existing shelters and temporary homes reach capacity

• Increase unemployment benefits for all workers including gig, tipped and others, to 100% of lost wages with a minimum of $600 per week ($15 / hour)

• Canceling construction of Line 3 and denying any remaining permits for the project

These demands must be met during uncontrollable events that cannot be forestalled, including but not limited to: pandemic, severe weather or environmental conditions, economic recession, contamination, civil disorder, and other unforeseeable circumstances.

Leaders in San Jose​, San Francisco​, and Miami-Dade County​ have quickly taken similar actions to guarantee housing as a human right, while mitigating the unfolding crisis. Please stand with us in order to stop preventable illness and displacement.