I am a renter living in the Lower Town neighborhood of St. Paul. I moved here from the East Coast and chose to live here for its walkability, historic charm, and access to public transportation. After reading “Mayor Carter Proposes 7.9% Tax Increase” (August 14), I was struck by the fact that St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter Focus The mayor is focused on revitalizing the Lower Towns and implementing stronger tenant protections, which, according to his speech, include “limiting security deposits, limiting the use of backdated criminal, credit and rental histories as criteria for homebuying, and preventing discrimination against low-income tenants based on source of income.”
But I am concerned that the Mayor’s focus on eliminating rent stabilization for new construction is a step in the wrong direction. St. Paul came together in 2021 to mandate that the city pass a strong rent control ordinance to ensure that renters, who are disproportionately Black, people of color, and Indigenous, can continue to live in their homes as rent prices soar. Ensuring that all renters have access to stable, accessible, fair and equitable housing advances the city’s work toward justice and equity and helps all families not just survive but thrive. If Carter wants to strengthen renter protections, promoting rent stabilization should be a central policy, not an afterthought. If renters cannot afford to continue living in their apartments, all other renter protections are meaningless.
