Court: Minneapolis skipped public housing inspections for decades
A court found that Minneapolis failed to inspect any public housing units from 1992 through at least 2020, flouting a city rental-inspection ordinance and raising questions about tenant safety.[1]
The Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2020 ruled the city must inspect Minneapolis Public Housing Authority units like other rentals and that the authority must obtain rental licenses.[1] A 2025 appellate decision criticized Minneapolis for restricting checks to 311 complaint calls and for not otherwise changing its inspection practices for public housing.[1] The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority controls more than 6,000 low-income homes and long argued it could lose federal funding if it obtained city licenses, a claim the court rejected.[1]
From 1992 until at least 2020, Minneapolis did not inspect a single public housing unit despite the ordinance that covers rental properties, a gap the courts have repeatedly highlighted.[1] Minneapolis says it began routine inspections of public housing only after a state law change that took effect in 2025, but the city has not disclosed how many MPHA units have been inspected since then.[1]
The rulings increase pressure on city officials to detail how they will protect public-housing tenants and ensure compliance, while leaving open questions about how many units remain unchecked and how quickly inspections will proceed.
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📌 Key Facts
- From 1992 until at least 2020, Minneapolis did not inspect a single public housing unit, despite a city ordinance requiring rental inspections.
- In 2020, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the city must inspect MPHA units like any other rentals and that MPHA is required to obtain rental licenses.
- A 2025 appellate decision criticized the city for limiting inspections to 311 complaints and not otherwise changing its inspection practices for MPHA housing.
- MPHA controls more than 6,000 low‑income homes and long claimed it could lose federal funding if it obtained city licenses, an argument the court rejected.
- Minneapolis says it began routine public housing inspections only after a state law change that took effect last year, but has not revealed how many units have now been inspected.
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