Keith et al, Thanks for the heads up on this issue. A few random thoughts:
First, just yesterday I spoke with Toni Coleman, journalist for the Pioneer Press. She asked me why landlords don't screen their tenants better. She is writing an article about how landlords let problem families in and the damage it does to that neighborhood. Interesting to me that Mpls City council APPEARS to be investigating making it harder (or more expensive) to run background checks. Who on this board wants less background checks? Seriously, I would like to know if anyone does. Especially after Barb Lickness's story about the problem tenant on her block! Second, The state Legislature took up this very same matter a few years back. It was rejected because: a) State law already makes it illegal for a landlord to profit from an application fee. If there really are landlords making money off of application fees, then why are we not seeing prosecution under current law? b) One part of the proposal was that applicants could bring in their own back ground check -- and landlords must accept it. Landlords complained about the fox running the hen house and the possibility of incomplete or forged information. Background checking agencies pointed out that it is ILLEGAL for anyone to distribute credit information unless they are licensed to do so. Third, there is NO HOUSING SHORTAGE in the metro area rental market. If a family is still having trouble finding a home, that family has either an income shortage or they have historical behavioral problems. ALL Landlords I know are hungry for tenants. Fourth, as to affordability... Due to the high vacancy rate, rental rates are falling across the metro area. St. Paul PHA just cut all of their landlords rent payments by 7% across the board. Their rational for doing so is that rents have gone down. Fifth, I beg our leaders to be careful. All landlords are now having cash flow problems. Expenses are way up and income is way down. I worry that if this continues for very long, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS will be full of poorly maintained and foreclosed rental property. It is already starting. I agree with Keith, I hope CM Schiff invites some landlords to the meeting (landlords that have their homes on the line -- not just non-profits which live off taxpayers). I further hope CM Schiff invites some of the neighborhood groups to the meeting. Start with Barb Lickness and Dennis Plante. They can both share what it is like to live next to problem tenants. Regards, Bill Cullen. Whittier landlord. REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
