Tracking Housing Instability

The number of Minnesotans experiencing housing instability is increasing across Minnesota. Our state was already in the midst of a housing crisis when COVID19 caused an economic collapse. To make matters worse, the failure of the state and federal governments to pass robust housing assistance for renters and homeowners has accelerated the risk of instability. This dashboard is updated regularly and tracks a variety of indicators of housing instability.

Jump to:

1. Racial Disparity data
2. Unlawful Detainers data
3. Unemployment Trends data
4. Missed Payment Data
5. Minnesota Eviction News

Understanding how racial disparities are a root cause of housing instability

Unfair rules created huge disparities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)* well before COVID19. Those disparities are especially acute as COVID19 impacts these communities.

BIPOC in Minnesota are more likely to hold jobs that have a higher risk for COVID19 or jobs that are most impacted by the economic effects of COVID19.

Cost-burden occurs when a family pays 30% or more of their income on housing forcing them to sacrifice other needs such as food, health care, or education. Past and present unfair policies and practices such as covenants, redlining, and other forms of discrimination have stripped wealth from BIPOC Minnesotans and made it harder for BIPOC families to afford housing. As a result, BIPOC Minnesotans have higher rates of cost-burden.

Unlawful Detainers

The number of renters who have had unlawful detainers filed against them is one indicator of housing instability. While each UD does not end in eviction, it is a useful indicator that evictions may be increasing or decreasing. In addition, the filing of a UD negatively impacts a renter’s future ability to find housing.

This graph shows the overall trends in UDs since 2008, including the significant drop in response to Gov. Tim Walz' eviction moratorium enacted on March 23, 2020.

Unemployment Data

Unemployment is an important indicator of lost income which results in housing instability.

This graph tracks how Minnesota's unemployment percent compares to the national unemployment percent.

This graph tracks unemployment percent by Minnesota region.

*BIPOC is used to signify that anti-Black and anti-Indigenous policies are a foundational structure of Minnesota's housing disparities.