Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid contends with $425K loss of HUD funds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; (Minneapolis, Minn): For forty years, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has taken on landlords who discriminated against renters, sexually harassed tenants and evicted rather than provided accommodations required by law for people with disabilities.

In the current year, Legal Aid relied on a $425K from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department to do this work. But on Feb. 27, the nonprofit law firm was notified that the grant — awarded to Legal Aid 30 years running to help thousands of Minnesotans navigate “Fair Housing” laws — was canceled.

“We are committed to this work and we will continue doing it,” promises Executive Director Milo Mumgaard, “the stakes for clients living on margins are just too high not to, but the loss of $425K is a hit no matter how we look at it.”

As an example of the stakes, Litigation Director Luke Grundman points to the landmark “Pfeiffer” case. “In 2019, our team of lawyers with the Department of Justice went after landlord Pfeiffer under the Fair Housing Act.” Accused of sexually harassing 23 Minneapolis tenants, the landlord in the end, was ordered to pay $736,000 to victims and a $14,000 civil penalty to the United States.”

Assistant Supervising Attorney and HUD Grant Project Manager Courtney Arthur says, “Cases like these are not outliers. They happen often and the scope includes people discriminated against because of their section 8 housing status, their religion, sexual orientation or because they have a disability. The law is on their side, but without Legal Aid to tell them that, many might otherwise be homeless and many are.”

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Media contact:
Lisa Ramirez | Lramirez@mylegalaid.org
Communications Director
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
612.746.3641