Affordable Housing in Minneapolis, MN

This page collects the specific programs, agencies, phone numbers, and rules that apply in Minneapolis and Hennepin County — not generic Section 8 advice. Minneapolis stands out for layered tenant protections: a new 30-day pre-eviction notice ordinance, a 2017 local source-of-income protection ordinance that the state extended statewide in 2024, and a 2026 combined $6M+ in city rent help. The named resources below are where to start.

Emergency Help Tonight in Minneapolis

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight or are facing an imminent eviction, these are the local resources to contact first:

• Hennepin County Adult Shelter Connect — single intake line for adult shelter beds in Hennepin County: 612-248-2350. Operates the coordinated entry system
• St. Stephen's Human Services — operates several shelters and outreach programs across Minneapolis, including drop-in centers
• Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis — Higher Ground Minneapolis — large emergency shelter and pay-for-stay options downtown. Also operates Exodus Residence and other facilities
• People Serving People — Minneapolis's largest family shelter, with case management and child-focused services
• Salvation Army Harbor Light Center — emergency shelter for adults, including addiction recovery programs
• Simpson Housing Services — emergency shelter and supportive housing operator with multiple programs
• Tubman — domestic violence shelter and 24-hour crisis line: (612) 825-0000. Bilingual advocates and culturally-specific services
• Mary's Place — emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness
• 211 Minnesota — free 24/7 information line for shelters, food, financial assistance, and social services. Multilingual

For a full walkthrough of finding shelter the first night, see our emergency housing tonight guide.

Section 8 in Minneapolis: MPHA Status and How to Apply

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Minneapolis are administered by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA), which manages over 7,000 vouchers. Current status (checked September 9, 2026):

• The HCV waitlist is closed as of September 9, 2026 with no scheduled reopening. Watch mphaonline.org/housing-choice-vouchers/tenant-based-vouchers for announcements
• Eligibility: 50% or below Area Median Income (AMI) for Hennepin County
• If you're already on the waitlist: complete the Section 8 HCV Waitlist Update Form and email hcvwaitinglist@mplspha.org, fax to 612-335-4427, or mail to MPHA HCV Waiting List Update, 1001 Washington Ave No. Suite 310 Minneapolis, MN 55401
• Public Housing through MPHA — a separate program with its own waitlist for MPHA-owned scattered-site and high-rise properties
• Project-Based Voucher (PBV) lists at specific Minneapolis properties may be open even when the general HCV list is closed
• Other special programs: HUD-VASH for veterans, Mainstream vouchers for non-elderly people with disabilities — separate referral processes
• Apply to neighboring authorities too: Metro HRA (Met Council, suburban metro), St. Paul PHA, Bloomington HRA, Hennepin County HRA, and Minnesota Housing (statewide) run separate lists
• Status check: contact MPHA at the email/address above. HousingLink also maintains a current Open Housing Authority Wait List directory at housinglink.org

For the national application process, see our step-by-step Section 8 guide and how to find your PHA.

Emergency Rental Assistance in Minneapolis (Named Programs)

If you're behind on rent or can't pay this month, these are the local programs currently operating in Minneapolis. Funding shifts month to month — always call to confirm current availability:

• City of Minneapolis Emergency Rental Assistance (2026) — the City has allocated $3.8 million in rental assistance, with a matching $3 million from the Wilson Foundation — over $6 million total available. Eligibility: Minneapolis resident, household income at or below 30% AMI, and a 30-day eviction notice from your landlord. minneapolismn.gov
• Hennepin County Rent Help (Rent Help Hennepin) — Hennepin County's $9.6 million 2026 rent assistance investment, projected to cover roughly 44% of back rent for low-income county residents with an eviction filing. hennepincounty.gov
• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota — Rental Assistance & Eviction Protection — combines rental help with case management and tenant counseling. lssmn.org
• Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis — emergency financial assistance, food, immigration legal services, and case management. Spanish, Somali, and other language services
• Salvation Army Northern Division — eviction prevention assistance and utility help
• St. Vincent de Paul of Greater Minneapolis — one-time emergency rental and utility help through local parish conferences
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid — Housing Unit — free legal help for low-income tenants facing eviction. mylegalaid.org
• HOME Line — free tenant hotline and counseling for Minnesota renters. Call 612-728-5767 (Twin Cities) or 866-866-3546 (greater MN). homelinemn.org

The federal pandemic RentHelpMN has ended

Minnesota's RentHelpMN program from the pandemic era has closed. The current paths are the new 2026 City of Minneapolis ERA, Rent Help Hennepin, and the named nonprofits above. Don't waste time on old 2021–2023 application portals.

Utility assistance: EAP

Minnesota's LIHEAP is called the Energy Assistance Program (EAP). It is administered locally by community action agencies; in Hennepin County, by Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County (CAP-HC). Heating help runs October through May. Apply through CAP-HC or call 211.

Tenant Rights in Minneapolis & Minnesota

Minnesota has been strengthening tenant protections — and Minneapolis adds local layers on top of state law:

• Source-of-income protection is now law statewide: Minnesota's 2024 omnibus housing law extended source-of-income protection to all renters — it is illegal for a landlord to refuse a Section 8 voucher or other government rental subsidy. Minneapolis had its own local ordinance going back to 2017. File a discrimination complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights at mn.gov/mdhr
• Minneapolis 30-day pre-eviction notice ordinance: a 2025 Minneapolis ordinance requires landlords to give tenants a 30-day notice before filing an eviction for nonpayment. This is far longer than the state's 14-day pay-or-quit and gives tenants real time to apply for emergency rental assistance. Verify the current rule with the City of Minneapolis Regulatory Services
• 14-day notice for nonpayment under state law (Minn. Stat. § 504B.291) — the underlying state minimum that Minneapolis's 30-day ordinance layers on top of
• Notice to end month-to-month: one full rental period from either side (Minn. Stat. § 504B.135)
• Security deposit: must be returned with interest within 21 days of move-out (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178). Minnesota does not cap deposit amounts but deposits must accrue interest
• Warranty of habitability: Minn. Stat. § 504B.161 requires landlords to maintain fit-and-habitable premises, comply with health and safety codes, and make repairs after written notice. Tenants have rent-escrow remedies
• Retaliatory eviction is illegal under Minn. Stat. § 504B.285 within 90 days of good-faith tenant complaints or organizing activity
• Self-help eviction is illegal: Minn. Stat. § 504B.225 prohibits lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal of belongings, with treble damages
• Eviction sealing/expungement: Minnesota law allows tenants to petition for expungement of eviction filings in many circumstances — especially nonpayment cases where the tenant paid or settled. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and HOME Line can help
• Fair housing: Minnesota Human Rights Act protects more classes than federal law — including source of income, marital status, public assistance status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and creed

For free legal help: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, HOME Line (tenant hotline 612-728-5767), and Volunteer Lawyers Network. For state-level details, see our Minnesota housing resources. If you experience discrimination, see how to file a housing discrimination complaint.

Other Housing Programs in Minneapolis

• Public housing: MPHA owns about 6,200 units of public housing in Minneapolis, including the Cedar-Riverside high-rises and many scattered-site homes. Application is separate from Section 8
• LIHTC (Tax Credit): privately owned income-restricted apartments. Minneapolis has substantial LIHTC inventory. Search HUD's LIHTC database for properties in Hennepin County. See how to find LIHTC housing
• HousingLink — Minnesota's go-to subsidized-housing search portal listing open waitlists, vacant units, and program information. housinglink.org
• Minneapolis Inclusionary Zoning Policy — new market-rate developments must include affordable units; the city's portal lists current openings
• HUD-VASH (veterans): combines a voucher with VA case management. Minneapolis-area veterans are referred through the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. See how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Rapid Rehousing & Permanent Supportive Housing — coordinated through the Hennepin County CoC. Access via Adult Shelter Connect (612-248-2350) or 211
• Minnesota Housing (state) programs — Start Up homebuyer assistance, Step Up move-up loans, and statewide rental development financing. mnhousing.gov
• HUD-approved housing counseling: find a counselor through the HUD counselor locator — Model Cities and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity offer counseling

Next Steps

Not sure which program is right for you? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions about your situation — emergency vs. long-term, family vs. individual, employed vs. on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of programs. It takes about two minutes.

If you received a 30-day pre-eviction notice in Minneapolis, that's actually a window to apply for emergency rental help — apply to the City of Minneapolis ERA program and Rent Help Hennepin in parallel. If a landlord told you they "don't take Section 8," file a Minnesota Department of Human Rights complaint — that refusal is illegal statewide.