We Are Joining Our Neighbors to Keep St. Paul Home
As Jews, many of us know the importance of being able to live where we choose. We know this because our history is filled with so many stories of displacement; of families uprooted by war, poverty, and hate.
Many sought refuge here, in St. Paul, home to the oldest Jewish community in Minnesota. They finally had the opportunity to put down roots, and created deep connections to this place from generation to generation.
Everyone in St. Paul deserves the opportunity to choose where they want to live, and to remain in the place they call home. We know our community is stronger and more prosperous when families, children and workers can put down roots and invest their energy and love in their neighborhoods.
But too many of us have friends, family, co-workers and neighbors who have been forced out of our community because they couldn’t keep up with rent. For years, corporate and predatory landlords have been raising rents far beyond families’ income growth. This housing cost-burden is disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) households, and increasing levels of housing instability and homelessness.
We need a policy that will keep tenants, especially low-wealth and BIPOC households, from getting priced out of their homes.
In 2020, JCA’s St. Paul Housing Team member leaders worked with our partners in the Housing Equity Now! St. Paul (HENS) coalition to amplify renter and BIPOC voices to win the strongest tenant protections ordinances in the state.
During our campaign, we heard from local renters, some of whom have seen their rent increase hundreds of dollars at a time, that something must be done to protect our neighbors from unreasonable rent growth. Rent stabilization does just that. Without it, corporate and predatory landlords will continue their rent gouging, pushing people out of their homes and onto the streets.
As Saint Paul residents, we can organize and put our issues directly on the ballot. That’s why the HENS coalition (including JCA) is leading an effort to collect 10,000 signatures of registered St. Paul voters and put rent stabilization on the November 2021 ballot!
Jewish Community Action is proud to support the Keep St. Paul Home campaign alongside our partners at HENS. We value safety, stability, and equity for all our neighbors, and we hope you’ll join us by signing this petition to put rent stabilization on the ballot. You can sign at pop-up sign up sites across the city, or contact us if you need a petition brought to you.
You may receive a call from a JCA St. Paul Housing Team member soon — you can find out more by speaking with them and by visiting housingequitystp.org.
Saint Paul aspires to be “America’s most livable city.” We believe that’s possible if we work together to make sure everyone — renters and homeowners, landlords and the house-less — belongs in our city!
Your neighbors,
Vic Rosenthal, Michelle Livingston, Howard Goldman, and Susan Cobin
JCA St. Paul Housing Team Members
