Saint Paul City Council extends pre-eviction filing notice to 60 days

In a 7–0 vote on March 26, the Saint Paul City Council passed Ordinance 26-18, temporarily extending the pre-eviction filing notice period to 60 days from mid-May through Dec. 31, 2026. After that, it will automatically return to 30 days, consistent with the Tenant Protections ordinance passed last year. The Council’s decision to protect residents and give them additional time to access resources or get back on their feet is part of ongoing efforts to support Saint Paul residents – especially those who have been victims of Operation Metro Surge.
One month ago, on Feb. 25, the Saint Paul City Council, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, redirected $1.42 million to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), bringing the total allocated to the program to over $3.8 million. The program guidelines were adopted at last week’s Council meeting, and applications will open on April 1 and April 2. The City Council recognizes that as rental assistance becomes available – including funds from the City’s ERA program, mutual aid, nonprofit support, and potential state funding – Saint Paul residents not only need but deserve additional time to access these resources.
ORD 26-18 is not intended to be an eviction moratorium, nor does it relieve renters of their financial obligations. It simply intends to protect residents from experiencing homelessness due to unpaid rent at a time when the financial hardship caused by Operation Metro Surge is being deeply felt by families and communities.
The 60-day pre-eviction filing notice goes into effect on May 14, 2026, temporarily amending the 30-day notice period established by the Council’s May 2025 tenant protection efforts, led primarily by Ward 7 Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson.
"I'm proud to bring this temporary extension forward because we heard loud and clear that 30 days is not enough time to find assistance, said Councilmember HwaJeong Kim. "With this passage, Saint Paul tenants will now have the time they need to connect with resources and stabilize their families." 
Council President Rebecca Noecker: “Extending the pre-eviction filing notice to 60 days is about preventing further harm to families who have already endured so much. This isn’t a suspension of rent—it’s the time people need to access rental assistance and stabilize their lives. Our goal is to ensure that no one experiences compounding hardship after the trauma of Operation Metro Surge, and that all residents have the support they need to stay in their homes.”
Council Vice President Nelsie Yang: "Operation Metro Surge has made a significant negative impact to Saint Paul tenants. Due to this disruption our communities continue to live in fear. Families could not go to work and support their families. We know that housing stability is essential, and it provides the foundation of our daily life. At a time like this, we should be focused on keeping people housed, not pushing them closer to eviction and homelessness. Right now, we need security, and this ordinance does just that.”
Ward 7 Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson: “This extension reflects what we’ve been building toward with our tenant protections work—policies that respond in real time to the conditions residents are facing. Right now, we have folks being evicted for $50 or $100 in our city and that is not acceptable. Disrupting this inequity means aligning our systems so that access to assistance actually translates into housing stability. I’m proud to help lead an approach that is both responsive and rooted in placing renters first – profit later.”
Ward 4 Councilmember Molly Coleman: ”The value of helping families stay in their homes can hardly be overstated. Forcing those already most impacted by Operation Metro Surge to face eviction and possible homelessness is unacceptable. Aid doesn’t reach people overnight—paychecks are slow to come, and it takes time to rebuild after months of crisis. With this temporary extension, we’re giving residents the breathing room they need to get back on their feet and remain stably housed.”
Ward 3 Councilmember Saura Jost: “This Notice Extension does not solve the problems created by Metro Surge. It does give our neighbors the time to assemble the resources being made available all around our community to stave off the devastating impact of an eviction. It makes dollars and cents sense; preventing an eviction is cheaper than restoring a family to housing after one.”