I was disappointed to see such misleading information from as prominent a source as the Pew Trust in a recent commentary on upzoning (“Zoning reform can cure isle struggles,” Star-Advertiser, Insight, March 24). The author claimed that in Minneapolis “rents haven’t risen in seven years.” This would be remarkable if true. But it isn’t. A quick look at table DP04, published by the U.S. Census as part of the American Community Survey, shows that between 2017 and 2022 (the last year for which Census data is available) median gross rents rose by 34%.

Unsurprisingly, that same dataset shows that the share of rent-burdened households has steadily increased in Minneapolis. Evictions filings, according to Hannepin County data, were 27% higher in 2023 than prior to the upzoning, with some Census tracts seeing eviction increases as high as 500% in the last few years.

Suffice to say, the cheerful conjecture presented doesn’t square with actual fact.

Makana Hicks

Makiki

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