When an apartment building is listed for sale, tenants often face a wave of uncertainty, from potential eviction and rent hikes to harassment and legal loopholes that undermine their ability to stay. Enter the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), a policy designed to give renters a seat at the table amid rising displacement and unchecked real estate speculation.
A coalition of renter advocates known as the Housing Justice League, spanning more than a half-dozen organizations, plans to pack the Business, Housing, and Zoning Committee meeting on October 28 to push Minneapolis leaders to act on TOPA.
Supporters say the policy could be a turning point for renters of color, who have long borne the brunt of racist redlining, predatory lending, and generational displacement…