The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday voted to pare back the city’s rent control ordinance while passing a suite of new tenant protections.
Voters approved a 3% cap on annual rent increases in 2021, but the ordinance was later modified to include a 20-year exemption period for new housing. An amendment that passed Wednesday will now permanently exclude any units that first received a certificate of occupancy after Dec. 31, 2004.
Proponents for rolling back rent stabilization, including Mayor Melvin Carter, say such a measure is necessary for attracting new development to fix the city’s housing shortage. Opponents argue a permanent exemption will gradually shrink the stock of rent-controlled housing available to working-class families…