Monthly Archives: March 2009

TODAY’S ACTION: Tell your Legislators to resist cuts to the renter’s credit!

The message: Governor Pawlenty plans to cut the Renters’ Credit by 27%, giving $100 less on average to renters who now receive it. These cuts would harm renters across the state – most notably seniors, persons with disabilities and other low- and moderate-income Minnesotans. Immediate action is needed to prevent passage of this cut, which would increase overall rental costs and push some renters closer to homelessness.  Tell your legislators not to follow Governor Pawlenty’s budget in cutting the renter’s credit.  Tell them we can not balance the budget deficit on the backs of the poor.

Whom to write: Your Minnesota State Senator and Representative

Talking points:

§  Keep it personal.  Talk about yourself.  Why is housing/ending homelessness important to you?  What experiences have you had with individuals facing housing instability?

§  Consider raising revenue. Our current budget deficit cannot be resolved by budget cuts alone without inflicting great harm to low-income folks.  Legislators need to look to raising revenue before making cuts to the poor.

Background: Minnesota’s Renters’ Credit program provides a special rebate to Minnesotans whose rent is high relative to their income. While renters do not pay property taxes directly, the Renters’ Credit recognizes that owners of rental property pass on the cost of property taxes to renters in the form of higher rents.

Gov. Pawlenty claims that a cut to the Renters’ Credit is justified because property taxes have decreased for apartment owners in recent years. However, this decrease in property taxes has not benefitted renters because those savings have not been passed on to them.

The governor’s proposed cut will result in an average credit reduction of $100 for about 274,000 low-income renters throughout the state. Many Minnesotans rely on the Renters’ Credit to meet basic needs such as delayed dental care, car repairs, school supplies, and prescription drugs. Cutting the Renters’ Credit will harm Minnesota’s most vulnerable families, forcing them to bear a disproportionate share of the cost of balancing the state’s budget.