Minnesota Court of Appeals Clears Path for Public Housing Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Minneapolis

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has issued a pivotal opinion allowing a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority to proceed, rejecting immunity claims that had shielded the entities from accountability for alleged decades-long failures in public housing maintenance and inspection. The August 18, 2025 decision reverses a lower court's dismissal of claims against MPHA and affirms the denial of immunity for the City, marking a significant victory for public housing residents who argue they have been systematically denied services routinely provided to private renters.

Residents Kimberly Lowry and Jeanne Harris, leading the proposed class action filed in September 2021, allege violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act and other laws, citing the City's failure to conduct routine inspections of public housing units despite performing them for private rentals, and MPHA's failure to obtain required rental licenses and maintain safe, habitable dwellings. The Court of Appeals, in an opinion by Judge Schmidt, emphasized that the City's duty to adopt policies for systematic rental inspections is ministerial, and its director of regulatory services violated this duty without immunity protection.

For MPHA, the court found material factual questions on whether enforcing licensing requirements—which mandate pre-license inspections for code compliance—could have prevented residents' injuries by denying licenses for non-compliant housing. This ruling dismantles legal barriers that have perpetuated inequities, as highlighted by residents' attorney Anna P. Prakash of Nichols Kaster, PLLP, who noted that public housing residents deserve the same services as private renters, regardless of income.

The implications extend beyond Minneapolis, potentially influencing housing policies nationwide by affirming that governmental entities cannot claim immunity to evade civil rights obligations, thereby reinforcing accountability for equitable housing standards and empowering marginalized communities to challenge systemic neglect.