VLN administers a Habitability Fund that has money for tenants who are unable to pursue Fritz defenses or bring a rent escrow case because they are unable to pay money into court to do so. The fund is a revolving fund, so any money received back from the litigation must first be used to refund the Fund.
To use the funds, a tenant must:
- Be represented by a CMLS, MMLA, Judicare, SMRLS or VLN attorney;
- Have a repair claim in Hennepin, Ramsey or Anoka county, and be unable to pursue it because of a court required escrow payment; and
- Complete an Application and Addendum to the Representation Agreement. There are some more specific requirements based on location, but those are all clearly stated in the application.
- Funds are not guaranteed until the application has been approved by VLN.
Questions, and completed applications and addendums, can be directed to VLN’s Housing Program Manager and Resource Attorney at [email protected] or 612-752-6647.