Brooklyn Park Considers Plan to Pay Evicted Tenants at Huntington Place Apartments
Huntington Place Apartments is Brooklyn Park’s largest apartment complex. And it’s been a problem spot for crime. Now the city is looking at ways to address evicted tenants there. On Monday the Economic Development Authority discussed the ongoing problems at Huntington Place.
Back in June we told you the troubles were bad enough that Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeff Lunde described its owners as “slumlords.” The property manager, Plymouth-based Dominium, recently added a number of property improvements. And according to the city, Dominium is changing its focus. The property management company will concentrate on evicting people who fall behind in their rent or violate their leases.
The EDA considered a 50/50 partnership with Dominium to dedicate $50,000 toward a fund. The money would help evicted Huntington Place residents find a new place to live by giving them up to $1,000. Brooklyn Park’s mayor was for the proposal, with a caveat.
“People who just want to be residents, who want to have a good place to live, who want a place they can afford, I want them to stay here,” said Lunde. “People who come here to party, raise hell, cause problems, cause fights, I really don’t care about them.”
Lunde said he thinks the proposal is a way to support good tenants of Huntington Place who find themselves in bad situations. Brooklyn Park City Council Member Mark Mata objected to the idea of helping people evicted.
“I’m not interested in giving $25,000 of taxpayer money to pay bad behavior to leave the city,” he said.
City staff said paying people evicted for criminal reasons isn’t the intent of the proposal. The EDA ended up tabling the proposal, agreeing further study is needed.
