Citizen advocates, with the support of Governor Dayton and many State Legislators, successfully fought off a cut to the Renters Credit that is to be paid out this August.  However, under the negotiated deal being considered by the Minnesota Legislature presently, the property tax rebate will be reduced by roughly 13% beginning next year.

While no reduction is desirable, citizen advocates and many legislators we branded “Guardians of the Renters Credit” all contributed to protecting the property tax rebate for this year and minimizing the damage next year.  (An earlier legislative proposal would have immediately cut the Renters Credit in half.)

Renters across Minnesota did their part by letting legislators and Governor Dayton know how important Renters Credit is to them. Without their calls, letters, and support the outcome could have been much more grim. HOME Line would like to thank everyone who played a role in the campaign. It wouldn’t have been possible without your persistence.

Governor Dayton and many legislators opposed making drastic cuts to Renters Credit. They accepted the delayed reduction only after holding out in one of the longest state shutdowns in U.S. history. We’d like to thank the Governor and the other “Guardians of the Renters Credit” for their continued support and for standing strong until the very end.

The impact of this and other public service cuts will be felt by thousands of Minnesotans. At HOME line, we will continue to advocate for Minnesota renters and band together with advocates fighting for a fair State budget.

We will keep you updated if there is any delay on when Renters Credit checks will go out for this year and on any new developments in the budget deal.

Thanks to our 9 sponsors, 115 participants and 383 donors who made this event a huge success! We raised over $42,046 ($24,196 in donations, $17,980 in a matching grant), and the donations continue to come in. We could not have done it without you all!

If you missed the show, but would still like to support our tenant advocacy work, it is not too late! The F.R. Bigelow Foundation will continue to match all new and increased donations up to $20,000. You can make your contribution here. We’re noticing that similar to last year, donations continue to roll in after the event. Thanks!

We’re also excited that our event was covered in the Star Tribune on 6/16/11 as a fun and unique non-profit fundraiser. We couldn’t agree more. Read more about it here: Ratcheting up the ‘fun’ in fundraisers —Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune, 6/16/11

The video below is just a sample of what took place in the 40-hour telethon on a treadmill at HOME Line:

And, here are a few words from HOME Line’s founder, Charlie Warner, making a great case for supporting HOME Line while he walks on the treadmill: