Westrom, Senate Republicans force fraud protections into Democrats’ rental assistance legislation

On Wednesday, March 11, Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Alexandria) and Senate Republicans criticized a Senate DFL proposal, Senate File 3596, that would provide $40 million to cover individuals' overdue rent and utility payments.

“Minnesota has a massive fraud problem, and the Democrats’ rental assistance bill is ripe for more of it,” said Westrom. “This legislation is further evidence that the Democrat Party doesn’t understand the crisis we are facing. Republicans brought forward an amendment to at least restrict fraudsters from accessing these funds, and every Democrat voted ‘no.’ How are we supposed to believe this is a good bill that will ensure the money goes to those it’s intended for?”

During the floor debate, Senate Republicans proposed amendments to strengthen the legislation. The Senate accepted key Republican amendments designed to prevent fraud, including setting aside 5% of the funds specifically for fraud detection and prevention.

Other Republican amendments added to support anti-fraud measures include:

  • Requiring applicants to document that they qualify for funding, rather than relying solely on the applicants’ word.
  • Authorizing detailed reports every 30 days, including amounts spent and unspent.

“Senate Republicans also introduced an amendment to ensure this rental assistance would go to Minnesotans and people with legal status first. However, once again, Democrats put illegal immigrants before legal Minnesota residents. These are common-sense ways to prevent fraud, yet Democrats ignored them. How long is it really going to take for Democrats to admit we have a fraud problem?” Westrom added.

Senate Republicans also proposed a series of amendments to prioritize legal residents, address affordability, and protect public safety. The Senate DFL rejected the following amendments:

  • Restricting eligibility to U.S. citizens and people who are in the country legally.
  • Redirecting the bill’s funds to provide direct property tax relief to homeowners and renters instead of funding a new bureaucratic program.
  • Blocking individuals on the predatory offender registry from receiving rent and utility assistance through this program.