Housing is the first domino. Without a confirmed address, supervised release in Minnesota cannot begin, employment cannot start, and benefits cannot be accessed. Minnesota's supervising officers require an approved address before release is authorized. The housing search begins before the gate opens.
Minnesota has an active reentry housing ecosystem -- VOA Residential Reentry Centers serving both state and federal releases, a strong nonprofit network in the Twin Cities and outstate, a Minneapolis Fair Chance Housing Ordinance with meaningful tenant protections, and a proposed statewide fair chance law working through the legislature. Families who understand this landscape before release day are better positioned to use it.
The Housing Landscape in Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC, mn.gov/doc) operates reentry services through its Community Supervision division. The DOC Reentry Services Unit collaborates with facility services, field services, state and county agencies, faith-based groups, and community organizations. MN DOC compiles a Transitional Housing Directory and an American Indian Transition and Resource Directory -- both available through mn.gov/doc and the MN DOC Community Resource Page.
Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin (VOA MN/WI, voamnwi.org) operates two Residential Reentry Centers serving Minnesota -- one in Minneapolis and one in Roseville. Each facility provides transitional housing and reentry services for up to 74 people of any gender who are completing part of their sentence in the community. Residents at the RRCs remain under the jurisdiction of MN DOC or the federal Bureau of Prisons but work jobs and attend support groups in the community. These facilities serve both state-supervised individuals and federal inmates.
EMERGE Minnesota (emerge-mn.org) is rooted in North Minneapolis and Cedar-Riverside and provides a three-track reentry program: RESTORE (for people with criminal history facing employment barriers), ProPEL (specifically for people soon to be released from MN State DOC facilities, providing pre-release guidance and resources), and RTR (ReEntry Trauma Recovery Groups). EMERGE provides housing resources, career coaching, specialized job training, and transitional job placements.
Agate Housing and Services (agatemn.org), formed in 2021 from the merger of House of Charity and St. Stephen's Human Services, serves people experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County including returning citizens. Agate provides housing search assistance, connecting returning citizens with landlords willing to work with people who have criminal records.
Portland House (Lutheran Social Services, 612-331-1087) assists returning citizens with employment, housing, and life skills. Residents are accepted by correctional facility referral.
Central Minnesota Reentry Project (CMNRP, cmnrp.org) serves Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne Counties with individual rooms in a shared transitional living environment for people under supervision with a felony conviction, within 365 days of sentencing or release.
Life Rebuilders (lrbmn.org) and Minnesota Recovery Housing (minnesotarecovery.org) provide additional transitional and recovery housing options statewide.
For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons coordinates RRC placement for Minnesota federal inmates. The District of Minnesota also operates a federal Reentry Court -- a collaborative program between the U.S. District Court, U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Defender's Office, U.S. Probation Office, and community agencies providing evidence-based post-conviction supervision. BOP RRM Chicago coordinates Minnesota federal placements. Under the First Step Act, earned programming credits can result in RRC placement up to 12 months before release. Families do not apply directly.
Minneapolis Fair Chance Housing
Minneapolis enacted a Fair Chance Housing Ordinance in 2019 that provides meaningful protections for returning citizens applying for private rental housing in Minneapolis. Landlords in Minneapolis must follow one of two pathways:
Inclusive screening criteria: no use of misdemeanor convictions older than 3 years; no use of felony convictions older than 7 years; even serious felonies (robbery, sexual crimes) cannot be considered if more than 10 years old; dismissed cases and expunged convictions cannot be used; credit history alone is not grounds for denial.
Individualized assessment: if a landlord uses stricter criteria, they must conduct a case-by-case assessment considering relevant factors.
Additional Minneapolis protections: insufficient credit history alone cannot justify denial; security deposits are capped at one month's rent.
Outside Minneapolis, Minnesota has no statewide fair chance housing law for private landlords as of the time of sourcing. A Minnesota Fair Chance Access to Housing Act (SF 2629 in the 2025 session) has been proposed to extend similar protections statewide -- confirm current status at publish.
Minnesota's Clean Slate law (2023) provides automatic and petition-based expungement for qualifying convictions after a waiting period of 2 to 5 years. Expunged records are not visible to landlords.
Federal Restrictions on Public and Subsidized Housing
Federal law divides criminal history restrictions on federally assisted housing into mandatory lifetime bans and discretionary bans. Both apply in Minnesota.
Mandatory lifetime bans apply regardless of which Minnesota housing authority is involved:
Anyone subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a state sex offender registration program is banned from admission to public housing and most HUD-assisted programs. This is federal statute and no Minnesota housing authority can waive it.
Anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine on federally assisted property is permanently barred from all HUD-assisted housing.
Certain drug-related convictions carry mandatory restrictions depending on the specific program and conviction type, though PHAs retain some discretion in this category.
Discretionary bans apply to all other criminal history. Minnesota PHAs may consider criminal history but are not required to impose blanket denials. HUD guidance from 2016 encourages individualized assessment. The Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) is administered locally, so the specific policy depends on which Minnesota PHA covers the relevant area.
For Families
If anyone in the family lives in public or subsidized housing, this section requires immediate attention before release.
Adding a returning family member with certain criminal convictions to a household in public or HUD-assisted housing can constitute a lease violation and result in termination of the voucher or eviction of the entire household. Families in public housing must contact their specific housing authority before the person comes home. The conversation happens before release, not after.
For families in private rental housing, the key question is whether the rental is in Minneapolis or outside it. Minneapolis's Fair Chance Housing Ordinance provides significant protections; outside Minneapolis, state law does not require individualized assessment or lookback limits. The proposed statewide law (SF 2629) had not passed as of the time of sourcing -- confirm at publish.
For families using the Clean Slate law: expungement removes the record from landlord visibility, but the waiting period (2 to 5 years) means most people releasing won't be able to use it immediately.
What families can do before release:
Contact the housing authority immediately if anyone in the household lives in public or subsidized housing. Get the specific policy before the person arrives.
Contact MN DOC reentry services about transitional housing options; access the MN DOC Transitional Housing Directory at mn.gov/doc.
Contact VOA MN/WI (voamnwi.org) about Residential Reentry Center availability in Minneapolis or Roseville -- these serve both MN DOC and federal releases.
For pre-release support: contact EMERGE Minnesota (emerge-mn.org) about the ProPEL pre-release program.
For Minneapolis rental search: know that Minneapolis's Fair Chance Housing Ordinance protects against felony lookbacks beyond 7 years and misdemeanor lookbacks beyond 3 years. This is a meaningful protection to use actively.
For Hennepin County: contact Agate Housing and Services (agatemn.org) about housing search assistance.
For Stearns/Benton/Sherburne Counties: contact CMNRP (cmnrp.org).
Call 211 Minnesota for housing referrals and reentry services by county.
Confirm all housing with the assigned supervising officer. An approved address is required before release.
State Resources
MN DOC Reentry Services (mn.gov/doc): Transitional Housing Directory; American Indian Transition and Resource Directory; Reentry Services Unit; community resource page.
VOA MN/WI Residential Reentry Centers (voamnwi.org): Minneapolis and Roseville locations; up to 74 residents each; all genders; MN DOC and BOP placements.
EMERGE Minnesota (emerge-mn.org): North Minneapolis and Cedar-Riverside; ProPEL (pre-release), RESTORE (employment), RTR (trauma recovery); housing resources.
Agate Housing and Services (agatemn.org, Hennepin County): Housing search assistance; serving people with criminal records in the Minneapolis area.
Portland House (Lutheran Social Services; 612-331-1087): Housing, employment, life skills; correctional facility referral required.
CMNRP (cmnrp.org, Stearns/Benton/Sherburne Counties): Shared transitional living for people under supervision with felony convictions within 365 days of release.
Minnesota Recovery Housing (minnesotarecovery.org): Statewide recovery housing directory.
211 Minnesota: Dial 211 for free referrals to housing, reentry services, shelter, and emergency assistance by county.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (mylegalaid.org): Free civil legal assistance for eligible low-income Minnesotans, including housing rights and expungement.
Frequently asked questions
Can a felon get into public housing in Minnesota?
It depends on the conviction type and the specific Minnesota housing authority. Federal law mandates lifetime bans from HUD-assisted housing for people subject to lifetime sex offender registration and for people convicted of meth production on federally assisted property. Outside those mandatory bans, Minnesota PHAs have discretion to consider criminal history but are not required to impose blanket bans. Policies vary across Minnesota's housing authorities. Contact the specific PHA in the relevant city or county for their current policy.
What are the federal housing bans for felons?
Two are mandatory everywhere: (1) lifetime sex offender registration bars admission from HUD-assisted housing, and (2) conviction for manufacturing meth on federally assisted property is a permanent bar. Beyond those, PHAs have discretion to consider other criminal history but are not required to impose blanket bans. HUD guidance from 2016 discourages blanket denials and encourages individualized assessments considering the offense, time elapsed, and evidence of rehabilitation.
Can my family lose Section 8 if my person moves in?
Yes. Allowing a person with a disqualifying criminal history to reside in a Section 8 or public housing unit can constitute a lease violation and result in termination of the voucher or eviction of the entire household. Contact the housing authority before the person comes home. The conversation with the PHA happens before release, not after.
How does transitional housing work in Minnesota?
MN DOC Reentry Services coordinates transitional housing referrals and maintains a statewide Transitional Housing Directory. VOA MN/WI operates Residential Reentry Centers in Minneapolis and Roseville (up to 74 residents each, all genders) for both MN DOC and BOP supervised individuals. EMERGE Minnesota's ProPEL program provides pre-release guidance for people approaching MN DOC release. Portland House accepts correctional facility referrals. CMNRP serves the Stearns/Benton/Sherburne area with shared transitional housing. For federal inmates, BOP RRM Chicago coordinates RRC placement beginning 17 to 19 months before release; under the First Step Act, programming credits can result in placement up to 12 months before release.
What is the Minneapolis Fair Chance Housing Ordinance?
The Minneapolis Fair Chance Housing Ordinance (enacted 2019) requires all Minneapolis landlords to follow either inclusive screening criteria or an individualized assessment process. Under inclusive screening criteria: misdemeanor convictions older than 3 years cannot be used; felony convictions older than 7 years cannot be used; even serious felonies cannot be considered beyond 10 years; dismissed and expunged records are excluded. Landlords cannot deny based on insufficient credit history alone, and security deposits are capped at one month's rent. This ordinance applies only in Minneapolis. Outside Minneapolis, Minnesota has no statewide equivalent -- confirm status of proposed statewide Fair Chance Access to Housing Act at publish.
How does federal RRC placement work in Minnesota?
The BOP unit team begins reviewing federal inmates for RRC eligibility 17 to 19 months before the projected release date. BOP RRM Chicago manages Minnesota placements. VOA MN/WI Residential Reentry Centers in Minneapolis and Roseville serve federal inmates as well as state inmates. Under the First Step Act, earned programming credits can result in RRC placement up to 12 months before release. Families cannot apply directly. The District of Minnesota also operates a federal Reentry Court for post-conviction supervision.
Can landlords in Minnesota refuse to rent to ex-felons?
In Minneapolis, the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance limits criminal history lookbacks (7 years for felonies, 3 years for misdemeanors) and requires individualized assessment rather than blanket bans. Outside Minneapolis, Minnesota has no statewide fair chance housing law -- confirm status of proposed SF 2629 at publish. Landlords using background check services must comply with the federal FCRA. HUD guidance advises that blanket criminal history bans may violate the federal Fair Housing Act through disparate impact. Minnesota's Clean Slate expungement law removes qualifying records from landlord visibility after waiting periods of 2 to 5 years.
What housing programs help returning citizens in Minnesota?
MN DOC Reentry Services (mn.gov/doc) maintains a Transitional Housing Directory and coordinates statewide. VOA MN/WI (voamnwi.org) operates Residential Reentry Centers in Minneapolis and Roseville for state and federal releases. EMERGE Minnesota (emerge-mn.org) provides pre-release ProPEL support and post-release housing resources. Agate Housing (agatemn.org) provides housing search in Hennepin County. Portland House (612-331-1087) provides housing by facility referral. CMNRP (cmnrp.org) serves the Stearns/Benton/Sherburne area. Minnesota Recovery Housing (minnesotarecovery.org) lists statewide recovery housing. 211 Minnesota (dial 211) provides county referrals. Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (mylegalaid.org) provides free housing rights help.
How do I find housing before my person is released?
Access the MN DOC Transitional Housing Directory at mn.gov/doc. Contact VOA MN/WI (voamnwi.org) about RRC availability in Minneapolis or Roseville. Contact EMERGE Minnesota (emerge-mn.org) about ProPEL pre-release enrollment. For Hennepin County: contact Agate Housing (agatemn.org). For Stearns/Benton/Sherburne: contact CMNRP (cmnrp.org). For Minneapolis private rental: use the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance protections actively -- 7-year felony lookback limit, 3-year misdemeanor limit. Call 211 Minnesota for county referrals. If the family home is in public housing, contact the PHA immediately. Confirm all housing with the assigned supervising officer before release.
Do sex offenders face housing limits in Minnesota?
Yes. Minnesota restricts certain registered sex offenders -- particularly Level 3 offenders -- from residing within specified distances of schools and other locations. Many Minnesota transitional housing programs, including VOA RRCs, will not accept registered sex offenders. MDOC and community supervision conditions for registrants may impose additional restrictions. Families of registrants must work directly with the supervising officer to identify compliant housing well before release. Confirm the current Minnesota statute (Minnesota Statutes §244.052 or current equivalent) and applicable Level-specific restrictions at publish time. ---
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