In 2016, the University of Minnesota founded Mapping Prejudice, which researched discriminatory covenants in Hennepin County. The project discovered 24,131 covenants in Hennepin County, including 245 properties in Plymouth.
In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law authorizing property owners to individually discharge or renounce discriminatory covenants by recording a discharge form in the county property records.
Though legally unenforceable following the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the presence of discriminatory covenants in property titles conflicts with Plymouth’s objective to be a City of Choice, offering high-quality, cost-effective, equitable and inclusive policies and services. Removing covenants furthers the city’s mission to be a welcoming community for all.
Through a resolution passed by the City Council at its Oct. 24 meeting, the City of Plymouth officially joined Just Deeds, enabling Plymouth homeowners to discharge discriminatory covenants from their deeds at no cost. The process adds a statement to the property title that rejects the language of the discriminatory covenant.
I was happy to bring this up for consideration by the council and make the motion to approve the resolution.
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