HOME Line hotline hits records as evictions surge post-Metro Surge
Source: finance-commerce.com
TL;DR
- HOME Line co-directors report record hotline calls in early 2026 amid ICE's Operation Metro Surge.
- January saw highest call volume ever since 1990s; 575 households sought financial aid, up 94%.
- Mutual aid slowed evictions initially, but March filings surged above 2025 levels.
The story at a glance
HOME Line, a nonprofit legal advisory hotline, recorded its highest-ever call volumes in December 2025 through February 2026 due to impacts from ICE's Operation Metro Surge. Co-executive directors Eric Hauge and Jess Zarik discussed with Finance & Commerce how mutual aid efforts temporarily kept eviction filings on par with 2025's record 25,496 statewide. March filings now exceed last year's pace, signaling worsening conditions.
Key moments & milestones
- Operation Metro Surge began in December 2025, boosting hotline impacts.
- December 2025 set record call volumes for that month.
- January 2026 became single busiest month for calls and clients since hotline launch in early 1990s.
- First quarter 2026 saw 2.8% more new client households than 2025.
- Eviction filings stayed on par or below 2025 through February.
- March 2026 eviction filings outpaced March 2025, up 20% statewide and 82.3% in Minneapolis.
Signature highlights
- Hotline inquiries about financial aid nearly doubled to 575 households from 297 in Q1 2025.
- Evictions remain top issue, but financial aid entered top three concerns.
- Statewide Q1 2026 filings 0.13% above 2025 trends.
- Minneapolis: January 12.3% below 2025, February 16.7% below, March 82.3% above; overall 3.1% above.
- Mutual aid groups ramped up in December 2025-February 2026 kept many housed.
- Mayor Frey vetoed temporary 60-day pre-eviction notice extension.
Key quotes
- "We did set multiple records for December, January and February. They were basically the highest volume months of that month in our organization’s history." – Eric Hauge
- "Without [mutual aid efforts], we probably would have seen significantly higher filings." – Jess Zarik
Why it matters
Eviction filings harm tenants' housing stability, clog courts, and burden landlords seeking payment. Tenants face doubled financial aid needs and rising filings, while mutual aid wanes post-Operation Metro Surge. Watch March-end statewide data and policy responses like pre-eviction notice extensions.