Experts Forum: What's the best way to stem evictions?

Byline: Minnesota Lawyer

Are evictions the fault of deadbeat tenants, or predatory landlords? The answer, of course, is in the middle as is the stew of ideas to keep a lid on unnecessary evictions.

Eviction prevention was the topic of a panel discussion at the state capitol last month in which an all-star group of stakeholders talked and, sometimes, bickered about how the issue of evictions can be at least mitigated.

Minnesota Lawyer recently convened a panel discussion. That discussion, edited for length and clarity, can be readby clicking the image at right.

Meet the experts:

Joseph Abraham,Principal, Pergola Management

Joseph Abraham is principal at Pergola Management, a Twin Cities company that has owned and managed apartment properties in the metro since 1995, has 750 market-rate apartments in the Twin Cities area. More than half of Pergola's apartments are considered naturally occurring affordable housing. The company has preserved these apartment homes.

Abraham is also second vice chair for the Minnesota Multi Housing Association and serves as a member of executive committee and chairs MMHA's legislative committee. MMHA was founded in 1967 to promote the highest standards in the development, management and maintenance of rental and owner-occupied multi housing. While members include the state's largest apartment management companies, developers, common interest communities, and providers of related products and services, the majority of its members own or manage fewer than 20 units each.

Colleen Ebinger,Family Housing Fund

Colleen Gross Ebinger is vice president of the Family Housing Fund and has led the Ramsey County Housing Court pilot from inception to implementation over the past three years. This work brings together the judicial branch, lawyers, mediators, financial assistance, and the multi-housing industry to address the root causes of eviction.

Fluent in Spanish, Ebinger previously directed a statewide policy and advocacy initiative for Centro Legal and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras. She also consulted for 12 years to governments, nonprofits and foundations, and is currently co-chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Housing. Ebinger is an alumna of the College of St. Benedict and holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University, attending on a Reynolds Fellowship.

Keith Ellison,Minnesota Attorney General

Keith Ellison was sworn in as Minnesota's 30th attorney general on January 7...