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Discharging Discriminatory Restrictive Covenants
What are Discriminatory Restrictive Covenants?
Discriminatory restrictive covenants are clauses that were inserted into property deeds to keep people who were not white from buying or occupying homes in many Minnesota neighborhoods. The result was a century of segregated communities.
Does my property have a Discriminatory Restrictive Covenant?
Mapping Prejudice, a team of historians, geographers, librarians, digital humanists and community activists seeking to expose structural racism, identifies and maps racial covenants. From their base in the University of Minnesota Libraries, the interdisciplinary team collaborates with community members to expose the history of structural racism and support the work of reparations.
View a map of Twin Cities Discriminatory Restrictive Covenants
What can I do if my property is affected by a Discriminatory Restrictive Covenant?
Just Deeds provides free legal and title services to help property owners find racial covenants and discharge them from their property titles. The coalition also provides education opportunities to help communities acknowledge this racist history and pursue reconciliation and anti-racist solutions. Member organizations share responsibility of creating and correcting systemic racism in housing and acknowledging the racist systems that exist in communities.
Residents can contact the Just Deeds project for assistance in finding if their property once contained a discriminatory covenant and receive free legal assistance on how to disavow the covenant.
June 18, 2024 board workshop
County staff presented a workshop to the County Board of Commissioners Tuesday June 18, regarding the county's efforts to raise awareness of and actively discharge discriminatory restrictive covenants. A recording of the workshop and presented materials is available on the county's Board Workshops and DIscussions page.
Previous board actions
On June 14, 2022 the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners voted to join the Just Deeds coalition in an effort to highlight the importance of discharging and releasing historical racial covenants on property records. The action aligns with the county's plan to build a foundation for more inclusive communities and eliminate future disparities within the county.
The board of commissioners also approved an action to exempt residents from paying a recording fee in order to discharge a restrictive covenant, as stated in Minnesota Statute § 507.18, subd.5. The fee will be covered by the county, using sufficient county funds, to help property owners.