'Right to repair' ordinance supporters welcome adoption of ballot measure

The new ordinance allows renters to get a rent reduction or reimbursement for repair work that costs up to $500 or half their rent, whichever is more expensive.

But first, they'd need to give their landlord a two-week notice of their intent, allowing the landlord to schedule or make the fix first.

Nearly 80 percent of St. Paul voters said yes.

"They put themselves in the driver's seat saying, ‘I want this for my city. I want this for my neighbors,’" said Cole Hanson with Safe Homes St. Paul, the group that led the push for the ordinance. Hanson was part of the effort to go door-to-door, gathering support for the initiative. He said it was an easy, straightforward sell.

"We've had a number of folks we talked to who have been waiting years on fixes, both accessib...