Just Deeds
The City of Little Canada is proud to partner with the Just Deeds Project, which assists property owners with the removal of discriminatory covenants from titles. Just Deeds is a broad coalition of organizations - communities, law firms, realtors and title companies - dedicated to acknowledging and addressing systemic racism in Minnesota housing.
During the forming of the Twin Cities, discriminatory covenants were used to keep those that were not white from owning or occupying land in certain neighborhoods. The result is a century of segregated communities and huge disparities in wealth, health, and well-being.
Just Deeds is a program that allows property owners to discharge racially restrictive covenants to create change and promote racial equity here in Minnesota. Below is a video from the City of Golden Valley, in partnership with CCX Media, that provides additional background and information about the Just Deeds program.
Identifying if your property has a racially restrictive covenant
To see if your property has a racially restrictive covenant, visit the Mapping Prejudice tool on the Just Deeds website. Locate the search location icon (magnifying glass) within the map on the page and type in your full address. Once your property is located, it will indicate if there are covenants and provide some additional information.
Removing covenants
If you find that your property does have a restrictive covenant and you would like to go through the process of discharging it, go to the Just Deeds website.
Learn more and start ongoing dialogue. Community conversations about restrictive covenants are an important step toward racial equity. Use this neighborhood toolkit to get started.
Contact
If you have questions, email info@littlecanadamn.org.