HOME Line

What HOME Line does

HOME Line is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tenant advocacy organization founded in January 1992 and headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. It provides free, confidential legal advice, organizing, education, and policy advocacy services to renters throughout the state of Minnesota. Its core product is a statewide multilingual tenant hotline (English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong) delivered via phone and email, supplemented by free downloadable form letters, educational webinars, in-person trainings for landlords and high school students, a tenant organizing program, and low-cost ($25+) legal consultations for Minneapolis renters. The organization also engages in public policy advocacy, playing a leading role in passage of the Minnesota Tenant Bill of Rights and tracking eviction filing data statewide.

The underlying technology is a conventional web-based service delivery platform (homelinemn.org) with hotline phone infrastructure, an email-attorney service, downloadable resources, and webinar hosting. There is no proprietary AI/ML or SaaS component; the moat is human attorney expertise and institutional relationships rather than software. Management includes Executive Director Eric Hauge (founder, 1992), Co-Executive Director Jess Zarik (since October 2025), Managing Attorney and Hotline Director Mike Vraa (joined 1996, 36,000+ renters advised), Public Policy Director Michael Dahl (28 years of social justice experience), and a team of housing attorneys.

HOME Line's revenue model is donations and grants rather than commercial pricing. Approximately 15,574 renter households are served annually, with cumulative reach of 350,000+ households since 1992 and record engagement levels in 2025–2026. Funding sources include named foundation grants (F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Pohlad Family Foundation, Family Housing Fund), individual donations, government grants, and the City of Minneapolis. The go-to-market motion is community-led: self-serve hotline access, free resources, community organizing, tenant association formation, and partnership-based webinars with legal aid organizations, courts, and government agencies.

Name

HOME Line

Legal name

HOME Line

Website

https://homelinemn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HOME Line is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that provides free multilingual legal advice, organizing, education, and policy advocacy to renters statewide via a hotline, form letters, and webinars.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

Keywords

• Tenant legal services
• Housing advocacy
• Renter rights education
• Landlord-tenant law
• Tenant organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: HOME Line is a tax-exempt nonprofit under IRS Section 501(c)(3). The organization relies on donations and grants to fund operations, including foundation support (F.R. Bigelow Foundation, Pohlad Family Foundation) and individual contributions. Funding also comes from government grants and the City of Minneapolis for specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HOME Line is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free confidential legal advice to renters via a multilingual statewide tenant hotline (phone and email), free downloadable form letters, tenant organizing services, public policy advocacy, and educational trainings and webinars on landlord-tenant law. It also offers low-cost legal consultations (starting at $25) for Minneapolis renters.

Product overview

HOME Line is a nonprofit tenant advocacy organization offering a suite of services to Minnesota renters. The core offerings include a free multilingual Tenant Hotline for legal advice, free Form Letters for common tenant issues, and Tenant Organizing programs for collective advocacy. Additional services include Trainings and Webinars for both tenants and landlords, Low-Cost Legal Consultations for Minneapolis renters, Renter's Credit (CRP) Assistance, Public Policy Advocacy for legislative reform, an AmeriCorps VISTA Organizing Program, and published Books on tenant and landlord rights. The organization primarily serves as a legal aid resource rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tenant Hotline Free, confidential, multilingual tenant hotline providing legal advice via phone and email to Minnesota renters on housing issues including repairs, security deposits, evictions, lease disputes, bed bugs, and neighbor disputes. Available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.
• Form Letters Free downloadable legal form letters for tenants addressing issues such as security deposits, privacy violations, retaliation notices, repair requests, and responses to invoices for repairs.
• Low-Cost Legal Consultations (Minneapolis) Affordable legal consultation services for Minneapolis renters starting at $25, providing in-person or phone advice with experienced tenant attorneys on rental issues.
• Trainings & Webinars Educational programs for tenants, landlords, social workers, and students covering tenant/landlord law, including a regular webinar series on topics such as eviction laws, lease agreements, housing subsidies, and legislative updates.
• Tenant Organizing Program Grassroots organizing services including tenant association formation, legislative advocacy, and community empowerment to help renters collectively address housing issues.
• Public Policy Advocacy Legislative advocacy at the Minnesota State Capitol to improve tenant rights, including work on the Minnesota Tenant Bill of Rights and recent statewide housing laws.
• Renter's Credit (CRP) Assistance Assistance helping Minnesota renters understand and claim the state's property tax refund program for tenants, including guidance on Certificate of Rent Paid (CRP) forms.
• Books on Tenant Rights Published guides including 'How to be the Smartest Renter on Your Block: A Minnesota Tenant's Rights Guide' and 'The Landlord's Guide to Minnesota Law'.
• Court Forms & Legal Resources Reference materials including court forms, relevant publications, important statutes, selected legislative history, and case law summaries for Minnesota tenant/landlord matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevented 2,300+ evictions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)minorOthersHOME Line is a member of NLIHC. The organization partnered with NLIHC to use statistical analysis to quantify tenant protection benefits and was featured in NLIHC's Memo to Members weekly publication.
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMRLS attorneys joined HOME Line's webinar on housing subsidy programs to provide expertise on Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), Public Housing, Section 42 Housing (LIHTC) and other programs.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMid-Minnesota Legal Aid Housing Unit Managing Attorney Julia Zwak co-presented on new shared meter regulations webinar with HOME Line.
• Minnesota Judicial BranchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Judicial District Referee Tiffany Sedillos and Senior Attorney Elizabeth Wendt from the Judicial Branch's Legal Counsel Division co-presented on how new eviction laws are impacting courts.
• HousingLinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousingLink Research Manager Dan Hylton presented on rental market trends and the Twin Cities rental housing market during HOME Line's webinar.
• Minnesota Department of RevenuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinnesota Department of Revenue staff present on Renter's Credit (CRP) program changes and outreach during HOME Line webinars.
• University of Minnesota Student Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff Attorney Shana Tomenes co-presented on breaking residential leases during HOME Line's webinar series.
• Immigrant Defense NetworkminorOthersHOME Line refers immigrant community members to IDN for immigration-specific support. IDN is a statewide coalition providing legal information and defense strategies for immigrant communities.
• Monarca Rapid Response LineminorOthersHOME Line refers community members to Monarca for rapid response support when ICE activity is reported. Monarca organizes community members to observe and respond to federal immigration activity.
• CAIR-MinnesotaminorOthersHOME Line refers Muslim community members and others facing discrimination to CAIR-MN for civil rights resources and legal guidance.
• MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee)minorOthersHOME Line refers community members impacted by immigration enforcement to MIRAC for resources and response network support.
• Minnesota Humane SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Director Zack Eichten co-presented on pet declawing/devocalization laws during HOME Line's webinar on new tenant-landlord laws.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LawHelpMN: Minnesota statewide legal aid directory and self-help portal connecting low-income residents to free legal services including housing; directly comparable self-serve intake model and statewide Minnesota renter target audience.
• Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis: Minneapolis-based legal aid nonprofit serving Hennepin County residents with housing, family, and consumer law; overlaps directly with HOME Line's Minneapolis clientele and offers a comparable free-tenant-law service.
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS): Legal aid provider for southern Minnesota that frequently co-presents with HOME Line on housing subsidy and tenant rights webinars; same free-services-to-renters model and overlapping geographic catchment in Minnesota.
• Community Legal Services of Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based legal aid nonprofit with a dedicated housing unit providing free legal help to low-income renters facing eviction and habitability issues; directly comparable free-legal-services-to-renters model and program structure.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: Regional legal aid nonprofit serving central Minnesota with a dedicated Housing Unit; directly comparable mission (free legal help for low-income Minnesotans), overlapping client base, and documented webinar co-presentation partnership with HOME Line.

Broad incumbents

• National Housing Law Project: National housing legal advocacy organization supporting local legal aid groups on federal housing law and impact litigation; broader geographic scope and policy focus than HOME Line, but closely aligned mission and constituency.
• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National membership organization advocating for affordable housing policy; HOME Line is already a member and cited its statistical analysis in NLIHC publications. Comparable tenant-protection advocacy mission at national scale.

Regional players

• Tenants Together: California statewide coalition for renters' rights providing tenant counseling, education, and policy advocacy; comparable mission and service mix to HOME Line but serves California tenants.
• Tenant Resource Center: Wisconsin statewide nonprofit providing tenant education, counseling, and hotline services; highly comparable service model (hotline + education + advocacy) but operates in an adjacent state rather than Minnesota.
• Tenants Union of Washington State: Statewide tenant advocacy nonprofit offering hotline counseling, education, and organizing across Washington; closely mirrors HOME Line's combined hotline + organizing + policy advocacy model in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/homelinemn.org
• Facebookfacebook.com/HOMELineMN
• Instagraminstagram.com/homeline_mn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/home-line

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HOME Line