Sponsor: Housing Stability
Title
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First Amendment to the Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Saint Paul for the Administration of the Byrne Grant for the Familiar Faces Program
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Recommendation
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1. Approve an amendment to the joint powers agreement with the City of Saint Paul, 15 Kellogg Blvd. West, 700 City Hall, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55101 for the administration of the Byrne Grant for the Familiar Faces Program upon execution through May 31, 2027.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the agreement.
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Background and Rationale
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In 2022, members of the Heading Home Ramsey Continuum of Care <https://headinghomeramsey.org/> (HHR/CoC), for which the county serves as the lead agency, developed a proposal entitled Familiar Faces to serve adults in Ramsey County who are homeless and have frequent interactions with outreach teams and first responders including law enforcement, fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and hospital emergency departments. Without assertive and persistent outreach and engagement, these individuals are likely to continue to cycle through these costly and often disjointed public crisis response services.
To address the issue, HHR has determined that the creation of a stable place for individuals to shelter, that also has navigable access to assistance to help address immediate and long-term needs, with a goal of individuals getting out of crisis, better decision-making, compliance with outstanding legal issues, and access to medical services and housing with supports is imperative.
The Familiar Faces program focuses on a limited group of individuals experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness - the majority of whom have diagnosed, self-identified, or undiagnosed mental health and/or substance use disorders, and who have had more than 10 contacts with law enforcement and other crisis services in the previous 12 months. These individuals are identified by Metro Transit Police and its Homeless Action Team, the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD), St. Paul Fire Department (SPFD) EMS personnel, Regions Hospital, emergency shelters and other project partners including homeless outreach teams.
An extension, through May 31, 2027, of the joint powers agreement is requested to allow additional time for full implementation of the Familiar Faces program and expenditure of grant funds. Initial program development required extensive coordination among multiple public systems and community partners, as well as alignment with other available funding resources. As a result, grant expenditures occurred at a slower pace than originally projected. The extension will ensure that all awarded funds can be utilized to support program operations and achieve intended outcomes.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Familiar Faces program is designed to provide coordinated, person-centered engagement and stabilization services to individuals experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness who have repeated contact with law enforcement, emergency medical services, hospitals, and other public systems. By prioritizing outreach, relationship-building, access to supportive services, and pathways to housing, the program seeks to reduce barriers that contribute to persistent inequities in health, housing stability, and public system involvement.
Approval of the requested extension will support the continued implementation of this initiative and allow project partners to fully utilize grant resources to serve individuals with the greatest needs, many of whom are disproportionately impacted by racial and ethnic disparities. Extending the agreement advances Ramsey County's commitment to promoting equitable access to housing, health, and supportive services while improving outcomes for historically underserved populations.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The Familiar Faces program continues to collaborate with eight partner organizations and/or local businesses and has, to date, served a total of 565 individuals.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
This grant is administered by the Ramsey County Housing Stability Department (HSD). The total grant award of $2,000,000 includes $200,000 in administrative support funds, which is being used within HSD. The remaining $1,800,000 has been sub-awarded to the city of St. Paul for service costs incurred over the term of the grant.
Last Previous Action
On February 27, 2024, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a grant agreement from the United States Department of Justice for the Byrne Discretionary Grants Program (Resolution B2024-037).
Attachments
1. Amended Joint Powers Agreement - City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County for Byrne Grant Administration.