Sponsor: Housing Stability
Title
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Grant Award from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Continuum of Care Planning Grant
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Recommendation
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1. Ratify the submittal of the grant application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Continuum of Care Grant.
2. Accept a grant award and approve a grant agreement with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for Heading Home Ramsey Continuum of Care lead agency planning for the period of November 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026, in the amount of $364,065.
3. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreement.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
5. Approve an increase in the personnel complement of the Housing Stability Department by 1.0 Full Time Equivalent for the duration of the grant.
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Background and Rationale
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The Ramsey County Housing Stability department serves as the lead agency for the Heading Home Ramsey Continuum of Care (HHR CoC), a community-wide partnership committed to the goal of ending homelessness in Ramsey County. HHR CoC is a coalition of social service providers, housing providers, philanthropic partners, business, community, government, and citizens working together to create and implement cost-effective solutions to ending homelessness. HHR CoC is responsible for planning and implementing the homeless response system in Ramsey County and carries out specific duties defined by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the state of Minnesota.
As the lead agency, Housing Stability:
1. Leads coordination activities with Heading Home Ramsey Governing Board, Steering Committee, workgroups, and other CoC members; HUD-funded and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) projects and providers; coordinated entry programs; the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH); and other metro area continua of care,
2. Sets and communicates performance goals for all CoC and ESG projects; establishes baseline and on-going reporting for system-wide performance goals; reports and presents on coordinated entry goals and outcomes; collects data and monitors data quality through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS),
3. Designs and implements a project monitoring plan, communicating, and visiting with each ESG and CoC project to follow up on all aspects of the plan, and report results,
4. Participates in city and county consolidated plan planning and public meetings, providing data used in preparation for sections on homelessness and housing,
5. Develops and implements a coordinated entry system, and
6. Conducts CoC funding application activities and HUD compliance activities.
Ramsey County applied for this grant last in 2023 as part of HUD’s annual Notice of Funding Opportunity process, and this funding will continue to support 2.0 Full Time Equivalent staff within the department who provide work on the HHR CoC, with an additional 1.0 Full Time Equivalent staff dedicated to enhancing and improving the Coordinated Entry programs and system that works to serve unsheltered residents of Ramsey County.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
This grant supports the work of the HHR Continuum of Care to end homelessness, serving a group of people with significant racial disparities compared to the county overall. Ramsey County’s 2024 Point-In-Time Count on January 25, 2024, found 409 unsheltered households, of which 393 were Adult Only households. 48% of these unsheltered households identified as Black or African American compared to just 13% of the county population; 4% identified as American Indian or Indigenous compared to only 1% of the county population; 4% identified as White compared to 60% of the county population. These measures are similar to Ramsey County’s homeless population.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The HHR CoC is led by a 24-member Governing Board and a 25-member Steering Committee, and all meetings are open to the public. A majority of the Governing Board members are elected at an annual meeting open to the public. HHR is a community-wide partnership of social service providers, housing providers, philanthropic partners, business, community, government, and citizens working together to end homelessness in Ramsey County.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☒ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The Continuum of Care Planning Grant award of $364,065 will require a match in the amount of $364,065 for a total of $728,130. The required match has been accounted for in the 2024- 2025 budget and is from the Housing Stability budget. The 2024 grant award of $364,065 surpasses what was budgeted for 2024 by $152,000 and will increase the grant budget accordingly. The funds associated with this grant will expire on October 31, 2026.
Last Previous Action
On August 8, 2023, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a grant award from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Continuum of Care Planning Grant (Resolution B2023-127).
Attachments
1. HUD Planning Grant Award Letter
2. Ramsey County Continuum of Care Grant Agreement