Sponsor: Housing Stability
Title
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Grant Acceptance and Agreement to Comply with the Terms of the Agreement with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city of Saint Paul for the Emergency Solutions Grant
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the amendment to the joint powers agreement with the city of Saint Paul for the Emergency Solutions Grant administration.
2. Accept a grant award and approve the county’s agreement to the terms of a grant agreement between the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city of Saint Paul for the Emergency Solutions Grant upon execution, through September 23, 2027, in the amount of $594,589.
3. 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.
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Background and Rationale
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The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributes the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), a formula grant program, to local governmental units for emergency shelter, street outreach, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing. Since 2019, the city of Saint Paul has been transferring the full grant amount to Ramsey County as the sub-recipient of the ESG funds. The joint powers agreement between Ramsey County and the city requires that the county agrees to the terms of ESG grant agreements between HUD and the city, including the attached agreement covering Sep. 3, 2024, through Sep. 2, 2026. Ramsey County is responsible for selecting service providers, complying with federal requirements, managing agreements and performance of sub-recipients, and aligning ESG with the Heading Home Ramsey Continuum of Care.
Ramsey County Housing Stability and the city of Saint Paul amended their joint powers agreement to include language stating that, in Year Two, ESG applicants funded in Year One will be required to submit a Letter of Interest in place of a full solicitation response. A Letter of Interest process for the 2026 program year will occur in February 2026. All current ESG applicants will be required to apply
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
In Ramsey County, homelessness is experienced inequitably, with stark racial disparities that reflect the impacts of historical and ongoing structural racism in housing, employment, health care, and the criminal legal system. Individuals identifying as American Indian and African American are disproportionately impacted, experiencing homelessness at rates approximately 14 times and 8 times higher, respectively, than their white counterparts. Recent data from single-adult shelters further illustrate these disparities. Shelter utilization data shows that 44% of shelter users identify as Black/African American, compared to 33% White, 6% LatinX, 3% American Indian, and 2% Asian, with 7% identifying as multiple races and 5% unknown. These proportions do not reflect the racial composition of the county overall, underscoring the overrepresentation of people of color within the homeless response system.
ESG-funded services will be delivered in alignment with Heading Home Ramsey’s Continuum of Care (CoC) framework, emphasizing culturally responsive practices, equitable access to services, and partnerships with community-based organizations that have established trust with Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Heading Home Ramsey is a community-wide partnership committed to the goal of ending homelessness in the cities and neighborhoods of Ramsey County. This is a coalition comprised of residents, social service providers, housing providers, philanthropic partners, business, community and government working together. The joint powers agreement aligns ESG funding with Heading Home Ramsey’s community-driven priorities and bring greater community review of the subrecipient application and selection process.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Funding for this grant is included in the 2026 budget.
Last Previous Action
On February 18, 2025, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a grant acceptance and agreement to comply with the terms of the Agreement with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city of Saint Paul for the Emergency Solutions Grant (Resolution B2025-040).
Attachments
1. Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement for Saint Paul and Ramsey County.
2. First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement for Saint Paul and Ramsey County.
3. Emergency Solutions Grant Funding Approval Agreement.