Sponsor: Housing Stability
Title
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Amendment to the Agreement with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program
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Recommendation
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1. Approve an amendment to the agreement with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program upon execution, through September 30, 2023, in the amount of $136,500, in accordance with the rates established in the agreement.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreement.
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 Minnesota Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) was established in 1993 to prevent or shorten the duration people experience homelessness. The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) administers the FHPAP with the guidance from the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness and the state’s plan to prevent and end homelessness. The FHPAP provides funds to serve low income (less than 200% Federal Poverty Guidelines) families with dependent children, single adults, and unaccompanied and/or parenting youth (ages 24 and younger) to prevent homelessness and/or to rapidly re-house those households that are homeless.
Ramsey County works with its community partners through an FHPAP Advisory Committee, also known as the Continuum of Care (CoC) Governing Board, to design a homeless crisis response system, develop project outcome measures, and assess the short and long-term effectiveness of the program in meeting the needs of families experiencing homeless. Past priorities for the FHPAP include implementation of the coordinated entry system for families and street outreach for youth. This year, the county’s CoC Governing Board prioritized serving families for the 2021-2023 grant cycle by providing street outreach, prevention assistance, coordinated entry for families with minor children, and rapid rehousing services.
MHFA is amending the original grant contract to modify the Ramsey County’s project plan, increase the grant proceeds of an additional $136,500, and modify the payment terms to meet the needs of the grantee during the grant period. This amendment does not impact the grant end date of September 30, 2023.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Through the Minnesota Housing’s FHPAP application, a requirement of the CoC Governing Board is to select a preliminary practice model which includes elements of practices currently implemented or needing to be implemented. The CoC Governing Board agreed to focus on Equity in the 2021-2023 biennium and has selected two culturally specific subgrantees service providers:
• Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES)
• American Indian Family Center (AIFC), CLUES and AIFC
It is the expectation of both Ramsey County and MHFA that staff and leadership represent the diversity of the populations/demographics served, service strategies are representative and responsive to the needs of diverse populations, stakeholders representing diverse populations have defined roles in the design and implementation of programs, the project evaluates disparities in outputs and outcomes, takes action to address these disparities. The FHPAP Advisory Committee plans to implement a sub-committee to concentrate on the Equity Focus component. Racial Equity Accountability Project (REAP) is focused on continuing the work by moving racial equity action plans forward and to track and share progress to promote accountability in reducing racial disparities.
Community Participation Level and Impact
MHFA requires engagement of community members, stakeholders, people with lived experience, and school partners to be members of the CoC Governing Board. The CoC Governing Board voted six community members to serve on the evaluation committee of the FHPAP solicitation process. The six elected members represented two employees from Ramsey County, one from Saint Paul Public Schools, and three community advocates. A second practice model that the CoC Governing Board decided to place its focus on is from one of MHFA’s component themes entitled “Nothing About Us Without Us”. This component focuses on ensuring persons with lived experience have helped shape and design the project model and that persons with lived experience are consulted during implementation and assist in evaluating the project.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The increase of $136,500 will be allocated to subgrantee vendors. The Housing Stability department will continue to administer and monitor the grant funds through the existing Housing Stability department budget. No additional administrative funds for Housing Stability are needed.
Last Previous Action
On September 7, 2021, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners accepted a grant award and approved a grant agreement with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program, for the period of October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2023, in the amount of $3,087,500 (B2021-193).
Attachments
1. Amendment One for Family Homelessness Prevention & Assistance Program Grant Contract Agreement.
2. Exhibit B.1 - Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) Work Plan.