Ramsey County HRA Meeting Approves 2026-2027 CDBG-HOME Plan and Reallocates Funds for Affordable Housing - April 28, 2026
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Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority Meeting – April 28, 2026
The Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) met in regular session on April 28, 2026, at 10:05 a.m., adjourning at 10:36 a.m. Members present: Jebens-Singh, McGuire, McMurtrey, Miller, Moran, Ortega, and Chair Xiong. Also present were County Manager Ling Becker and Assistant County Attorney Kathleen Ritter. The board approved the consent agenda and two administrative items: the 2026-2027 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Act Annual Action Plan, and a reallocation of HRA program income to support the Little Canada Senior affordable housing project.
Consent Calendar
- Agenda of April 28, 2026 – Approved unanimously (Motion by Miller, second by Ortega; all ayes).
- Minutes from February 17, 2026 – Approved unanimously (Motion by Ortega, second by Miller; all ayes).
Discussion Items
Item 3: 2026-2027 Community Development Block Grant – HOME Investment Partnerships Act Annual Action Plan / Proposed Use of Funds
- Presented by Max Holdhusen, Deputy Director, Community and Economic Development. The plan covers entitlement funds from HUD: $1,253,429 in CDBG and $502,833 in HOME funds. HOME funds are restricted to suburban Ramsey County (St. Paul receives its own allocation). The process includes community engagement, public notices, and surveys. The plan proposes the maximum allowed 15% for public services and the maximum for administration/planning (salary/staff), with the bulk directed to housing rehabilitation programs via competitive solicitation later in summer.
- Commissioner Moran noted the county’s deficit of 15,000 units affordable to households at 30% of Area Median Income (AMI) or below, as cited in the Economic Competitiveness and Inclusion (ECI) plan, and questioned whether a minimum 10% of units in funded projects should be set aside for 30% AMI. She was directed to hold that question for Item 4.
- Commissioner McMurtrey asked about $310,000 in previously unspent/unallocated CDBG funds from prior years. Holdhusen explained that these funds come from activities that could not spend down and are re-pooled; they span multiple years (e.g., from 2021 onward).
- Commissioner McMurtrey also asked if HOME/CDBG funds could support multifamily projects. Holdhusen stated that federal rules make single-family owner-occupied programs more efficient; local funds are recommended for rental housing.
- Commissioner Jebens-Singh highlighted that Ramsey County has one of the largest homeownership gaps between white and Black residents in the nation, per the mapping prejudice project and ECI plan. She asked about changes in HUD policy. Holdhusen noted no major changes from 2025 to 2026, but a “Build America, Buy America” injunction paused material tracking requirements; future executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion could affect nonprofit partners.
- Commissioner Miller asked whether CDBG funding had been reduced. Holdhusen replied that the anticipated reduction under the second Trump administration has not yet occurred; funding has held steady.
The item passed unanimously (Motion by Moran, second by Miller; Resolution H2026-008).
Item 4: Reallocation of Housing and Redevelopment Authority Program Income Towards a Housing Development Project
- Presented by Max Holdhusen. The project is Little Canada Senior, located near Highway 36 and 35E on County Road B. It proposes 106 apartments for low-income seniors, with 11 units (10%) reserved for households at or below 30% AMI, and the remainder at 60% AMI using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The developer, LUPA Development, received an unexpected state award that requires closing by July 2026. To meet that timeline, the HRA recommended reallocating previously awarded HOME funds (which are restricted to suburban areas) to another project and replacing them with more flexible HRA program income.
- Commissioner Moran expressed concern that 10% at 30% AMI is low given the high growth of senior homelessness; she requested data on the rent for 60% AMI units and a portfolio-wide view of 30% AMI investments. She also questioned the practice of focusing HOME funds on suburbs, asking whether it is statutory or discretionary. Holdhusen explained that multiple funding sources (federal vs. local) allow investments countywide, and that the majority of local affordable housing aid has gone to St. Paul. County Manager Becker noted that the 15,000-unit deficit figure from the 2020–2021 ECI plan may have shifted due to ARPA and local investments, though cost-burdened households could increase the number.
- Commissioner Jebens-Singh clarified that this particular fund is for suburban areas because St. Paul has its own allocation, but the county can braid funds to focus on greatest needs anywhere. She requested a “cheat sheet” for a single project showing total public dollars, return on investment per unit, and affordability period (minimum 30 years for HRA loans). Holdhusen confirmed such data is available.
- Commissioner McGuire thanked Little Canada for its efforts to secure affordable housing, noting the city hired a county manager for economic development. He supported spreading affordability throughout the county.
- Commissioner Miller added that such projects help offset property taxes for neighbors, referencing a previous Urban 3 presentation. Holdhusen noted the project is on a vacant flag parcel that will add tax revenue.
- Commissioner Moran clarified she is not against suburban investment but wants data-informed decisions to lower the 15,000-unit deficit. Chair Xiong noted that deeper affordability requirements increase the development gap, affecting the number of projects funded. Commissioners agreed to schedule a workshop to review portfolio-wide data on units by AMI level, housing stability outcomes, and density considerations.
The item passed unanimously (Motion by Moran, second by McGuire; Resolution H2026-009).
Key Outcomes
- Approved the 2026-2027 CDBG-HOME Annual Action Plan, authorizing the County Manager to accept $1,253,429 in CDBG funds and $502,833 in HOME funds, and execute related agreements (all ayes).
- Approved the reallocation of HRA program income to replace HOME funds for the Little Canada Senior project, allowing the developer to meet a July 2026 closing deadline for state funds (all ayes).
- Commissioners requested a future workshop to review detailed data on investments by income level, project-level funding sources, and strategies for deeply affordable housing.
- The meeting adjourned at 10:36 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
Item number three is the administrative item for the 2026-2027 community development block grant, Home Investment Partnerships Act, Annual Action Plan, and the proposed use of funds. Okay, perfect. Are you looking for a report from staff first? Uh presentation. Okay, great. Good morning, Chair Commissioners. Today I present with you the uh 2026-2027 uh annual action plan and its proposed use of funds for the CDBG or community development block grant and our home funds. These two uh funds are um our entitlement funds through HUD to Ramsey County. The home funds function a little differently, but uh through because they pass through Dakota County as well. Um they are only to be used in suburban Ramsey County. Uh City of St. Paul receives its own funds within the city of St. Paul, and this is um step along the way of the annual action plan. The process starts with community engagement, including public notices, public meetings, and surveying where we ask about priorities. Uh we include our local municipalities in the suburbs as well as other key organizations in that work. Then we move on to drafting the plan and then providing comment public meeting notice and engagement around the plan itself, and then um we come to board uh for approval so that we can submit the plan. Uh that results in a grant agreement that we have reviewed by the federal review uh action team uh prior to soliciting for specific activities. So this um action uh provides the buckets in which we would um solicit for activities uh allowed by a federal um regulation, and then we would do a competitive solicitation later in the summer after all of the federal paperwork has been reviewed by the county attorney's office and the federal review action team. Um in this year's 2026-2027 annual action plan. Um we are proposing um the maximum allowed uh percentage for public services, which is 15 percent. Uh the maximum allowed um percentage for administration and planning, which is really salary and staff time um and other um associated costs, and then the bulk of the funds would go to um housing rehabilitation programs that would be competitively solicited later in the summer. I'm happy to answer any specific questions on the action plan. Commissioner Moran. All right, thank you. Thank you for the presentation and um I have some questions that um just informational. I just need some information about this. I was just reading this and reading the background and the rationale for what we do, and thank you for reminding me that um your focus on the suburbs because um St. Paul have the own dollars. Um but it's ASCII obviously, I'm gonna just read what what I what I read. You said Ramsey County has an urgent and evident need for affordable housing, especially for individuals and families with household income less than 30% of their AMI, the area medium income. According to Ramsey County's economic competitiveness and inclusion plan, the ECI, the county has a deficit of 15,000 units affordable to those at 30 percent of the AMI or below. The lack of affordable housing supply leads to a greater housing instability for residents and is acerbate the county's ongoing homelessness crisis. And I would say yes to that, that that's uh a big issue. We know one of the growing population of homelessness is with our seniors. And so as I was reading here about the loop development, who would be doing the development of this, uh, they propose a project that includes 106 apartments for low-income seniors, of which 11 were reserved for seniors who make less than. I think it's it shouldn't say make less than should be at or less of the 30% of the AMI. Um, you know, in reality, that's not even 10%. And so I was just wondering, have we ever thought about having like a minimum of at least 10% of whatever's been built, go towards the 30% of AMI since we all since we already know that we are 15,000 units in in a deficit of 15,000 units. But here we are with just 11 of those units going towards 30%. May I hold may you hold off on that question because that's actually for the next item for uh item number four? Number four. Yeah, sorry. Um, yeah, this one is just for the action of all the proposed uses of the CDBG block grant. Yeah. So may you hold that and then direct deputy director, you have that question written down that you'll come back to. Okay. I just wanted to make sure that for recording purposes that it's germane to that item. Okay. Did you have questions related to item number three? In regards to the dollar amount.
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