Housing and Redevelopment Authority Meeting - July 7, 2026

The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) of Ramsey County met on July 7, 2026, to approve routine items and consider the obligation of $1,300,000 in Pathways to Reducing Obstacles to Housing (PRO) funding for a supportive housing development. The meeting also included discussion on a federal housing bill.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Agenda of July 7, 2026, approved unanimously.
• Item 2: Minutes from June 23, 2026, approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Obligation of PRO Funding for Housing Development (Item 3): Staff presented the second of five board actions from the 2026 housing development solicitation. The recommended project is Face-to-Face at Arcade, a 24-unit supportive housing building for youth aged 16-24 transitioning out of homelessness. The project will be on an HRA-owned lot on Arcade Street in Saint Paul. It is funded with approximately 13% of construction costs from PRO funds, plus a prior award from the Emerging Diverse Developers solicitation. All units will be supportive housing, coordinated with the Housing Stability Department and coordinated entry.
• Commissioner McMurtry asked about the selection process. Staff explained that the project was chosen from the same pool of 45 applications, and that PRO funds were matched with other federal funds for efficiency.
• Commissioner Miller asked about the grant's nature and future availability. Staff clarified that PRO is a one-time federal grant from the Biden administration, with Met Council as the lead; Hennepin County withdrew, and its portion will be used for planning. Commissioner Miller commended the 30-year affordability covenant and monitoring.
• Commissioner Moran inquired about the grant name (“Pathways to Reducing Obstacles to Housing”), and staff confirmed it is the federal grant title.
• Commissioner Jebin Singh praised the project for serving an underserved population of youth experiencing housing instability, highlighting supportive housing as an important goal.
• Staff also provided a brief overview of the five funding sources in the solicitation: HRA levy, PRO, Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA), State Affordable Housing Aid (SAHA), and HOME funds (federal), and how each is matched to eligible uses.

Other Discussion

• Chairperson noted a federal housing bill passed by Congress and sitting on the president’s desk. The bill is described as the largest housing policy overhaul in decades, including expanded CDBG disaster recovery, HOME program expansions, and restrictions on institutional investors owning over 350 single-family homes. The chair reported that the president has stated he will not sign it unless the SAVE Act (an election restriction bill) is also passed. Commissioners expressed concern over this linkage and urged continued support for the housing bill.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3 approved unanimously (roll call: all members voted aye).
• The HRA authorized the County Manager to enter into loan agreements for the Face-to-Face at Arcade project.
• No further actions were taken on the federal housing bill discussion.