The St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) board met on February 25, 2026, to receive staff reports on the citywide down payment assistance and inheritance fund programs, and the emergency rental assistance (ERA) eviction prevention program, including proposed 2026 guideline updates. The board also acted on a resolution to transfer housing trust fund balances for ERA staffing. Five commissioners were present (Coleman, Joast, Kim, Yang, Chair Johnson) and two were absent (Bowie and Kim, though Bowie participated later; roll call indicated Bowie as present — discrepancy noted).
Roll call, please. Bowie. Coleman. Here. Joast. Here. Kim. Here. Yang. Here. Chair Johnson. Here. There are five present, two absent, being commissioners Bowie and Commissioner Kim. All right. Well, it feels good to be back with us on our uh my first week post maternity leave. Um, chairing this meeting. I just want to say thank you so much to Vice Chair Joels for holding it down while I have been gone. I have genuinely appreciated that and allowing me to attend virtually when I had to, and then also just being able to spend time with my son Isaiah. It means a lot to me to know that um this body was still in good hands and that um and to see the meeting still go successfully. So thank you so much for being able to do that. We got one more meeting. Yes, give it up for Vice Chair Joe's. Um, for the sake of the flow of today's meeting, we are actually gonna take this agenda out of order. Um, the resolution discussion item pertains to the emergency rental assistance guideline updates, and so I want us to get through the staff reports first. So if folks are okay with that, I'll I'll uh actually start with the staff report and then do the discussion last today. All right. Starting with item number two, uh staff report SR 26-21 update on citywide and inheritance fund down payment assistance program and the 2026 program guideline updates. All right, so you will notice that over the the um next several meetings into between now genuinely and April of this year, there will be many intentional presentations that have been given based off of the commissioners' priorities, where we'll be able to provide updates and plans uh for this body, and so different programs that we have either funded either through local affordable housing aid or through the housing trust fund or through the HRA in one way, shape, or form will come in front of this body for updates, guideline changes, and or just general plans for 2026. And so we're starting that out first with the down payment assistance and the inheritance fund. Uh I've heard a lot of support for this throughout the different wards, uh, but also just generally wanting to bring this back. So they won't be uh going into depth about exactly what something is. We had that last year. This will be really pertaining to the work in 2025 and the work plans for 2026. Um, we started with these early because I wanted to make sure that we were able to hear from uh Rachel and the housing team directly, and just wanted to be able to uh have a start somewhere. So we're starting with the down payment assistance fund and the inheritance fund here. And I'll head it over to Director McMahon, who will head it over to Rachel. So thank you. Pretty much. Rachel Finanzadal is here to be providing this update on the down payment assistance program. And she'll also note a suggested 2026 program guideline update, and that would then be before you for consideration next week. Thank you. And can you say your last name for me so I can get it correct? Because that's why I say Rachel, but you know, I should say your last name. The second one is easier, right? Um Rachel Finazodal is uh my name. Yes. Thank you. I was like, I'm going to say her first name. You got it. But yes, Ms.