Affordable Housing Infrastructure Investments
Private developers, nonprofits and local governmental entities have an opportunity to apply for funding for new or existing housing projects that aim to increase and/or preserve affordable units for residents across Ramsey County. Local and federal funds are offered in a consolidated application through a competitive solicitation process. Priority is given to projects that include deeply affordable units at 30% Area Median Income (AMI) and commit to long-term affordability.
Goals
- Reduce the number of cost-burdened households.
- Increase access to affordable housing in racially and ethnically diverse communities.
- Enhance resources and outcomes to support communities in achieving a wide variety of housing affordability.
Eligible projects
Eligible projects should align with the Ramsey County's strategic priorities and aim to acquire, create, preserve or rehabilitate affordable multi-family rental housing units.
Funding solicitation
The 2025 Housing Development Solicitation will publish later in April 2025.
Requirements
See the 2024 Housing Development Solicitation Notice (PDF) for an understanding of requirements.
How to apply
Interested developers or entities can gain access to the online funding application (ZoomGrants) when the funding solicitation is published. An official solicitation notice will be posted and will contain information regarding the project selection process and scoring criteria. Staff will match eligible projects and applicants with the most appropriate and available funding source:
- Housing Redevelopment Authority (HRA) Levy.
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
- Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- Other sources as available
Applications are typically accepted once per year to align with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) funding calendar. However, additional affordable housing funding solicitations may be offered throughout the year.
Frequently asked questions
For the ARPA funding, does the entire project need to be completed by the end of the year or just closed on construction financing?
ARPA funds need to close by Dec. 31, 2024. Ramsey County defines closing as all financial gaps are closed and legal agreements are executed with a settlement statement and other required supporting documents are provided.
Do applicants need to include an additional document with the information for the project description?
No. Questions 1-12 via the ZoomGrants application are required to be filled out in detail for applications to move onto scoring.
Can applicants who were previously awarded Ramsey County funding previously come in for more gap financing?
Yes. In an effort to expend ARPA funding and finalize these projects, Ramsey County has allocated additional points in the area of financial feasibility for projects needing to close financial gaps in their projects.
Is there a way to see the questions before going into Zoomgrants?
Yes. You may preview a document with the application questions (PDF). However, paper applications will not be reviewed for scoring. You must answer the questions online via ZoomGrants.
What funding streams will be used?
ARPA, HRA Levy, CDBG and HOME funding sources are all available. Please review the 2024 Housing Development Solicitation Notice (PDF) for details.
If a developer already owns a twenty-unit building that they plan on renovating, would Ramsey County choose their funding source?
Rehab of an existing building would be covered underneath eligible activity section (A). Please see the 2024 Housing Development Solicitation Notice for more details.
Is there a chart available for the budget on each of the funding streams?
Because funding amounts may fluctuate through the application period due to program income and reallocations from previously awarded projects, Ramsey County does not provide specific funding limits or the available amount of funding. Ramsey County also does not need to award all available funding and the amount of funding awarded may be determined by application quality.
Are there grants available?
Please see “Available Resources” section of the 2024 Housing Development Solicitation Notice. For most sources Ramsey County staff will recommend how the funds are structured (loan or grant) based off the proposed affordability, type of funding and cash flow of the project.
Is five units the minimum for acquisition?
In the 2024 Housing Development Solicitation applicants may request funding for affordable rental projects that have at least two units.