The Plan at Work: Strategy 2

Expand affordable homeownership opportunities and improve housing stability for communities that have experienced historic wealth extraction

In alignment with recommended action from Strategy 2, Community & Economic Development has begun to implement the work of the plan.

Lead efforts to align federal resources to support Economic Inclusion and Heading Home Ramsey priorities.

• In 2021-2022 Ramsey County and city of Saint Paul staff worked together to engage service providers in the Heading Home Ramsey networks on priority needs for housing investments. This resulted in the Deeply Affordable Housing Engagement Summary Report with the recommendation that ARPA funds support deeply affordable housing for residents making less than 30% of the area median income (AMI).

Strengthen Ramsey County’s commitment to homeownership.

• FirstHome down payment assistance program was revamped in 2022 to meet current market condition. In 2024, Ramsey County assisted 46 households purchase their first home. Approximately 75% of homebuyers were the first person in their family to purchase a home. Ramsey County’s FirstHome program assists first-time and first-generation homebuyers with low-to-moderate incomes who are purchasing homes in Ramsey County, outside the city of Saint Paul.

Create a funding or tax wavier program to address historic redlining.

• No direct investments at this time.
• Ramsey County continues to be a leader in the regional Groundbreak Coalition (created as a public-private partnership to intentionally support Black wealth builders).  

Improve access to housing information for all residents. 

• Ramsey County Community & Economic Development Resource Guide.
• Increased partnership and participation in in-person community events and hold more in-person community meetings to announce funding opportunities and programs.  

Explore working with cities to adopt disclosure policies that help renters know their full housing cost.

• No updates at this time.   

Create an Equitable and Resilient Communities Fellowship.

• CED leads the  Ramsey County Planning Internship program where talented students gain exposure to public sector work. The internship program has expanded to include many departments. Some former interns now lead equity-centered work at the county.   

Promote coordination between county programs and city of Saint Paul to extend programs to small multifamily buildings/projects.

• Ramsey County’s Emerging and Diverse Developers and Housing Development solicitations now allow for applications to consist of rental projects with at least two units. This helps preserve missing middle housing. Many new developers seek funding to acquire, rehab and make affordable small multifamily buildings. 

Create an additional rehab fund that allows for emergency home repairs. 

• Establishment of a new Critical Repair Pilot Program that supports bringing owner-occupied homes (including manufactured homes) up to compliance with safety code in suburban Ramsey County.
•  Restarted home rehab loan program in 2022 with a new provider. Slipstream provides a tiered loan program for owner-occupied homes in suburban Ramsey County that need repairs that enhance safety.