Heading Home Ramsey Newsletter - May 2024

Ramsey County, Minnesota sent this bulletin at 05/31/2024 10:59 AM CDT

May 2024

Our Vision: We work together to create a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, where we eliminate racial disparities, and everyone is housed.

Ramsey County and Model Cities seek new partner for Safe Space Shelter

On Monday May 20, 2024, Ramsey County and Model Cities were informed that Luther Seminary rescinded their offer to lease part of their campus to Safe Space Shelter. This news came after months of searching, locating and planning for a new site appropriate for emergency shelter services. Safe Space Shelter is a referral-based shelter operating year-round 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Read Ramsey County's statement.
Read Luther Seminary's statement.
View Frequently Asked Questions for an idea of the space and shelter Ramsey County is looking to provide.

Winter Warming Spaces recap

The Ramsey County and partners operated Winter Warming Spaces, from Nov. 15, 2023 to March 31, 2024, to provide an indoor place for unsheltered individuals to warm-up overnight. The Winter Warming Spaces received a total of 33,276 check-ins, during the 2023-2024 season, with Ramsey County providing 10,532 transportation rides to and from those spaces.

Date	Location	Population	Number Served
11/16-12/31	Catholic Charities St. Paul Opportunity Center (SPOC)	Men, Women, and Youth 18 and older	18,195
12/4-3/31	Central Baptist Church	Youth and Families	4,597
1/1-3/31	Phalen Activity Center	Men	2,455
1/1-2/5	Newell Park	Women	753
1/1-3/31	Union Gospel Mission-Twin Cities	Men	6,188
2/5-3/31	Reformation Church	Women	1,088

*Numbers represent duplicated data.

Ramsey County thanks all who supported this effort to ensure that individuals had a safe and warm place to be during the winter months.

Full Continuum of Care bi-annual meeting

In March 2024, Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) held its bi-annual full Continuum of Care meeting at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood. The Governing Board, Steering Committee, Youth Advisory Board members, local organization representatives and community guests were informed about HHR's 2023 year in review, key data and work group reflections and goals. Dr. Tommy A. Watson, a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, executive and professional coach, delivered a keynote address. Link to slide deck.

Pictured from left to right: Keith Lattimore, Director of Ramsey County Housing Stability, Leigh Ann Ahmad, Continuum of Care (Coc) Coordinator and Dr. Tommy A. Watson, Keynote Speaker.

Additionally, HHR election results and designees for Governing Board and Steering Committee seats were announced as part of the meeting. Heading Home Ramsey would like to welcome/welcome back the following Governing Board and Steering Committee Members to the CoC:

HHR Governing Board

HHR Steering Committee

Kari Collins, EGCI Deputy County Manager, Ramsey County.
Dr. Stacey Gray Akyea, Executive Chief of Equity, Strategy & Innovation, Saint Paul Public Schools.
Holly Henning, Executive Director, Women's Advocates.
Molly Jalma, Executive Director, The Listening House.
Mike Krachmer, Mayor, City of Vadnais Heights.
Liliana Letran-Garcia, Executive Directory, Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul.
Louise Seeba, Executive Director, Saint Paul Public Housing Agency.
Alfonso Wenker, Vice President of Community Impact, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

Lily Anderson, Guild.
Trell Armstrong, HHR Youth Advisory Board.
Stacey Blunt, Evergreen Recovery.
Chuck Goff, Ramsey County Mental Health.
Rachel Greenwald, Face to Face Health & Counseling.
Alanna Hinz-Sweeney, Catholic Charities Twin Cities.
Cari McCollor, Roseville Police Dept.
Chris Michels, City of Saint Paul
Maricella Pacheco, Ain Dah Yung Center.
Larene Randle Wade, Minnesota One Stop for Communities.
Sgt. Beverly Rodriguez, Metro Transit Police.

Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program awardees

In January of 2024, Minnesota Housing announced a Request for Proposals, seeking responses from counties, non-profits, and tribes aimed at serving populations disproportionately impacted by homelessness or housing instability. Ramsey County applied on behalf of six subgrantees with existing prevention projects and was awarded $3.2 million. The following agencies were selected to be funded:

YMCA.
Solid Ground.
American Indian Family Center.
Neighborhood House.
Minnesota Community Care (HouseCalls).
Merrick Community Services.

The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) provides supportive services and financial assistance, such as rent deposits, rent payments or utility payments, to eligible households that are homeless or at imminent risk of homeless. The grant period is from July 1 through September 30.

Shelter Entry & Diversion Team Launches

Ramsey County Housing Stability Department’s new Shelter Entry & Diversion team began operation Thursday, April 25. This new service team provides a single point of contact for anyone experiencing homelessness in Ramsey County to get connected to the right resources, diversion services for single adults to identify other resources that could help avoid the need for emergency shelter and shelter reservations for single adults at Catholic Charities Higher Ground or Model Cities Safe Space.

In the first month, our team helped over 30 individuals or families remain in their homes or otherwise out of emergency shelter with additional assistance or navigation. People can contact the Shelter Entry & Diversion team by:

Phone - 651-266-1050.
Email - ShelterEntry@ramseycounty.us.
In-person - Saint Paul Opportunity Center (second floor).

For more information, visit Ramsey County's Housing Support & Services webpage.

Partner Highlight: Roseville Police Department's Community Action Team

The Roseville Police Department has a specialized team called the Community Action Team (CAT). The team started in 2021 with the mission statement of “Providing focused efforts to connect those living with mental illness, substance abuse disorders, and experiencing homelessness with pathways to success though outreach, case management and early intervention."

CAT is comprised of one supervising sergeant, five officers and social workers. Each officer has a specialized focus area that includes human trafficking, auto theft, behavioral health and problem properties. The team's social workers are embedded through Ramsey County Mental and Health Crisis Services, People Incorporated and the city of Roseville. Each of the embedded social workers also specialize in an area within behavioral health and homelessness. Just within the last year:

More than 80 women have been rescued from human trafficking.
Auto theft personnel have had over 1,500 cases.
20 individuals/families have been housed through homelessness outreach.
Homelessness was prevented for 13 individuals/families.

Overall, this team has been able to help those in need that are faced with criminal justice matters in a more sensitive, intentional, and humanistic approach that has really been successful in the City of Roseville. Read more.

Ramsey County's 2024 Point-in-Time Count (PIT) data have officially been submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Data summary

	Sheltered	Unsheltered	HH Type Total
Adult and Child HH (Families)	553	16	569
Adult Only HH	667	393	1,060
Child Only HH	14	1	15
Totals	1,234	410	1,644

Highlights

The total PIT Count decreased by 36 people or 2.1% compared to the previous year:

Adult-only households decreased by 16 people or 1.5%.
Adult and child households decreased by 12 people or 2.1%.
Child-only households (unaccompanied minors) decreased by eight people or 34.8%.
Among adult-only households, unsheltered adults increased by 40 people or 11.3%, while sheltered adults decreased by 56 people or 7.7%.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2024 PIT Count to ensure that we capture the most accurate possible count of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Ramsey County.