Last week the City of Saint Paul and the Minnesota Homeownership Center partnered to launch the brand new St. Paul Homeownership Preservation Program (SPHPP). The SPHPP is designed to provide foreclosure prevention support, and, in some cases, financial assistance to at-risk homeowners with in the city limits of St. Paul. Since 2008, the Minnesota Homeownership Center has helped close to 40,000 Minnesota homeowners avert foreclosure.
In addressing the need for the SPHPP, Mayor Melvin W. Carter, III, explains that, “Keeping Saint Paul families housed is critical to the health and well-being of our entire city. This program will provide a strong network of support to keep our residents in safe, stable homes.”
Eligible households must first participate in foreclosure prevention counseling before receiving any financial support. And, those households must meet certain criteria in order to receive financial assistance, which includes past-due bills and future housing expenses paid “directly to the entity that is owed the funds.” The maximum amount available to eligible homeowners is $35,000.
The SPHHP will also partner with a number of local agencies and service providers to “deliver culturally responsive education and advising” to participating homeowners. These organizations include Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), LSS Financial Counseling, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, NeighborWorks Home Partners, and the Neighborhood Development Alliance. For more information and to apply for assistance through the St. Paul Homeownership Preservation Program, please visit them online. For assistance in Spanish, call 651-236-8952; in Hmong, call 651-348-5081; and in Somali, call 612-305-7147.
REMINDER
For renters in both St. Paul and greater Ramsey County, the St. Paul – Ramsey Rental Assistance Program is still taking applications. This program provides financial support to qualifying tenants that are at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and have fallen behind on rent and utility bills as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible renters can request past due rent and utility assistance dating back to March 13, 2020, when the coronavirus was declared a national emergency.
Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties is the administrator for this program and process all applications. For more details, including eligibility guidelines, please call Community Action at 651-999-5737, send us an email at renthelp@caprw.org, or apply directly online.
