Title
Allocating Round Two Federal Emergency Rental Assistance funds to the Saint Paul - Ramsey County Tenant Assistance Program and authorizing the execution of necessary agreement.
Body
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 public health emergency has affected and continues to affect housing stability across the country, the state of Minnesota, and the City of Saint Paul (the “City”) and continued action is needed to address ongoing housing instability; and
WHEREAS, on December 27, 2020, the United States Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260 (the “First Act”), in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and distributed $25 billion in aid to eligible units of government for the purpose of providing Emergency Rental Assistance; and
WHEREAS, under the First Act, the City received and accepted $9,222,640.00 (“ERA1 Funds”) by RES PH 21-36, and has spent or obligated all of those funds; and
WHEREAS, on November 17, 2021, the Saint Paul City Council accepted funds by RES PH 21-319 allocated to the City by the United States Department of the Treasury’s (“Treasury”) second round of Federal Emergency Rental Assistance (“ERA2 Funds”) authorized by the United States Congress on March 11, 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-2 (the “Second Act”); and
WHEREAS, the ERA2 Funds may be used in much the same way as ERA1 Funds, with some notable additional provisions including an expansion of “other” expenses related to housing and housing stability services, an increase in the number of months of assistance a household can receive (from 15 to 18, inclusive of ERA1 assistance), and the ability for recipients that have obligated at least 75 percent of their total ERA2 funds to, after October 1, 2022, use remaining funds for any other affordable housing purpose defined by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) to assist very low income families; and
WHEREAS, eligible ho...
Click here for full text