Title
Authorizing the Office of Neighborhood Safety to accept a Minnesota Department of Human Services grant to support operating costs of shelter space for integrated care to Familiar Faces clients experiencing homelessness, and to amend the budget of the Office of Neighborhood Safety accordingly.
Body
WHEREAS, St. Paul’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (“ONS”) and local private and public service agencies have partnered in a Familiar Faces Initiative to aid a core population of unsheltered persons experiencing severe behavioral challenges and homelessness, known as Familiar Faces; and
WHEREAS, Familiar Faces clients are among the most challenged, unsheltered persons living in our community and needing intensive community-based support; and
WHEREAS, ONS and its partners have created a Familiar Faces Intensive Care Management and Operations Team to provide comprehensive and integrated services to Familiar Faces clients; and
WHEREAS, the Intensive Care Team has secured federal funding via a Department of Justice grant to be applied to lodging and board expenses for temporary shelter of Familiar Faces clients; and
WHEREAS, the Familiar Faces Intensive Care Management and Operations Team has been awarded a state-level grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services for $1,972,000, for a two-year period, that can be applied to operations costs for temporary shelter of Familiar Faces clients, including such expenses as facility staffing, program supplies, utilities, security, maintenance and janitorial fees, office equipment and supplies, and related support services; and
WHEREAS, the attached Budget Narrative describes in more detail the how the grant funds will be utilized for operational costs; and
WHEREAS, the state Department of Human Services grant does not require the City to provide matching funds or additional obligations; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the Familiar Faces Initiative is to strengthen the St. Paul community by providing support and stabilization of unsheltered persons and ultimately transition those persons to permanent housing; and
WHEREAS, the grants fund budget of ONS would need to be amended for the addition of the grant award; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor, Pursuant to Section 10.07.1 of the charter of the City of Saint Paul, does certify that there are available for appropriation funds of $1,972,000 in excess of those dedicated to ONS in the 2025 budget; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul, does hereby:
1. Authorize ONS to accept the Minnesota Department of Human Services grant and apply the grant funding to operations of the Familiar Faces Initiative; and
2. Adopt, upon recommendation of the Mayor, that $1,972,000 is available for appropriation to ONS as specified in the attached financial analysis form.
Financial Analysis
See Attachment.