County pilot to aid families experiencing long‑term homelessness remains stalled in procurement; HRA members press for faster rollout

Jonty McCoy, a planning specialist with Ramsey County’s Housing Stability Department and communications lead for Heading Home Ramsey, presented an update on the Familiar Families pilot — a planned county‑run program intended to serve families with complex or persistent needs who have been unsuccessful in traditional shelters.

Program design: McCoy said the pilot would serve roughly five families at a time (about 20 people) with an anticipated total of approximately 60 individuals in year one, each family offered a four‑month residential stay coupled with intensive wraparound services and continued supports for up to one year after housing placement. The pilot prioritizes families with a history of four or more years of homelessness under McKinney‑Vento definitions and families who have been restricted or banned from at least one existing family shelter, McCoy said.

Funding: McCoy said the City of Saint Paul has set aside $500,000 from the city’s Housing Trust Fund (HRA allocation) and that the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation pledged $250,000, for a combined $750,000 toward the pilot. McCoy described additional philanthropic and public conversations but said local procurement must run its course.

Procurement status and timeline: McCoy reported the project is “hung up in procurement” at Ramsey County amid competing requests (family homeless prevention amendments, warming spaces, other contracts). He said he has advocated to expedite the RFP; the county’s working estimate for a tentative launch is July 1, 2026, but McCoy stressed that is contingent on procurement timelines and vendor selection.

Commissioner concerns: Commissioners said the $500,000 city allocation has been idle and urged Ramsey County to accelerate procurement or return to the city if the county cannot commit to a near‑term timeline. Commissioner Nakers said the HRA should reconsider the city’s committed funds during the budget process if a firmer county timeline is not forthcoming. Several commissioners expressed concern that the funds intended to help families have not yet produced services on the ground and asked county staff whether the pilot could be launched earlier; McCoy said internal processes and RFP length are the main constraints.

Shelter context and need: McCoy and commissioners discussed broader family shelter capacity: Ramsey County operates designated family shelter beds and partners with Catholic Charities and Project HOME; Saint Paul Public Schools reported an increase in students identified as homeless, which McCoy said likely reflects expanded identification as well as real increases. Commissioners noted a long family shelter wait list (McCoy cited 50 families waiting at one point, representing dozens of adults and over 100 children) and urged paired strategies — both targeted pilots for high‑need families and larger expansions of family shelter and supportive housing capacity.

Next steps and risks: McCoy said the county team is pushing procurement and that the work group is ready to help with provider readiness; commissioners asked for clearer timelines and suggested HRA staff and council members coordinate with county commissioners to resolve the procurement bottleneck. McCoy said families to be served would be identified from existing shelter and school lists once a provider is selected; the pilot does not yet have program sites identified — that will be part of the RFP/provider proposal.

Ending: Commissioners urged urgency and transparency; several said they support the pilot in concept but not the funds sitting unused indefinitely. County staff asked for continued partnership and pledged to try to accelerate procurement.