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St. Paul HRA adopts 2025 budget, funds emergency rental aid and housing programs
Summary
The Saint Paul HRA unanimously adopted its final 2025 budget, directing money to rental assistance, down-payment help, home rehab, supportive housing and commercial corridor programs; commissioners praised staff work and the board approved the resolution 6-0.
The Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority adopted its final 2025 budget and certified the HRA property tax levy in a unanimous vote at its regular meeting.
Chair Naker, who led the presentation of the plan, praised staff effort and highlighted several program investments included in the budget: $1,000,000 for emergency rental assistance for vulnerable residents; $2,000,000 for a down-payment assistance program; expansion of a legacy inheritance fund to assist residents displaced from the West Side Flats in the 1960s; $1,000,000 for low-income homeowner rehabilitation; an $880,000 request-for-proposals for supportive housing; a $1,400,000 commercial corridors fund; $1,100,000 for the Inspiring Communities program to build affordable housing on HRA land; and a $1,000,000 waiver of permitting fees for the first phase of an office-to-housing downtown conversion program.
"Sometimes I just like to show our millions of viewers that we don't overly choreograph these things in advance by doing things clumsily," Chair Naker said during the presentation, thanking Director Newton and Deputy Director Green for staff work.
Vice Chair Johnson, who has served on the council and the HRA, praised staff responsiveness and emphasized the need for emergency rental assistance on the city's East Side. "I will never forget the $50 eviction that showed up on the Ramsey County proposal because it had me thinking about what that means for when we think about cost savings to households," Johnson said, arguing small amounts can push families into eviction.
Commissioners said the budget reflects their priorities on affordable homeownership and economic development. After brief discussion, a motion to adopt the resolution passed on voice vote, recorded as "6 in favor, 0 opposed." The board adopted the resolution to finalize the HRA's 2025 budget and certify the property tax levy.
The budget adoption completes months of staff work; commissioners noted they will continue oversight as programs move into implementation and that some items will require additional program-level actions and RFPs in the year ahead.
