About Us

GOVERNANCE CHARTER AND ADDENDA

Attached below is a pdf of the new Charter and Addenda; updated as of December 2020. The new Charter was approved at the January 14, 2021 meeting and has since revised as the of the Full CoC meeting on March 10th.

To view the new Governing Board and Steering Committee meeting schedule, please go to the "Calendar" page.

To access a roster of the Governing Board members, please click here. To access a roster of the Steering Committee members, please click here.

To access other documents, etc., please view the Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) Google Drive by clicking here.

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/Heading-Home-Ramsey-418254845265628

Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) is the Continuum of Care for Ramsey County.  The Continuum of Care is a community-wide partnership committed to the goal of ending homelessness in the cities and neighborhoods of Ramsey County. HHR is a coalition of social service providers, housing providers, philanthropic partners, business, community, government and citizens working together to create and implement cost effective solutions to ending homelessness. HHR is responsible for planning and implementing the homeless response system in Ramsey County and carrying out specific duties defined by HUD and the State of Minnesota.

VISION:

We work together to create a community where homelessness is rare, brief (with adequate crisis response), and non-recurring, where we eliminate racial disparities, and everyone is housed.

 MISSION:

Prevent and end homelessness by delivering effective, people-centered, integrated responses that are racially equitable and driven by community voice, advocacy, and learning.

VALUES:

1. Racial Equity: We transform systems, policies, and practices to reduce the disparities, eliminate inequities, and improve outcomes for all.
2. Client Centered: Informed by those with personal lived experience of homelessness, honoring all individuals and families experiencing homelessness with dignity and respect while allowing for self-determination in making decisions about their lives.
3. Trauma-Informed: We provide services that respond to all types of trauma and ensure safety while minimizing the risk of incidences of trauma.
4. Housing First: We believe in quickly connecting individuals and families to permanent housing without preconditions or barriers and ensuring ongoing opportunities for engagement in services to support long-term stability.
5. Community Level Approach: We believe the best solutions come when we work together, as a collaborative community, and with other systems that impact our ability to end homelessness.
   
6. Data Informed. We use qualitative and quantitative data to address inequity, guide decision-making, allocate resources, and improve accountability.
7. Bold and Innovative. We foster effective responses to the complexity of homelessness and provide leadership and advocacy to end homelessness.

Like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Heading-Home-Ramsey-418254845265628) for updates and other announcements.

HHR is responsible for long term strategic planning and managing on-going work being done to reduce and end homelessness in Ramsey County to ensure compliance with the HEARTH Act and the Continuum of Care (CoC) Interim Final Rule. 

To learn more about the responsibilities of the CoC click here.

One important part of the work we do to comply with the responsibilities HUD designates is to establish and operate a Coordinated Assessment system (also referred to as Coordinated Entry) which is used to respond to specific subpopulations of people who are experiencing homelessness.  These subpopulations include families, single adults and youth (ages 16 to 24).  HHR has implemented Coordinated Entry which provides for an initial comprehensive assessment to clarify needs and help identify appropriate housing options. A specific single point of contact for each of these subpopulations facilitates immediate access to resources and ensures that anyone experiencing homelessness is provided with assistance as quickly as possible.

To learn more about the CORE Elements of Coordinated Entry click here.  To view the complete Coordinated Entry Guidebook provided by HUD click here.

Every year, the Governing Board votes on members of the community to serve on the Ranking Committee for CoC and FHPAP funds. 

2022 Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count:

The annual Point-In-Time (PIT) homeless count is required by HUD for every community in the country and serves as a static count of the number of people experiencing homelessness. It is the principle means for gauging the need for homeless assistance resources both nationally and here in Ramsey County community.  The results of the PIT Count directly impact the amount of funding dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness in Ramsey County. 

The unsheltered homeless PIT, counting those sleeping in places not meant for human habitation, or who may be doubled-up/couch-hopping, was scheduled for the night of January 26th (those homeless at sundown on January 26th into sunrise on January 27th).  Ramsey County, in partnership with Heading Home Ramsey, recruited volunteers to assist with the unsheltered homeless count. Volunteers are recruited every December/January. All volunteers must attend a training before administering surveys. 

To anonymously collect general demographic and health information, we conduct a brief (5-10 minute) survey/interview with each person who reports experiencing homelessness the night of January 26th through homeless outreach teams. 

For more information regarding the PIT Count or to volunteer in future counts, please contact the Continuum of Care (CoC) Coordinator, Leigh Ann Ahmad , via email at @Ahmad, Leigh

To view the 2022 PIT Count materials, please see attached below the following:

• PIT Count Presentation from training
• PIT Count (Long) Survey Instructions
• PIT Count (one-page) Survey Instructions
• PIT Count Survey (short survey version)

To watch the PIT Count training video, please email the CoC Coordinator for the password to the following Training Video Link.

Click here for HHR Data.

Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) is the name used for the Saint Paul/Ramsey County Continuum of Care (CoC). It is a group of organizations, government, and people in our community who plan the response to homelessness in our community.

Every two years Heading Home Ramsey is required by the federal government to assess how well the services offered are supporting people in need.

Part of this assessment is to reach out to people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who used to be homeless in the last 5 years, Ramsey County residents, business stakeholders in Ramsey County, and homeless service providers to learn from your experience about what is working well, what is not working well, and to understand if race/ethnicity impacts people experiencing homelessness.

Please refer to our Stats page for past assessments.