About Us

Heading Home Ramsey (HHR) is Ramsey County's Continuum of Care: a community-wide partnership committed to the goal of ending homelessness in the county. We are 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. We are responsible for planning and implementing the homeless response system in Ramsey County and carrying out specific duties defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (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.

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. 

Heading Home Ramsey Governance and Structure

Heading Home Ramsey is governed by a Charter and Addenda, most recently updated and adopted on March 23, 2023.

Heading Home Ramsey is led by a Governing Board and a Steering Committee with staggered terms.

Go to our Calendar to see upcoming Governing Board, Steering Committee, and Full Membership meetings.

Additional documents are available below and on the Heading Home Ramsey Public Google Drive.

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. 

Ramsey County, in partnership with Heading Home Ramsey, recruits 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 the Count through homeless outreach teams. 

For more information regarding the PIT Count or to volunteer in future counts, email [email protected].

Click here for HHR Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Data.