St. Paul Public Housing Agency

St. Paul PHA will be opening the Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 waiting list this month! Applications will be accepted at https://lnkd.in/gDdksmMU from Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 AM through Tuesday, November 19 at 11:59 PM. Applicants can apply online 24 hours a day using a computer, tablet or smartphone, including free computers at public libraries. 1,200 applicants will be placed on the waiting list via a lottery selection with the goal of serving these households within one to two years, resulting in more regular waiting list openings in the future. The PHA currently serves over 10,000 St. Paul residents in the HCV Program. The HCV waitlist opening will allow the PHA to continue helping families and individuals with low incomes achieve greater stability and self-reliance by providing safe, affordable, quality housing and links to community services. Learn more about the PHA’s programs by visiting www.stpha.org.?

On October 8, St. Paul PHA joined Great River Greening (GRG) for a tree planting event at McDonough Homes.?GRG’s “Cooling Minnesota Communities” (CMC) program is designed to combat extreme heat, enhance climate change resilience, and increase equitable access to high quality tree canopies across Minnesota.?Many GRG volunteers, PHA staff and residents and community volunteers helped plant about 70 trees that day. Brief remarks were provided by Congresswoman Betty McCollum, GRG Executive Director Kateri Routh, PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson, PHA Executive Director Louise Seeba, McDonough resident Jennifer Wood, and GRG Environmental Stewardship Director Brennan Blue.?Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong and staff from Senator Tina Smith’s and Senator Amy Klobuchar’s offices were also in attendance.?

On October 8, St. Paul PHA joined Great River Greening (GRG) for a tree planting event at McDonough Homes.?GRG’s “Cooling Minnesota Communities” (CMC) program is designed to combat extreme heat, enhance climate change resilience, and increase equitable access to high quality tree canopies across Minnesota.?Many GRG volunteers, PHA staff and residents and community volunteers helped plant about 70 trees that day. Brief remarks were provided by Congresswoman Betty McCollum, GRG Executive Director Kateri Routh, PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson, PHA Executive Director Louise Seeba, McDonough resident Jennifer Wood, and GRG Environmental Stewardship Director Brennan Blue.?Ramsey County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong and staff from Senator Tina Smith’s and Senator Amy Klobuchar’s offices were also in attendance.?

St. Paul PHA held its Employee Recognition breakfast on October 2 at the DoubleTree hotel.?This annual tradition began in 1991 and provides an opportunity to celebrate employees for their length of service and outstanding accomplishments during the previous year.?Over 190 employees were in attendance, along with PHA Board Chair Missy Thompson, PHA Commissioner Leonard Thomas, and St. Paul Police Officers who serve in the ACOP community policing program. Ramsey County Attorney John C. Choi served as the keynote speaker.?When elected to that position in 2011, he became the first Korean-American chief prosecutor in the country.?Mr. Choi thanked St. Paul PHA employees for their service to PHA residents and the community, and praised the valuable work done by all public servants, especially in affordable housing.?

On September 25, St. Paul PHA welcomed Kristin Beckmann to the PHA’s Board of Commissioners.?Commissioner Beckmann filled the seat vacated by Tom Reding, who had served on the PHA Board for almost 23 years. Commissioner Beckmann is a public affairs consultant and volunteers with community organizations involved in affordable housing, including being a current Board member of the YWCA Saint Paul. The PHA also celebrated the reappointment of Liz Xiong to the PHA Board.?Commissioner Xiong is the Communications Director and Political Coordinator for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Minnesota and North Dakota. Congratulations, Commissioners Beckmann and Xiong!

On September 19, St. Paul PHA Executive Director Louise Seeba, Housing Choice Voucher Programs Director Corina Serrano and Communications Manager/Executive Assistant Mai Moua participated in the Grand Opening of “The Lumin”, a new apartment building at St. Paul’s Highland Bridge.?The Lumin serves senior families and is CommonBond’s first affordable housing development in Highland Bridge, on the site of the former Ford assembly plant. Louise gave remarks at the grand opening, highlighting the St. Paul PHA’s partnership with The Lumin.?The St. Paul PHA awarded 60 Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs) to The Lumin to ensure deep affordability of the entire project.?PBV support “enables households at 30% of area median income to afford rent and allows property owners to support ongoing operating expenses,” furthering the Agency’s mission.? CommonBond Communities

The St. Paul PHA works closely with community organizations to ensure that residents with limited mobility are still able to access needed services such as groceries and health care, by bringing these resources onsite.?Since December 2014, the St. Paul PHA has partnered with the Twin Cities Mobile Market (TCMM), now a subsidiary of The Food Group, to bring fresh, low cost healthy food options to 11 PHA sites on a regular basis.?The St. Paul PHA greatly appreciates The Food Group’s continued investment in this important resource. The mobile market was featured in a recent article in the Minnesota Star Tribune - https://lnkd.in/gqQWySKY Below is a picture of St. Paul PHA's Human Resources Director/Resident Initiatives Director Alicia Huckleby.

Congratulations to Louise Seeba, St. Paul PHA Executive Director, on her election to the Board of Directors of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and the Board of Trustees of the Public Housing Authorities’ Directors Association (PHADA).?St. Paul PHA has had a long and close relationship with both CLPHA and PHADA, and serving on these Boards is another way the PHA provides leadership on affordable housing issues at the national level. Louise attended her first PHADA Board of Trustees meeting in June and will attend her first CLPHA Board of Directors meeting in November.?

The Saint Paul Police Band performed an outdoor concert at St. Paul PHA's Iowa Hi-Rise last month. PHA residents, neighbors and friends gathered on the lawn for the show and many residents were able to enjoy the music from their apartments. Hamline Hi-Rise will host an indoor performance in October 2024. The Saint Police Band was formed in 1924—100 years ago! The band’s 70+ members include police officers, retired police officers and civilians. They perform several times each year in parades and at local parks and senior residences. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d4uQSQxs?????????

On August 6, St. Paul PHA staff and the PHA’s City Wide Resident Council hosted another successful National Night Out (NNO) at Dunedin Terrace on St. Paul’s West Side.?Residents and neighbors attended the event to enjoy games, fun activities, live entertainment, food, prizes and resources.?This annual celebration brings members of the community together with St. Paul Police Officers and local social service agencies to increase neighborhood camaraderie and promote positive police-community relationships. Below are some photos from NNO.