HOME Program

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)

About HOME

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides funding for housing activities in five counties in northeast Minnesota. Through creation of the Northeast Minnesota HOME Consortium, the counties of Cook, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis cooperated to access HOME funding.

HOME funds are received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Funding is distributed to local agencies through a competitive grant application process. This process is managed by the county’s Planning and Community Development Department. An Advisory Committee reviews the applications and formulates a funding recommendation to the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners.

Program Overview

Applications & Guides

Process

Eligibility: Eligible applicants are communities, housing and redevelopment authorities, and nonprofit agencies within the 5-county region excluding the Duluth city limits. Housing acquired, rehabilitated, or constructed with HOME funding must be occupied by a household that qualifies as low- and moderate-income according to the most current income guidelines applicable to the HOME Program.

Focus Areas:

Homebuyer Assistance: Down payment, closing cost, and rehabilitation assistance for first-time home buyers
Rental Rehabilitation & New Construction: Acquisition, rehabilitation, conversion, and new construction of affordable rental units
Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation & New Construction: Acquisition, rehabilitation, conversion, and new construction of affordable owner-occupied units
Homelessness Related Housing: Acquisition, rehabilitation, conversion, or new construction of transitional and permanent housing connected to a community’s Continuum of Care for the homeless strategy (HOME funding may not be used for shelters or service-related costs)