Emergency Assistance

Emergency Assistance (EA) and Emergency General Assistance (EGA) help with shelter, such as a security deposit or past due rent/mortgage. EA and EGA also help pay for utilities, when there is threat of disconnection. Utilities include electricity, heat and water.

• Emergency Assistance helps adults with children, and pregnant women. Those who qualify for Emergency Assistance can receive up to two months payment for their share of rent/mortgage and up to $1,800 in utility assistance.
   
• Emergency General Assistance helps adults without children. Those who qualify for Emergency General Assistance can receive up to two month's payment for their share of rent/mortgage or utilities, or a combined payment of up to $812.

Assistance eligibility

You may be eligible if:

• You have not received EA/EGA help in the last 12 months.
• Your income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for household size. 
• You you do not have enough resources to resolve your crisis.
• You can show you have enough income to pay bills moving forward.

Apply

All Financial Assistance intake interviews will take place over the phone, rather than in-person. After an application is submitted and assigned, your assigned financial worker will call you for your phone interview. Send applications and verifications via email to [email protected], fax to 651-266-3942 or drop them off in a form drop box at sites throughout the county. See form drop-off & walk-in assistance sites. 

• If you ARE NOT already receiving public assistance, or your case closed more than 30 days ago, you can apply for EA/EGA online at mnbenefits.mn.gov or by calling the Intake Hotline at 651-266-4444. You can also request a “Combined Application” from the Intake Hotline and email your application to [email protected].
   
• If you ARE receiving public assistance through Ramsey County and have an open case (SNAP, healthcare, or cash assistance), fill out the application and email it to: [email protected] or fax to 651-266-3909. You may also call your caseworker or the Emergency Assistance Hotline at 651-266-4884 to apply.

EA/EGA application for those with open assistance cases

The Saint Paul-Ramsey County COVID-19 Rent Assistance program is now closed

If you need help with housing:

• Ramsey County residents can apply for Emergency Assistance/Emergency General Assistance to receive help with rent, housing costs and utilities. See information in the top section of this page.
   
• Ramsey County residents can reach out to local organizations that can help prevent evictions and homelessness, find housing, and pay for past due utility notices and/or limited sanitation requests. See the list of Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance providers. (PDF)

Other housing assistance options can be found on the Housing Services and Support page.

Eviction moratorium timeline

• October 12, 2021 – All restrictions on lease terminations and eviction actions were lifted. Landlords cannot file or proceed with an eviction action against a household that has a pending application with a COVID-19 emergency rental assistance program.
• June 1, 2022 – All restrictions on eviction actions will be lifted.

All federal COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance programs in Ramsey County are closed

• The Saint Paul- Ramsey County COVID-19 Rental Assistance program is now closed. Applications are still being processed for eligibility at this time. If you need immediate assistance with a pending application, contact the program administrator, Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, via phone: 651-999-5737  or email: [email protected] (please include name and address in subject line). Due to the high volumes, your inquiry will be returned within two business days.
   
• RentHelpMN, administered by Minnesota Housing, is closed to new applications. Renters who submitted a RentHelpMN application before the Friday, January 28, 2022 at 9 p.m. deadline will continue to have their application processed, subject to availability of funds. If you have questions about your RentHelpMN application, call 211.
   
• The Zero Balance Project is closed to new applications. If you have questions about your application, email [email protected] or call 612-895-7880.

Qualifying renters may only receive a maximum of 18 months of emergency rent assistance across all Federal COVID-19 ERA programs.