St. Paul Public Housing Agency

What St. Paul Public Housing Agency does

St. Paul Public Housing Agency (SPPHA) is a government public housing agency established in 1979 in St. Paul, Minnesota, that administers federally subsidized affordable housing programs under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The agency owns and operates approximately 4,272 public housing units distributed across 16 hi-rise buildings for elderly, disabled, and single-adult residents, family townhome developments (Dunedin Terrace, McDonough Homes, Mt. Airy Homes, Roosevelt Homes, and scattered sites), and duplex housing. It also administers the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and participates in HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), which has converted the bulk of its public housing stock to project-based rental assistance. SPPHA serves roughly 20,000 low-income residents, including families with children, seniors age 62+, disabled individuals, and single adults, with average household incomes of approximately $18,800 for families and $10,900 for singles.

The agency is funded primarily through HUD federal appropriations — Capital Fund Program grants for modernization and operations, and Section 8 subsidy payments to landlords on behalf of voucher holders — supplemented by tenant contributions set at approximately 30% of adjusted household income. SPPHA has earned HUD's 'High Performer' rating under PHAS for 24 consecutive years and holds the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Its core technology stack consists of standard public housing management systems augmented by MRI Software for RAD portfolio administration, with an online rent payment platform for residents.

The agency supplements housing delivery with an extensive resident services ecosystem: on-site community policing (ACOP, nine officers plus a sergeant), health clinics operated by West Side Community Health Services at McDonough Homes, youth programming through Boys & Girls Club and Youth Connections, Head Start through Conservative Opportunities International, job training and computer labs via Neighborhood House, and research/evaluation support from the Wilder Foundation. Marketing and outreach operate through a monthly PHA E-News newsletter, the stpha.org website, formal resident organizations at each development including a Hi-Rise President's Council, and referral partnerships with housing and service organizations. The agency is governed by a Board of Commissioners and currently led by Executive Director Louise Seeba.

Name

St. Paul Public Housing Agency

Legal name

St. Paul Public Housing Agency

Website

https://stpha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St. Paul Public Housing Agency is a government entity providing affordable housing through approximately 4,272 public housing units and Section 8 vouchers to low-income families, elderly, and disabled residents in St. Paul, Minnesota, funded by HUD federal appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Public housing services
• Affordable rental housing
• Housing choice vouchers
• Section 8 assistance
• Government housing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. HUD Capital Fund Program Grants: Federal Congressional appropriations provided annually by HUD for maintenance and improvement of PHA properties based on a formula allocation system. Grant funds cover modernization, management, and operating costs.
2. Tenant Rent Payments: Residents pay approximately 30% of their adjusted household income for rent and utilities under the deep rental subsidy model.
3. HUD Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher Funding: Federal funding from HUD to subsidize rental assistance payments to private landlords on behalf of eligible voucher holders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

St. Paul Public Housing Agency operates as a federally funded public housing authority providing affordable rental housing and tenant-based rental assistance. It owns and operates approximately 4,272 public housing units across 16 hi-rises, townhomes, and scattered-site single-family and duplex properties, while also administering the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program that subsidizes private-market rentals for eligible households. The agency serves roughly 20,000 low-income families, elderly residents, disabled individuals, and single adults in St. Paul, Minnesota, under HUD oversight.

Product overview

St. Paul Public Housing Agency operates as a public housing authority providing affordable housing through multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Public Housing Program (approximately 4,272 units across hi-rises, townhomes, and scattered sites) and the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program. Supporting services include RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) for housing preservation, Hi-Rises for elderly/disabled residents, Family Housing Developments for families with children, Youth Connections for youth programming, and Resident Initiatives for community engagement. The agency also provides digital services like Online Rent Payment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Housing Program Rental housing program providing approximately 4,272 public housing units in hi-rise buildings, townhomes, and scattered-site single-family and duplex homes for low-income families and individuals in St. Paul.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 consecutive years of HUD 'High Performer' rating under PHAS
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MRI SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationMRI Software partnered with SPPHA for RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) software conversion, enabling the agency to transition public housing units to project-based rental assistance. This partnership won the NAHRO National Partnership Award in 2020.
• Neighborhood HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Dunedin Terrace for collaborative programming including open computer lab, basic computer training, online courses, job training courses, and after school and summer youth programs.
• West Side Community Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates a health clinic at McDonough Homes Community Center providing on-site healthcare services to residents.
• St. Paul Parks and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides recreation programs at McDonough Homes including full gymnasium and children's gym services.
• St. Paul Police Department (ACOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity policing program jointly funded by St. Paul Police Department and St. Paul Public Housing. Nine officers, a Sergeant, and two Community Liaison Officers police family developments and work with youth and adults to foster positive relationships.
• Conservative Opportunities InternationalminorOthersHead Start program provider at family developments.
• Boys & Girls ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides youth programming at Mt. Airy (next door at 690 Jackson St.) and Roosevelt Homes (East Side Boys & Girls Club).
• Wilder FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts research and evaluation for PHA including Customized Living Program survey and Service Needs and Satisfaction Levels reports for hi-rise residents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• San Francisco Housing Authority:

Direct peers

• Atlanta Housing Authority: Mid-large PHA managing family and senior public housing plus HCV vouchers in Atlanta under the same federal HUD framework. Active in RAD and mixed-finance repositioning of legacy public housing stock, comparable to SPPHA's RAD strategy.
• Denver Housing Authority: Public Housing Authority that owns/operates family and senior public housing units and administers HCV vouchers across Denver. Similar scale, similar high-performer operating model under HUD PHAS, and active in RAD conversions.
• Seattle Housing Authority: Mid-sized PHA administering Low Income Public Housing units and Section 8 vouchers across Seattle, with a comparable mix of hi-rise senior/disabled housing and family scattered-site/townhouse stock. Operates under the same federal HUD framework as SPPHA, including RAD-converted properties.
• Minneapolis Public Housing Authority: Twin Cities counterpart that administers public housing units and Housing Choice Vouchers for Minneapolis residents. Closest geographic and operational peer to SPPHA - both operate in the same metropolitan labor market with similar tenant demographics, federal HUD funding streams, and Minnesota-specific state policy environments.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Housing Authority: Larger, legacy urban PHA operating a much bigger public housing and voucher portfolio across Boston under federal HUD oversight. Operates the same core product set (LIPH units, hi-rises, family developments, Section 8) as SPPHA but at significantly greater scale.
• Chicago Housing Authority: Major urban PHA administering public housing, senior/disabled housing, and Housing Choice Vouchers across Chicago. Operates under the federal HUD PHAS/SEMAP regulatory regime that governs SPPHA's high-performer ratings.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority: One of the largest PHAs in the country, managing tens of thousands of public housing units and HCV vouchers throughout Philadelphia under the same HUD framework as SPPHA. Comparable product mix including senior hi-rises and family developments.
• New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA): By far the largest U.S. PHA, managing over 160,000 public housing units and the Section 8 program across NYC. Direct functional analog to SPPHA, but at a vastly larger scale and with more acute capital needs; serves as a bellwether for federal HUD policy that ultimately flows down to agencies like SPPHA.
• Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA): Large-city PHA administering public housing units and Housing Choice Vouchers across Los Angeles. Operates the same federal programs (LIPH, Section 8 HCV, senior/disabled hi-rises) under HUD oversight as SPPHA, but at considerably greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-paul-public-housing-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about St. Paul Public Housing Agency