Challenge

Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul, a St. Paul-based non-profit focused on building economic opportunity, operated Project Home for many years in conjunction with local churches to provide housing and food to families facing homelessness. But during the Covid pandemic, churches could no longer offer that safe haven, requiring Interfaith Action to consider other options.

For several years, Interfaith Action leased a dorm building known as Provincial House in St. Paul. That space worked well for almost five years, but the non-profit needed a more permanent solution that would provide more certainty for families facing homelessness.

Strategy

Ericka Miller, vice president – Advisory, Forte Real Estate Partners, had worked with the leaders of Interfaith Action for different assignments over the last several years. In December of 2024, Interfaith Action’s chief financial officer reached out to Miller and asked for help to acquire a building in St. Paul that they had identified for this more permanent solution for Project Home. While the building had been identified, there were still several hurdles to manage, including: determination of value, City use requirements, Interfaith Action board approval, ensuring the building was in good repair so that they would not incur immediate major capital expenses, and identifying gap financing, all while facing a very short window in which to close.

Results

Miller engaged her coworker, John Young, and the two completed a market assessment, worked through City approval scenarios with the Interfaith Action team, led purchase negotiations, attended board meetings to offer real estate guidance, helped facilitate building inspections and managed schedule expectations for the closing. Armed with a $6 million grant from the State of Minnesota, the building, located at 1010 Bandana Boulevard, St. Paul, was purchased in March 2025 from Pacific Lodging LLC. The 68,822 sq. ft. property, built in 1900 and on the historic registry, has 109 units, and will eventually be able to serve up to 80 families at a time. Previously, at Provincial House, they could only serve 30 families at a time.

By owning the building outright, the non-profit will save thousands in monthly expenses and will be able to refocus those funds on operations and building improvements.

The new location will offer programming to foster economic stability and mobility, administrative operations, and an expanded space for Project Home, a program that provides emergency shelter and rapid exit case management services for local families facing homelessness. The potential for expanded and innovative programming provided by the new space will also allow the non-profit to leverage more funding opportunities than were possible under the previous lease.