Who can apply?

Any property owner of unsubsidized affordable housing in Saint Paul is eligible to apply for the 4d program.

To be eligible, properties must:

  • Be located in Saint Paul
  • Be a rental property (units not homesteaded)
  • Not currently have 4d tax classification
  • Have a current and valid Certificate of Occupancy (or exemption) from the Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI)

Owners can apply for any number of eligible properties, however, an individual application will need to be completed for each eligible property.

4d Participation Requirements

Any property enrolled in the 4d program must:

  • Follow affirmative fair housing practices, including non-discrimination against publicly assisted rental applicants, e.g., those with Section 8 vouchers or other forms of public assistance (should the applicants otherwise meet the owner’s fair rental screening guidelines)
  • Agree to post all vacant unit listings on Housing Link
  • Agree to affordability requirements
  • Agree to program rent limits
  • Agree to verify new tenants' income information prior to move-in
  • Submit a yearly recertification form to the City of Saint Paul for annual monitoring and compliance
  • Be in compliance with the requirements of State statute and Minnesota Housing to use any tax savings that result from the 4d tax classification on certain eligible expenses. Guidance on eligible expenses will be available from Minnesota Housing in fall 2023.
4d Program Minimum Unit Commitments
Property Size
(# of rental units)		Minimum Affordability Commitments
(based on % of Area Median Income)
1 unit
(single-family)		All 1-unit properties must be preserved for households with up to 50% of AMI.
2 units
(duplex/double)

At least 1 duplex unit must be preserved for households with up to 50% of AMI.

Optional: Owners may elect to preserve the 2nd unit for households with up to either 50% or 60% of AMI for the required 10-year period of enrollment.

3 units or more
(multifamily)

Properties with 3 or more units must be committed with either:

  1. At least 20% of multifamily units preserved for households with up to 50% of AMI, OR
     
  2. At least 50% of multifamily units preserved for households with up to 60% of AMI*.

Optional: Conditional to meeting one of the above minimum commitments, multifamily property owners may elect to preserve up to 100% of a property’s units for any combination of households with up to either 50% or 60% of AMI.

*In other words: if you are committing less than 50% of the property's total units, you are required to enroll those units at the 50% AMI level.

Note: only the units committed by the Owner to “LIRC” preservation under the terms of participation in the 4d program will be assessed with the 4d classification and the reduced 4d class tax rate. The specific units making up this commitment must be designated on the 4d Rent Roll form as part of owners’ 4d application package. 

Program Benefits

Upon enrollment, property owners will receive the 4d/“low-income rental” classification (“LIRC”) on the proportion of qualifying units, and the reduced 4d property class tax rate (which can mean up to an 80% reduction). To maintain this benefit, owners must complete the annual recertification and compliance process.

Property owners also receive the following benefits upon acceptance into the 4d program:

  • A grant award for each certified 4d unit, for up to $1,200 per property or per owner of single-family properties, based on:
    • $75 per unit preserved for households earning up to 60% of AMI
    • $200 per unit preserved for households earning up to 50% of AMI
  • Waiver/coverage of associated enrollment fees, by the City’s payment of the:
    • State application fee for the first-year Low Income Rental Classification Application ($10/unit, up to $150/property)
    • Title search/verification fees necessary to draft enrollment legal documents (approx. $150/property)
    • Ramsey County Recording fees for the Declaration of the Restrictive Covenants ($46/property)

Rent and Income Limits

New rent and income limits are released annually by HUD, usually in early summer. Owners demonstrating compliance for the 2024 program year will refer to the limits provided by HUD in early summer 2024 and will be reported to the City of Saint Paul on the Recertification Form due in late January 2025.

The maximum rent and household income limits for the 2024 application cycle are as follows:

4d Household Income Limits*

# of persons

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

50% AMI

$43,500

$49,700

$55,900

$62,100

$67,100

$72,050

$77,050

60% AMI

$52,200

$59,640

$67,080

$74,520

$80,520

$86,460

$92,460

* Income verification is only required when a new tenant moves into a 4d unit.

4d Maximum Rent Limits

# of bedrooms

0BR
(studio)

1BR

2BR

3BR

4BR

5BR

6BR

50% AMI

$1,087

$1,165

$1,397

$1,615

$1,801

$1,988

$2,173

60% AMI

$1,305

$1,398

$1,677

$1,938

$2,161

$2,385

$2,608

PLEASE NOTE: Utility allowances are added to the base rent for utilities paid by the tenant in order to capture a tenant’s full financial responsibility related to housing costs. Altogether, maximum rent limits are equal to rent charged plus an utility allowance. The City of Saint Paul 4d program utilizes a standard naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) utility allowance for all 4d properties. (For more information, see the 4d program guidelines.)

Please refer to the property-specific tables below for guidance in determining a rental unit's total monthly rent. The figures were calculated by the City with the assumption that the following utilities are typically paid by tenants of NOAH properties: gas (heating & stove/cooking), gas water heating, and other electric.

If tenants do not pay all the following utilities (gas or electric heating, gas or electric cooking/stove, electricity, and water heating) then you may be eligible for a lower utility allowance.  If this is the case, you may contact 4d program staff at 4d@stpaul.gov.

Application Resources

  • For general questions or application assistance, please email 4d@stpaul.gov to set up an appointment.
  • If you need access to technology to submit your application, you can go to any Saint Paul Public Library where computers and internet are available for public use. Library staff can provide technical assistance but are unable to assist you with filling out your application. If you have questions regarding the application, please reach out to 4d staff.
  • If you need an accommodation to better understand this information or access this program, or want help translating this information, please contact ped-pio@stpaul.gov.

Last Edited: November 15, 2024