Ramsey County is on the hunt for a new leader for its housing stability department after the last director and his deputy resigned while being investigated.
County officials opened investigations earlier this summer into Keith Lattimore, housing stability director since 2020, and Kimberly Cleminson, the department’s deputy director since 2021. Lattimore and Cleminson had started a side business called Care Chexx that cared for homeless patients recently discharged from the hospital.
Care Chexx was operating out of a Brooklyn Center extended-stay hotel until city officials shut it down in late June. The organization planned to appeal the city’s decision.
Asked in July if Lattimore and Cleminson’s business was a conflict of interest, county officials said in a statement they immediately opened an investigation “in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability” when officials “learned of a potential county involvement with the business.”
County officials declined to comment further.
A Ramsey County spokesman said Lattimore’s last day with the county was Aug. 12 and Cleminson’s was Aug. 20. He did not specify whether they resigned or were removed from their positions.
State business records show Care Chexx was founded by Lattimore in 2023. In 2024, Lattimore earned about $168,000 and Cleminson made $137,000, according to an online database of county salaries.
Ramsey County’s housing stability department works with individuals and families experiencing homelessness or struggling to find stable housing. Staff help residents connect with public aid programs like cash and rental assistance, food stamps and Medicaid.
