HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 Request for ProposalFUNDING FOR
JANUARY 1 - DECEMBER 31, 2021
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
& HOMELESS HOUSING
ASSISTANCE FUNDS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
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BACKGROUND
Introduction
On Any Given Day: 193 Community Members in our county lack a safe place to sleep.
According to the 2020 Point in Time count in January of 2020, an estimated 193 people were
experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County. This number includes 59 persons in local
shelters run by OlyCAP, Dove House and 22 persons in transitional housing run by Bayside
Housing. Another 24 persons, mostly youth, admitted to "couch surfing". Sadly, 88 men and
women registered themselves as unsheltered. We as a community can agree that these numbers
are unacceptable.
The Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing Task Force identified three main purposes of
the Homeless Crisis Response and Housing 5 Year Plan for Jefferson County, in addition to
fulfilling the legislative mandate (RCW 43.185C.050, 2018):
• Blueprint for Implementation: A clear and concise agreement about the community's plan
to reduce homelessness through the implementation of these objectives.
Tool for Advocacy: An informational focal point to inspire local advocacy and leadership to
embrace homelessness as a priority for action.
• Reference for Funders: An articulation of the community's priorities for funding, ensuring
that these priorities meet the Federal, State, and Local requirements.
The plan lays out the objectives and strategies to guide local government, non-profit agencies,
and other partners to achieve the desired outcomes necessary to significantly reduce
homelessness and create more affordable housing options for those struggling to find shelter.
The specific objectives include:
• Quickly identify and engage people experiencing homelessness.
• Prioritization of homeless housing for people with the highest needs.
• Operate an effective and efficient homeless crisis response system that swiftly moves
people into stable and permanent housing while providing services.
• Create a projection of the number of households & individuals left unsheltered, assuming
existing resources and stated policies. Followed by a projection of the impact of the fully
implemented local plan on the number of households or Individuals housed.
• Address Racial, Ethnic and Gender Disparities among People Experiencing
Homelessness
• Address Supportive Efforts Aimed at Ending Homelessness
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"In declaring an Affordable Housing Crisis, both Jefferson County and the City of Port
Townsend recognize that the increase in people experiencing homelessness will continue to
rise without some proactive interventions. Additionally, both affordability and availability
of rental housing has reached a crisis level for many of our working individuals and families,
leaving them financially stressed and housing cost burdened if they are able to find housing
at all.
The Jefferson County Homeless Plan is part of a long-term, systematic effort to address the
homelessness and affordable housing crisis through a data focused vision for Jefferson
County. This 5-Year Plan is not the first Jefferson County Plan, nor will it be the last, but it
does reflect where we are today and the priorities we should collectively work on for the
next five years in response to this crisis. The Plan is a roadmap, a guide to help us impact
the housing crisis and reduce the barriers to stable and affordable housing. It presents a
strategic framework that will guide community leaders, organizations and residents in
making decisions about where to invest time and resources to improve housing
opportunities.
One overarching goal of this 5-Year Plan is to facilitate alignment of efforts within Jefferson
County, utilizing collective impact in order to make measurable differences that increase
opportunities for moving people experiencing homelessness into stable and affordable
housing and reducing the housing cost burden for very low to moderate income individuals
and families.
Speaking as your Public Health Director, we know that 70% of an individual's health is
determined outside of the health care system by such things as housing, income, education,
etc., also known as the Social Determinants of Health. For many individuals and families in
Jefferson County, stable and affordable housing is foundational to health and well-being."
— Vicki Kirkpatrick, Public Health Director, Jefferson County Washington
The funding priorities of this application include: (not in order of priority)
1. Funding emergency, temporary, or transitional shelter units that provide overnight
accommodation within Jefferson County, WA for those who income is 30% Area
Median Income or less.
2. Funding services that support those eligible to use emergency, temporary or
transitional shelter units.
3. Funding projects that create affordable housing units.
4. Funding projects that preserve existing affordable housing units.
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Selection Criteria
We will rank responses according to the criteria described below. All responsive proposals
received by the time and date specified in this RFP shall be evaluated by the RFP Evaluation
Panel based on the following criteria and weights:
Evaluation Criteria
Max. Points
A. Capacity - Experience Providing Similar Program Services or Developing
Similar Projects
20
B. Alignment - Meets Affordable Housing Plan Objectives and Actions
20
C. Approach — Completeness of Proposal and Readiness
20
D. Impact — Leverage of Funding and Number of Persons Assisted
20
E. Budget — Feasible Financial Plan
20
TOTAL
100
Submission Requirements
All proposals must include the following elements. We reserve the right to disqualify any
incomplete proposals.
(a) Capacity - Experience Providing Similar Services (20 Points) — Responders must
describe their experience in providing similar program services or development
initiatives. Please provide examples of specific strategies, programs, and projects that
you believe were successful and include copies as part of your submission. Please
identify staff that will be assigned to this program or project and their qualifications to
undertake the proposed scope of work. Staff or Board member experience may be
substituted for organizational experience. Financial Capacity — Please include prior year
tax returns or audited financial statements and the Annual report for the previous year
(b) Alignment - Meets Affordable Housing Plan Objectives and Goals (20 Points)
Identify the Specific Objective and Action the Project will address. Describe how the
project will address that Objective.
Check the priority this Program or Project addresses:
Housing _
Shelter (meaning a place to sleep) _
Support Services _
The purpose of his RFP is to fund Projects or Programs; it is not meant to fund Operating
Costs. Operating (Operational) costs are the expenses which are related to the operation
of a business, or facility. They are the cost of resources used by an organization just
to maintain its existence.
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(c) Approach — Completeness of Proposal and Readiness (20 Points)
Please provide a well -developed and thoughtful plan describing how you will approach
this assignment and complete the purpose of the proposal.
The proposal will be evaluated based on the clarity of proposal, completeness of the
submission including required certifications and documentation and readiness to begin the
Program or Project if funding is awarded.
In order to assist with a determination of readiness identify whether:
✓ The requested funds will fully fund the Project or Program
✓ The Project or Program could be scaled (include the per unit cost of the Program or
Project)
✓ Additional funds have been requested or will be requested. Identify the sources for
those requests and the status of the requests.
(d) Impact — Leverage of Funding and Number of Persons Assisted (20 Points)
Identify other sources of funds that would be leveraged with the requested funds and/or
how these funds will be used to leverage other funds
Identify the number of persons who will be assisted with the requested funds.
(e) Budget — A Feasible Financial Plan (20 Points)
Identify whether you are a 501(c) (3), for -profit, PHA or government agency.
Please provide the following if applicable:
• Program or Project Budget which includes a complete breakdown of all funding
sources already received or committed for this Program or Project
• Current operating budget for the organization requesting the funding
PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
General
The following procedure will be used to evaluate the proposals and select finalists. All proposals
received within the established deadline will be evaluated by the RFP Screening Panel.
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RFP Screening Panel
An RFP Screening Panel consisting of three (3) or more voting members will be established.
The RFP Screening Panel shall consist of members of the Affordable Housing Task Force.
Proposal Evaluation
Applicants whose proposal is being considered for an award may be invited to make an oral
presentation of their proposal to the Joint Oversight Board (JOB). The JOB reserves the right to
recommend funding for multiple contracts under this RFP or recommend funding for a portion of
the requested amount at their discretion.
FUNDING PERIOD
Jefferson County Homelessness Program Funding Instructions
HTF is requesting proposals for Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing and Assistance
Funds Funding will be available for the period January 1- December 31, 2021.
Funding must be requested and used within each funding cycle. There is no carryover of unused
funds into the next funding year. Each proposal requires the annual budget for the project.
Grantees will be required to submit project progress and evaluation reports on a quarterly basis
(every 3 months).
Proposal Deadline: September 8, 2020 by 4pm
Sealed proposals must be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope, "PROPOSAL —
Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing and Assistance Funds."
Mailing address for proposal is, Board of Jefferson County Commissioners: PO BOX 1220 Port
Townsend, WA 98368.
Hand -delivered packets can be delivered to the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners
at the Jefferson County Courthouse office located at 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, WA
98368.
Proposals MUST be received by 4pm on Tuesday, September 8th if hand delivered. Mailed
proposals must be postmarked no later than September 8th. Late proposals will not be
accepted. Submittals made in an incorrect format will not be considered.
All responses to this Request for Proposal should be submitted on the provided application form.
One (1) completed hard copy application is required to be submitted and an electronic PDF
version of the proposal should be e-mailed to Carolyn Galloway at carolyngco.Jefferson.wa.us.
The following should be in the subject line: "Proposal — Housing and Homelessness Services."
It is very important that your gpplication is complete, signed, is for an eligible activity, and
conforms to all program requirements. Applications not meeting all the requirements will not
receive consideration for funding.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) TIMELINE FOR 148 & 149 FUNDS
Date
Activity
August 18, 2020
RFP to be posted on the County website
August 27, 2020
3pm Call -in for questions: Phone: 360-344-9312 PIN: 652270
September 8, 2020
Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 pm
September 10, 2020
Proposals opened and reviewed by RFP Screening Committee
Emailed to applicants by 9/17
Technical questions for applicants will be sent once with a return
date of 4 days.
September 23, 2020
Presentation of RFP to Housing Task Force
September 23, 2020
JOB to Review RPF Report
September 30, 2020
JOB/ Special Meeting /Recommend applicants to BOCC for funding
October 5, 2020
BOCC regular meeting/ BOCC acts on recommendations
November 15, 2020
Contracts to County Prosecutor and Risk Manager for approval
December 31, 2020
Contracts to Providers and returned to BOCC for signatures
Note —All dates are subject to change Updated August 18, 2020
Definition of "Homeless" for Affordable Housiny, and Homeless Housina and Assistance
Funds:
The legislation defines a homeless person as: "...an individual living outside or in a building not
meant for human habitation or which they have no legal right to occupy, in an emergency shelter,
or in a temporary housing program which may include a transitional and supportive housing
program if habitation time limits exist. This definition includes people who abuse substances,
are mentally ill, and sex offenders who are homeless."
Definition of Area Median Income for Jefferson County:
Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's
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income is compared to the income of all other households in the area. This is accomplished
through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often
referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.
In Jefferson County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $52,000.
Who is Eligible for Services under these Funds?
Persons meeting the definition of homeless under the legislation (see above) and persons at -risk
of homelessness such as:
• Persons being evicted within a week from a private dwelling unit or leaving an
institution, such as a mental health or substance abuse treatment facility or a
jail/prison, with no subsequent residence identified and lacking the resources needed
to obtain housing.
• Persons fleeing domestic or family violence with no subsequent safe residence
identified and lacking the resources needed to obtain such housing.
• Persons living on the streets or in emergency shelter but are spending a short time (up
to 30 consecutive days) in a hospital or other institution.
• Persons who would otherwise be living on the streets or in an emergency shelter.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS
In 2002, the State Legislature enacted SHB 2060 [RCW 36.22.178], an Act relating to funds for
operating and maintenance of extremely or very low-income housing projects and for innovative
housing demonstration projects. The Jefferson County Commissioners have named this fund the
Jefferson County Affordable Housing Fund. The County Commissioners will make all final
funding decisions. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) agencies, for -profit entities, a public housing
authority or governmental entity. Grantees are required to submit project progress and
evaluation reports on a quarterly basis (every 3 months). Monthly invoices will require
documentation supporting the request for reimbursement.
Affordable Housing Funds are available for the period below:
January 1, 2021— December 31, 2021. The appropriation for these funds will lapse at midnight
on January 31, 2022. Unspent funds remaining after December 31, 2021 and will not carryover
to the next funding cycle but will be added to the funds available for allocation in the next
funding cycle.
Permissible Uses of Funding
Funding must be distributed for programs and services as written in the local homeless housing
plan outlined in SHB 2060 (RCW 36.22.178) which are:
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Eligible activities:
a. Acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing projects or units within housing
projects that are affordable to very -low income persons with incomes at or below fifty
percent of the area median income;
b. Supporting building operating and maintenance costs of housing projects or units within
housing projects eligible to receive Washington State Housing Trust Funds, that are
affordable to very low-income persons with incomes at or below fifty percent of the area
median income, and that require a supplement to rental income to cover ongoing
operating expenses. If the proposal is to cover operation and maintenance of an existing
low-income housing units, explain how these costs have been funded in the past and why
these funds are now needed;
c. Rental assistance vouchers for housing projects or units within housing projects that are
affordable to very low-income persons with incomes at or below fifty percent of the
median income, to be administered by a local public housing authority or other local
organization that has an existing rental assistance voucher program, consistent with or
similar to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8
rental assistance voucher program standards;
d. Operating costs for emergency shelters and licensed overnight youth shelters;
e. Per RCW 36.22.178(2), a priority must be given to eligible housing activities that serve
extremely low-income households with incomes at or below thirty percent of the area
median income.
HOMELESS HOUSING AND ASSISTANCE FUNDS
In 2005, the State Legislature enacted ESSHB 2163, an Act relating to funds for addressing local
homelessness by providing housing, supportive services, and homeless prevention. In
subsequent years, including 2018, other bills added additional funding. See RCWs 36.33.179 and
RCW 36.22.1791. The Jefferson County Commissioners have named this fund the Homeless
Fund. The County Commissioners will make all final funding decisions. Applicants must be
501(c)(3) agencies, for -profit entities, a public housing authority or governmental entity.
Grantees are required to submit project progress and evaluation reports on a quarterly basis (once
every 3 months).
Homeless Housing and Assistance Funds are available for the periods below:
January 1, 2021 — December 31, 2021. The appropriation for these funds will lapse at midnight
on January 31, 2022. Unspent funds remaining after December 31, 2021 will not carryover to
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the next funding cycle but will be added to the funds available for allocation in the next funding
cycle.
Permissible Uses of Funding
Local governments are given wide latitude covering the use of funds for any activity that can be
tied to reducing and/or preventing homelessness, if it is explicitly included in the most recent
local homeless plan outlined in ESSHB 2163 and ESSHB 1570 (RCW 36.33.179 and RCW
36.33.1791).
Eligible activities:
a. Rental and furnishing of dwelling units for the use of homeless persons.
b. Costs of developing affordable housing for homeless persons, and services for formerly
homeless individuals and families residing in transitional housing or permanent housing
and still at risk of homelessness.
c. Operating subsidies for transitional housing or permanent housing serving formerly
homeless families or individuals.
d. Services to prevent homelessness, such as emergency eviction prevention programs
including temporary rental subsidies to prevent homelessness.
e. Temporary services to assist persons leaving state institutions and other state programs to
prevent them from becoming or remaining homeless.
f. Outreach services for homeless individuals and families.
g. Development and management of local homeless plans including homeless census data
collection; identification of goals, performance measures, strategies, and costs and
evaluation of progress towards established goals.
h. Rental vouchers payable to landlords for persons who are homeless or below thirty
percent of the median income or in immediate danger of becoming homeless.
i. Other activities to reduce and prevent homelessness as identified for funding in the local
plan.
Priorities for Funding: The permissible uses of funding are listed above. However, as funding
requests are almost always significantly above the available funding, the Homelessness Task
Force has set the following PRIORITIES in funding for January 1, 2021 — December 31, 2021:
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The Affordable Housing Task Force may recommend to the JOB that a certain percentage of
available funds be set aside for service applications.
1. Coordinated Entry: Coordinated Entry is a process by which homeless assistance is
allocated as effectively as possible and is easily accessible to all homeless persons.
Coordinated Entry is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) for all Continuum of Care (CoQ and Emergency Solutions Grant
(ESG) Program recipient agencies. In the CoC Program Interim Rule, HUD defines
coordinated entry, which is also referred to by HUD as a centralized or coordinated
assessment system:
"A centralized or coordinated process designed to coordinate program participant
intake assessment and provision of referrals. A centralized or coordinated
assessment system covers the geographic area [encompassed by the CoC], is
easily accessed by individuals and families seeking housing or services, is well
advertised, and includes a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool."
2. Housing: Housing for those earning 50% or less of the AMI.
3. Shelters: Literally, roofs over the heads of individuals — a place to sleep. Specifically,
low barrier housing where a minimum number of expectations are placed on people
who wish to live there. The aim is to have as few barriers as possible to allow more
people access to services. Low -barrier facilities follow a harm reduction philosophy
and includes people with more complex needs and multiple challenges when it comes
to housing, such as mental illness(es), addiction(s), other conditions or disabilities,
justice -system histories, etc. May also include but not be limited to shelters addressing
the needs of families, women, veterans, youth, and domestic violence victims.
4. Support Services: Services in addition to housing which support or assist individuals
and families to obtain and maintain housing and/or shelter. These services vary and can
include but are not limited to: life skills training: income management, job training,
medication management, medical/dental care, mental health, substance use
rehabilitation programs, warming centers and case management.
Applicant Eligibility: This RFP is seeking interested providers, both public and private, with
applicable experience and infrastructure to provide homelessness services within Jefferson
County.
Period of Performance: Funding under this grant program is allocated for a 12-month period.
The period of performance for services solicited under this RFP begins January 1, 2021 and ends
December 31, 2021. Carryover of unspent funds into the next program year is not permissible.
In addition, initial funding is not an assurance or guarantee of ongoing operational funding after
the contract period. Proposers are cautioned not to assume a commitment of future funding based
on the receipt of funds in prior years.
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Insurance Requirement: Awardees will be required to meet all the County's insurance
requirements, which are included as Attachment B to this RFP.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Complete all parts of the application form and answer all questions on the application.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted and will not receive funding consideration.
Application submittals are limited to the number of pages allowed. Applicants shall use Times
New Roman 12-point font. Smaller font applications will not receive consideration for funding.
All responses to this Request for Proposal should be submitted on the provided application form.
One (1) completed hard copy applications are required to be submitted and an electronic PDF
version of the proposal should be e-mailed to Carolyn Gallaway, at carolynngco.Jefferson.wa.us.
Sealed proposals must be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope, "PROPOSAL —
Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing and Assistance Funds." Mailing address for
proposal is:
Board of Jefferson County Commissioners
PO BOX 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
It is very important that your application is complete, signed, is for an eligible activity, and
conforms to all program requirements. Applications not meeting all the requirements will not
receive consideration for funding.
Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, September 8, 2020 by 4pm
Hand -delivered packets can be delivered to the Commissioners' Office at the Jefferson County
Courthouse; 1820 Jefferson St. Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Proposals MUST be received by 4pm on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 if hand -delivered and
post marked September 8, 2020 if mailed. Late proposals will not be accepted. Submittals
made in an incorrect format will not be considered.
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