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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 RFP 149 HOMELESS ASSISTANCE FUND FINAL (002)Page 1 of 12 Funding for 2022 Projects Homeless Housing Assistance Funds Request for Proposals Maximum Proposal Request $275,000 Page 2 of 12 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. Page 3 of 12 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. 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 Five Year 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. Page 4 of 12 (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. (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. 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: Page 5 of 12 ● 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. 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 January 1, 2022. 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: Aug 6, 2021 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 Page 6 of 12 at the Jefferson County Courthouse office located at 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, WA 98368. Proposals MUST be received by 4pm on Aug 6, 2021, if hand delivered. Mailed proposals must be postmarked no later than Aug 9, 2021. 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 One (1) electronic PDF version of the proposal should be e-mailed to Carolyn Galloway at carolyn@co.Jefferson.wa.us. The following should be in the subject line: “Proposal – Housing and Homelessness Services.” It is especially 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. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) TIMELINE FOR 148 & 149 FUNDS Date Activity June 6 through Aug 6 Publish in the Papers and County Website RFP to be posted on the County website for 60 days June 30 2pm Call-in for questions Aug 6th Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 pm Aug 10th Proposals opened and reviewed by RFP Screening Committee Aug 18th 2 pm- 4pm Technical questions panel review. Sept 8th Presentation of RFP to Housing Task Force Sept 22nd JOB to Review RPF Report /Recommend applicants to BOCC for funding Oct 4th BOCC regular meeting/ BOCC acts on recommendations Oct 15 Contracts to County Prosecutor and Risk Manager for approval Nov 30th Contracts to Providers and returned to BOCC for signatures Page 7 of 12 Definition of “Homeless” for Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing 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 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. Page 8 of 12 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 : The appropriation for these funds will lapse at midnight on January 31, 2023. Unspent funds remaining after 12/31/2022 will not carry over to 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. Page 9 of 12 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: 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 (CoC) 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. Page 10 of 12 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, 2022 and ends Dec 31, 2022. 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. Guiding Principles for all Applicants: ● Proposals must be consistent with the guiding principles of the Five-Year Plan ● Be as specific as possible in stating goals, objectives, expected results, deliverables, etc. It is expected that there will be considerably more requests for funds than there are funds available. Therefore, conciseness and clarity of description are essential. ● Projects will be judged in part on whether goals are realistic within the timeframe of the grant, whether they have concise quantitative (measurable) outcomes, whether there is a good method for evaluating those outcomes and the number of persons expected to be assisted. ● The organization must have the capacity to operate the proposed program. ● Data involving services delivered to individuals must be submitted to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). If you are not using the HMIS, a mechanism must be devised to ensure that data is collected for input into the system. ● The program must provide services only within Jefferson County boundaries. ● Applicants that have received prior Affordable Housing and/or Homeless Housing and Assistance Funds must be current on all required reporting to be eligible to receive these funds. ● Grantees will be required to submit quantitative progress data reports on a quarterly basis (every 3 months) and a closeout report at the end of the funding period will be required Page 11 of 12 no later than Jan. 31, 2023. Failure to submit timely reports/progress data will result in holding or non-payment of funds. These reports should include a comparison of outcomes to date with those initially proposed, and the total number of individuals served in the contract period. A fiscal and programmatic monitoring visit may be conducted by the County during any project year. Provider will make all documents and required files available for review. ● Funding in previous years does not assure additional awards in this funding cycle. ● A subcommittee of the Jefferson County Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing Task Force will screen all proposals for the Joint Oversight Board, who will then make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. The Commissioners will make all final funding decisions. Audit Requirement: Applicants must submit their most recent financial audit report, including any “Management Letter” and/or all other correspondence referred to in the audit report, along with the applicant’s response to the audit and corrective action plan, if any. If applicant has not been audited within the last two (2) years, a certified “Current Financial Statement” must be submitted in lieu of an audit report. Insurance Requirement: Awardees will be required to meet all the County’s insurance requirements, which are included as Attachment A 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 Galloway, at carolyn@co.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 Page 12 of 12 It is especially 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: Friday, August 6th, 2021 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 Friday, August 6th, 2021 if hand-delivered and post marked August 6th, 2021 if mailed. Late proposals will not be accepted. Submittals made in an incorrect format will not be considered.