1 CITY OF ANAHEIM
ANAHEIM COMPREHENSIVE ENCAMPMENT SOLUTIONS (ACES) PROGRAM
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
STREET OUTREACH AND HOUSING SERVICES
In April 2024, the City of Anaheim (City) was notified by the California Interagency Council o n Homelessness (Cal ICH) of their intent to award the City of Anaheim an Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) grant to help resolve a critical encampment located off a non-contiguous site at La Palma Park and State Route 91 at the east/west Lemon Street exits (Site). Anaheim City Council has been notified of this intent to award and has authorized planning of a program, named Anaheim Comprehensive Encampment Solutions (ACES), to enact encampment resolution activities aligned with the goals of the ERF grant.
The City now seeks a qualified service organization to operate the ACES program. The ACES Program Operator will be responsible for working with new and/or established program partners including Homeless Assistance Liaison Officers (HALO) and existing outreach and mobile care response teams to build and maintain the program . Project scope includes identifying eligible program participants , providing targeted homelessness outreach services, enhanced case management and housing navigation services , connections to interim and permanent housi ng, as well as providing sound fiscal management of City funds . Potential program participants will be jointly identified and added to a by -name list by the chosen agency and City staff. Interested agencies are invited to submit applications that meet the requirements stated in th is Request for Proposals (RFP).
Program Overview
The purpose of this program is to provide essential emergency response and permanent housing services for households living unsheltered at the identified site. The intent of this program is to accurately identify target households and quickly connect them with various resources and services to facilitate responsive and deliberate movement off the Site with a clear pathway to permanent housing. The program will emphasize the provision of proactive and ongoing outreach services and case management that will follow a hou sehold as they leave the Site and work towards permanent housing. Case management services must emphasize a trauma -informed and person - centered approach to obtaining housing.
Program participants must be experiencing unsheltered homelessness as defined by federal guidelines; be identified as eligible to be placed on the project by-name list; and when applicable, qualify for interventions available through the ACES program . Households at the top of the by - name list will be prioritized for immediate interim and rapid rehousing resources as they are available (subject to confirmation by City program staff). For rental assistance programs, the City 2 of Anaheim applies an admission preference to applicants who can demonstrate a connection to Anaheim as defined by program guidelines.
Program households may receive up to 24 months of case management , up to three months of interim housing, up to 24 months of rapid rehousing, and other program -related housing stabilization services such as, but not limited to: counseling, legal services, credit repair. All households must be assessed for placement on the region’s Coordinated Entry System and if a housing match through CES is available before a household pulls rapid rehousing subsidy, the CES match must be presented to households as a housing option.
Based on prior experience, the City anticipates that funding provided under this RFP can assist up to 75 households in the initial contract term period, anticipated to be two years. Contract extensions are subject to performance.
Program Operator Services
The City’s selected Program Operator will establish a by-name list with the assistance of existing outreach team s and City staff ; complete initial assessments; perform program eligibility determinations; assist with document readiness, housing applications and location; maintain data and client progress records for monthly and/or quarterly reporting; and provide or coordinate customized assistance services for each participating household. The City’s Program Operator must have a proven track record in helping households experiencing homelessness as evidenced by highly qualified and experienced staff, a n effective and consistent case management and monitoring system, a history of interim and rapidly rehousing households, and participation in the local network of homeless assistance resources.
The Program Operator shall provide , at a minimum, the following services to participating households:
• Perform an assessment for each household placed on the by-name list. The assessment must identify issues that contributed to the household’s current homelessness, ability to secure and maintain housing, and potential barriers to success. The assessment shall be the basis for determining applicable resources offered by ACES or referrals to other programs/services.
• Assist household members in obtaining vital documents with an emphasis on prioritizing individuals with ties to Anaheim. Complete intake including data entry into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and program eligibility determination. • Facilitate the application of any and all public benefits for which the household may be eligible.
• Create individualized housing and services plans and ensure the household is meeting their individualized goals towards self-sufficiency.
3 • Conduct a housing needs assessment, housing search and placement, working wi th landlords, and lease-signing.
• Proactively engage households to review progress and household needs on a bi-weekly to eventually a monthly basis once adults are stabilized in employment. • Assist in housing retention activities that focus on successful tenancy, lease compliance, and adjusting to the new community.
• Provide referrals to needed services, transportation, job training and employment opportunities with the City of Anaheim Workforce Division. • Provide referrals to legal services if needed such as, but not limited to, the Public Law Center or Fair Housing Council of Orange County.
• Provide or make referrals to credit repair services.
• Make referrals to assistance with domestic violence, trauma, mental health, and primary health issues.
• Identify and make referrals to expanded resources for high needs clients such as substance use, mental health, and behavioral health needs.
Program Budget
The City will fund two years of program coordination , case management, and housing services provided by a qualified organization. Direct assistance to the program participants will be provided in the form of ERF-funded interim shelter, rapid rehousing, and security rent deposits.
RFP Overview
Through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the City will select one agency to implement the program under a two -year agreement, which may be renewable, subject to program accomplishments and available funding. The City will evaluate all proposals based on the criteria described below and the assessment and recommendations of a proposal review committee.
Assessments will be based on the quality of the application, the applicant’s relevant qualifications, and experience in homeless programs and grant management. The City reserves the right to consider an applicant’s past performance in similar programs.
Proposals must be submitted with the attached application form; additional information regarding the application period and due date are presented below.
Proposal Review Criteria
Each proposal will be evaluated on the demonstrated capacity, strengths , and experience of the applicant as reflected in the information provided in the attached application.
1. Experience of the Program Operator (30 points)
4 Applicant must demonstrate the programmatic, administrative, financial, and management capacity and expertise to implement, manage , and monitor outreach, case management, and housing services aimed at housing stabilization and financial stability. This expertise can be demonstrated through key staff’s previous experience in successfully operating similar case management programs and/or through partnerships with other support service providers. Applications should reflect the agency’s:
• Understanding of the target population through the direct provision of homeless assistance as reflected in current operation of similar programs • Demonstrated ability to deliver effective, consistent results-oriented case management services
• Existing use of the Homeless Management Information System • Identification and description of key staff, including relevant experience of State of California grants, to be dedicated to City program implementation • Multilingual staff is preferred
2. Service Approach (50 points)
Must describe an organized proposal to provide comprehensive outreach, case management, and housing services directly to program participants. Proposals must describe the overall services to be provided, case management tasks and regularly scheduled ongoing monitoring activities , and all supplemental services to provide participating households with the necessary resources to find and retain suitable housing and work toward economic self-sufficiency. Applications should present the following:
• Description of service strategies and programmatic assets to be applied to the City Program
• Commitment of HMIS and housing/case management knowledgeable staff and other resources (provide resumes of staff as attachments) • Description of proposed assessment techniques and methodology to moving participants from the Site
• Description of housing and needs assessment methods and related action plans showing how participants will be able to access housing and services • Description of how connection to City’s workforce and job training will be documented and tracked
• Proposed method and frequency of case management meetings with participants • Proposed measures of participant success and program effectiveness • Description of how applicant’s established participation in local homeless assistance resource networks, including current collaborations or existing partnerships with other public and private agencies related to program objectives, will facilitate and expand program services to participants 5 • Description of HMIS data entry process by staff for clients assisted
3. Program Budget/Financial Management (20 points)
Must outline a reasonable budget that identifies the type and amount of all costs to support program coordination and management of at least 75 households, including:
• Description of tracking and reporting mechanisms used to capture program outcomes
• Itemized two-year operating budget including interim and permanent housing • Availability and/or potential leveraging of additional funds to support program objectives, including identification of funding sources and status of funding commitment
• If applicable, provision of in -kind services that support program objectives and approximate value of such services
• Description of financial capacity and experience in grant management and compliance
4. Leveraged Resources (Bonus 10 points)
Applicant may score additional bonus points f or demonstrating ability to bring tangible expanded resources for high needs clients such as substance use, mental health, and behavioral health resources.
• Description of ability to leverage tang ible expanded r esources for high needs clients. Include awarded or confirmed resources and applicable cont ract amounts or measurable assistance.
Anticipated RFP Review Schedule
• August 16, 2024 at 10 a.m.: Pre-application Workshop for interested applicants (optional) via Zoom (Register in advance for this meeting: click here)
• August 19 at 9:00 a.m.: Proposal Release via PlanetBids (link: PlanetBids Vendor Portal)
• August 30, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.: Proposal Submission Deadline via PlanetBids (link:
PlanetBids Vendor Portal)
• September 2, 2024: Proposal Review Period Begins
• September 16-20, 2024: Reserved for Applicant Interviews (if needed)
• October 10, 2024: Anaheim Housing and Community Development Commission receives review panel report and recommends Program Operator
6 • October 29, 2024 : Anaheim City Council approves Program Operator and authorizes agreement
• November 1, 2024: City of Anaheim initiates program activities with Program Operator
Application Instructions and Requirements
Eligible Applicants: This RFP is open to all organizations that provide any type of direct assistance and case management services to homeless households. Interested applicant organizations must complete the attached Program Application.
• All applications must be submitted in the legal name of the organization. An authorized organization representative with the legal authority to enter into an agreement with the City of Anaheim must sign the application.
• Applications must be prepared in 12-point font and may not exceed 10 pages.
• The application must be submitted via PlanetBids (link: PlanetBids Vendor Portal)
• Proposal deadline: Friday, August 30, 2024 at 4:00 pm PST
Applications that are incomplete or are submitted after the stated deadline will not be considered for funding. The City reserves the right to ask for additional information , bifurcate services and awards based on proposals, and to reject any or all proposals. Questions regarding this RFP and the Anaheim Comprehensive Encampment Solutions Program may be submitted through PlanetBids Vendor Portal up until the deadline.
1 [APPLICATION FORM COVER PAGE]
CITY OF ANAHEIM
ANAHEIM COMPREHENSIVE ENCAMPMENT SOLUTIONS PROGRAM
APPLICATION
Name of Organization
Tax ID Number
DUNS Number
Organization Contact Name and Title
Mailing Address
Telephone
Email Address
Fax
The undersigned certifies the information contained herein is true, correct and complete to the best of his/her knowledge and belief. The applicant further understands that the application is a request and there is no guarantee, expressed or implied, that funds will be provided to applicant.
All organizations awarded federal funds will be subject to federal, state and local regulatory compliance.
Name and Title of Authorized Person
__________________________________
Signature of Authorized Person
______________
Date
2 Section 1. Experience of the Program Operator
A. Describe the homeless population your agency serves, and the specific types of services provided. Please be specific and include areas such as outreach, housing navigation and case management. How long has your agency been providing homeless assistance?
B. Describe your success rate in assisting households to secure interim and long-term housing inclusive of housing subsidies and/or secure permanent housing.
C. Identify agency personnel who will be directly involved in implementing the City program; describe all relevant experiences of each individual. Please attach resumes.
D. Describe your agency’s experience working with HMIS. Identify trained and authorized personnel.
Section 2. Service Approach
A. Describe the methodology your agency uses to assess services needed by households, including an evaluation of barriers to self-sufficiency and/or housing stability. Include information on how critical issues such as mental health, drug abuse or other related conditions are addressed.
B. Provide evidence of demonstrated success in providing enhanced case management services that include coordinating and securing resources (including those targeted to credit repair) and developing individualized housing service plans. Include a discussion of successful outcomes achieved by clients (such as housing stab ility, increase in income, etc.)
C. Describe the networks and/or collaborations your agency currently participates in, the types of assistance available through those networks, and how those resources are used in your case management delivery system. Include information on how your agency proposes to leverage outside resources for the benefit of program participants.
D. Describe how your agency measures the progress of individual clients.
E. Describe how your agency measures the effectiveness of your case management delivery system. Include information about frequency , improvement and/or adjustments your agency has made to its case management delivery system in the past five years. Why did you make these changes and how have the changes impacted outcomes? F. Describe how your agency plans to implement and address interim housing needs for program participants.
G. Describe your agency’s experience with rapid rehousing programs including successes and challenges.
3 Section 3. Program Budget/Financial Management
A. Based on the amount requested, itemize the organization's costs to provide the proposed outreach, case management, and housing services to operate the City Program over a two-year period.
Expense Category ERF Funds Leveraged Funds Total Budget Personnel Services
Salaries $ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
Outreach Operating Costs
$ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
Interim Housing Costs
$ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
Rapid Rehousing Costs
$ $ $
$ $ $
$ $ $
Totals: $ $ $
B. If applicable, explain the funding source and status of any funds listed as 'Leveraged Funds' above. Be specific.
C. If applicable, describe the types of in-kind services to be dedicated to the city program and the approximate value of such services.
4 D. Describe your agency’s experience in managing grant funds and grant-funded programs, including policies, procedures, and internal reviews for compliance with federal, state and local regulations and requirements.