COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
HOUSING DIVISION
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
RAPID REHOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES FOR
CASTRO ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PROJECT
Today’s Date: July 18, 2022
Closing Date and Time: August 18, 2022, by 4:00 PM PST
Electronic Submittal: BidsOnLine
Contact Person: Jesus M. Morales
[email protected]
City of Richmond July 18, 2022 Request for Proposal (RFP) – Homeless Housing Navigator 1 of 10
The City of Richmond Housing Division announces a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a qualified consultant for a fee-based contract with the City of Richmond (City) to provide Rapid Rehousing Navigation Services for unhoused residents living at the Castro Encampment in the City of Richmond, California.
I. Statement of Purpose
The City is committed to making homelessness short-lived and non-recurring by ensuring an integrated system of housing and support services for persons experiencing homelessness in the City.
The Rapid Rehousing Consultant will support this mission by identifying potential apartments/housing for rent, work with landlords, administer a housing trust fund, and provide follow up case management for housed residents for at least 1 year.
This RFP is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to provide Rapid Rehousing Navigation Services for the City. On behalf of the City, the Consultant will take a lead role reaching out to landlords, completing housing pathway plans for unhoused residents, supporting unhoused residents in obtaining housing, administering a housing trust fund meant to provide funding for rapid housing, and provide follow up case management for at least 1 year.
II. Encampment Resolution Funding Overview, Goals, and Objectives
The City of Richmond is in western Contra Costa County along the shore of the San Francisco Bay. It is the county’s second largest city (population 116,448) and has the highest number of known unsheltered people of any city in the county—more than 1,000 in 2021. The Castro Encampment Resolution Project (CERP) will be overseen by the Housing Division of the Community Development Department, which strives to develop quality neighborhoods citywide by partnering with neighborhood residents and community groups to develop new affordable housing, assist unhoused and disabled individuals in obtaining housing, and expand economic and employment opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents.
CERP encompasses an approximate two-year plan to deliver an array of supportive services to 100+ individuals currently living in a sprawling 2.66-acre vehicle encampment near Castro Street. The project aims to move all encampment residents into stable housing by June 2023. CERP’s goals and objectives will be met in stages that include improving living conditions at the site, assessing the behavioral and health needs of residents, providing job-related training and support, and reducing barriers to stable housing. Grounded in Housing First principles and one of just 10 projects statewide that received Encampment Resolution Funding in 2022 from the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, CERP is an innovative
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model whose successes—and challenges —will be continuously evaluated, so that the approach can be refined and replicated throughout the State.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
This RFP is seeking (1) one Rapid Rehousing Navigator (RRN) that will be part of the Castro Site Care Team (SCT) comprised of a Site Manager, CORE Social Worker, CORE Outreach Specialist, and the other providers, under the direction of the Castro Encampment Resolution Project Manager (CERPM), working directly with encampment residents to triage and ensure services are timely, responsive, coordinated, trauma-informed, and achieving the project’s goals and objectives to resolve the encampment through a Housing First model.
The RRN will also be a key liaison between the CERPM and city officials, reporting on progress, supervising subcontractors, and ensuring CERPM is meeting evaluation metrics. Reporting to Richmond’s Housing Manager via the CERPM, the RRN will provide rapid housing project management, help with policy development, work with other team members, and supervise subcontractors where appropriate.
III. Goal of the Rapid Rehousing Program:
The goal of the Rapid Rehousing Program is to provide assistance and planning with identifying permanent supportive housing navigation and implementation of housing search assistance, documentation readiness, time-limited financial assistance for security deposit and rent costs for Castro encampment residents using a housing first, progressive engagement model. Rapid rehousing helps individuals and families to quickly exit homelessness by getting them housed. Rapid rehousing would include three main components: 1) Housing Identification, 2) Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial assistance), and 3) Case Management and services. The rapid rehousing consultant will have familiarity with rapid long-term transition planning for permanent supportive housing.
IV.
Client Population
Would serve clients and families at the Castro Vehicle Encampment. Client profile tends to be single adults with a significantly smaller population of families with minor children. Population is mostly vehicle dwellers.
V.
Qualifications
A competitive proposal would include staff with:
• A demonstrated understanding and ability to implement a rapid rehousing program and experience in administering such programs.
• Ability to track and document timely use of public resources and funds and meet state and city requests for criteria and deadlines. • Familiarity with Contra Costa County’s Coordinated Entry System of Care and housing navigation process.
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• Ability to work with the on-site CARE team to match clients with appropriate housing resources and options.
• Ability to provide flexibility in options.
• Experience placing single adults.
• Experience understanding the needs of vehicle dwelling populations. • Familiarity with Homeless Management Information System data (HMIS). • Ability to work with local and regional housing providers and to negotiate and administer agreements.
• Knowledge and understanding of transitional options that include disabled housing and sober living housing.
• Cultural competency and fundamental understanding of equity and client service and engagement.
• Ability to work with a diverse range of prospective housing providers including landlord and shared housing providers.
• Ability to prioritize the dignity and voices of the unhoused community in the process.
• Ability to provide long-term follow up recommendations for the CARE plan for clients following placement
VI. Key Terms:
1. CARE TEAM: Castro Site Care Team (SCT) comprised of a Site Manager, CORE Social Worker, CORE Outreach Specialist, Housing Navigator, and the other providers working directly with encampment residents to triage and ensure services are timely, responsive, coordinated, trauma-informed, and achieving the project’s goals and objectives to resolve the encampment through a Housing First model.
2. CARE PLAN: A plan developed with the unhoused resident or family to successfully transition from the Castro Encampment to rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, or supportive housing. The plan would include resources, pathways to transition including timelines and benchmarks and support from the CARE team and plan accountability measures. A care plan may also include crisis housing or bridge housing when appropriate.
3. HOUSING TRUST FUND: The Castro Housing Trust Fund allocates $1.8 million dollars in state funding to support direct assistance for housing assistance for encampment participants.
4. RAPID REHOUSING (RRH) – A support intervention that uses a combination of case management, Housing Navigation, and short to medium term financial assistance to assist mid-range acuity homeless households identify and stabilize into tenant-based, permanent housing.
5. CONTINUNIUM OF CARE: A Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness by providing services that are needed to help these individuals and families move into permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. The CoC Program is set up in a way that promotes community wide planning and strategic use of
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resources to address homelessness and improve coordination to mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness.
6. HOUSING FIRST – Housing First is an approach that offers permanent housing as quickly as possible for people experiencing homelessness, particularly for people with long histories of homelessness and co-occurring health challenges, while providing the supportive services people need to keep their housing and avoid returning to homelessness. The provider ensures that the supportive services that program participants need or want in order to achieve permanent housing and to increase income are offered, but are not required as a condition of housing, including links to mainstream programs or partner agencies (i.e., mental health services, substance abuse treatment, medical services, childcare, etc.).
Income, sobriety and/or participation in treatment or other services are voluntary and are not required as a condition for housing.
7. HOUSING NAVIGATION – Housing Navigation is the process by which homeless clients that have entered the CoC system are provided ongoing engagement, document collection, and case management services in order to facilitate a match to an appropriate housing resource. In the context of CoC, outreach workers, case managers, and other homeless service providers may provide housing navigation assistance.
8. HOUSING NAVIGATOR(S) – Housing Navigator is the client’s primary point of entry into a case management plan often with the support of a social worker, case manager, outreach worker, or volunteer. The primary function of the Housing Navigator is to: 1) assist clients in collecting necessary documents for housing applications, 2) accompany clients to housing appointments, and 3) assist clients in navigating the entire housing search and placement process.
9. PERMANENT HOUSING (PH) – Community-based housing without a designated length of stay, which includes both Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing (RRH). Examples of permanent housing include, but are not limited to, a house or apartment with a month-to-month or annual lease term or home ownership.
10. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (PSH) – Long-term, community- based housing that has supportive services for homeless persons with disabilities.
This type of supportive housing enables the special needs of populations to live independently in a permanent setting. Permanent housing can be provided in one structure or in several structures at one site or in multiple structures at scattered sites
11. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING (TH) – Transitional housing (TH) is designed to provide unhoused individuals and families with the interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing. Transitional housing may be used to cover the costs of up to 24 months of housing with accompanying supportive services. Program participants must have a lease (or sublease) or occupancy agreement in place when residing in transitional housing.
12. BRIDGE (RESERVED CRISIS) HOUSING – Safe, reserved, 24‐hour emergency shelter to be utilized by eligible homeless individuals, identified through the Coordinated Entry System of Care. The intention of this emergency
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housing is to provide individuals with some stability, so that they can more easily maintain contact with their Housing Navigator, as they are assisted in their efforts to housing. Crisis Housing bed converts to a Bridge (Reserved Crisis) Housing bed if the program participant does not self-resolve their episode of homelessness within 14 days.
VII. Scope of Services
As part of the proposal, The City is seeking the following minimum services:
1. Administration of Housing First Rapid Rehousing Efforts The Rapid Rehousing Program would provide, in conjunction with the onsite CARE team, case management, housing search assistance, employment search assistance and partial, time-limited financial assistance for security deposit and rent costs using a housing first, progressive engagement model. Leases are in the participant's name. Rapid rehousing helps unhoused individuals and families to quickly exit homelessness by getting them housed. Rapid rehousing would include three main components: 1) Housing Identification, 2) Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial assistance), and 3) Case Management and services.
2. Identification and Administration of Potential Housing Partners A comprehensive plan would include a process for identifying transitional housing partners that align with the transition plans for each identified community member with the CARE team, including exercising appropriate agreements for clients. This includes identifying housing partners such as landlords, shared housing, supportive housing, sober living, disabled housing and other options for clients.
3. Housing Navigation
Applicant would provide housing navigation coordination services for approximately 102 clients. The Housing Navigator would serve as the clients’ primary point of entry into a case management plan often with the support of a social worker, case manager, outreach worker, or volunteer. The primary function of the Housing Navigator is to: 1) assist clients in collecting necessary documents for housing applications, 2) accompany clients to housing appointments, 3) assist clients in navigating the entire housing search and placement process, and 4) assist with the coordination of follow up services for housed clients. Applicant should demonstrate an ability to implement other housing solutions including family reunification and other flexible options as needed.
VIII. Minimum Qualifications, Experience, and Skills
Experience: Ideal candidate will have a minimum of three to five years of experience in Rapid Rehousing services and program administration. Firms applying must ensure they clearly identify staff that will be directly assigned to this project and that staff meet these qualifications. Experience in conducting
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group training and working with diverse populations. Proficiency in HMIS and Microsoft Office Suite.
Must demonstrate the following:
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to take direction
• Ability to function independently and as a team leader • Flexible and adaptable to changing to business needs
• Personal integrity and confidentiality
• Ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action
• Exceptional problem-solving skills
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, strong time management skills and able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to provide creative solutions
• Ability to work any shift, any day of the week including weekends • Knowledge in entering and retrieving data using computer systems, system applications and other office equipment
IX. License Requirements
Valid Class C California Driver’s License.
X. Funding
City will award one, but could be up to three, contracts in an amount not to exceed $125,000.00 (inclusive of all expenses), to the successful Respondent for the anticipated period of September 2022 – December 2023 (fifteen months).
Successful Respondent will have access to the Housing Trust Funds for rapid rehousing activities.
This is a fee-for-service contract paid per hour and is inclusive of all expenses, including mileage. The contracted hourly rate is negotiable. The contract estimates a minimum of 1,500-2,000 hours during the term of the contract.
XI. Review and Selection Criteria
The submissions will be evaluated by City of Richmond staff to identify the most qualified respondent. If more than one Respondent is deemed to be highly qualified, the Department may require oral interviews and/or supplemental information from those Respondents before making a final selection. Contract negotiations will begin upon identification of the most qualified Respondent. The selected consultant will report to the City-hired Castro Encampment Resolution Project Manager (CERPM). This Consultant
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will coordinate closely with the onsite CARE team and the resident advisory council formed of encampment residents.
XII. Proposal Requirements
Interested consultants must submit all the following documentation to be considered as a Respondent for this RFP:
1. A Letter of Interest (Qualifications Statement) describing interest in providing the requested services and relevant experience and abilities.
2. Current resume(s) with Respondents’ email address and phone number, which includes experience, qualifications, licenses and other factors relevant to the services described in this RFP. Firms applying should identify and provide the resume(s) of primary staff that will be assigned to the project.
3. Summary of Services to be provided to assess, rehouse, and provide case management services to approximately 102 unhoused residents.
4. Summary of experience providing such services to other agencies and or providers.
5. Two references from an entity for which such services were provided, a governmental entity is preferred.
Please submit your proposal electronically through the online system BidsOnLine by
4:00 PM PST on August 18, 2022. Late proposals will not be accepted.
XIII. Inquiries
Respondents are encouraged to promptly notify the City of any apparent major inconsistencies, problems, or ambiguities in this RFP . Any requests for clarification or other questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing via the electronic BidsOnline
system on the Q&A tab by 3:00 PM on July 25, 2022.
If the City finds it necessary to issue an addendum to this RFP ; prospective bidders registered on the City’s BidsOnline system will receive email notification of addendum. Otherwise, answers to questions received will be posted on the City’s BidsOnline system by August 1, 2022.
Respondents MUST register on the City’s Online Bidding System powered by BidsOnline www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids
to ensure that they receive any addendums
to this RFP and are notified of future RFPs and RFPs.
Any Respondent submitting a response to this RFP shall not contact or lobby any City Council member, City official, employee (except those specified for contact) or agent regarding this RFP. Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFP, qualifications submittal, and review process may have their qualifications rejected for violating this provision of the RFP.
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XIV. RFP Schedule
RFP Issued July 18, 2022
Deadline for RFP Questions July 25, 2022, by 3:00 PM
RFP Q&A Posted August 1, 2022
Proposals Due August 18, 2022, 4:00 PM
RFP Interviews* August 26, 2022
Selection of Firm* September 2022
*The City reserves the right to modify the above schedule and to not hold interviews.
XV. City Disclaimer
The City reserves the right to reject any or all the Proposals, to waive any informality in any Proposal, and to select the Proposals that best meet the City needs. The City also reserves the right to reduce or revise elements of the scope of services, or to amend or modify the contractual requirements, or to negotiate with any qualified consultant.
No representation is made that any contract will be awarded pursuant to this RFP. In no way shall a contract be viewed as exclusive. The City reserves the right to retain additional consultants as necessary. All costs incurred in the preparation of the qualification, in the submissions of additional information and/or in any other aspect of qualification prior to the award of a written contract will be borne by the proposed firm.
All qualifications submitted to the City in response to this RFP will become the property of the City of Richmond and will not be returned. The “technical” portion of the Proposal will be considered public information.
XVI. Comments/Questions on the City Standard Service Provider Agreement
The City’s standard service provider agreement, which the Consultant Team will be required to sign, is attached for your consideration (see Exhibit A).
The proposer shall state whether it takes exception(s) to this RFP, including but not limited to the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement (Exhibit A). If the proposer does take exception(s) to any portion of the RFP or contract, the specific portion to which exception(s) is taken must be identified by section number and explained. Requests for changes, additions or requesting deletion of specific words and/or by providing new requested contract language shall be provided. Requests for complete replacement of the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement for another contract will not be considered. Failure to make exceptions to the RFP or Standard Services Agreement within the proposal will be deemed a waiver of any objection. Exceptions will be considered during the proposal evaluation process and are not guaranteed to be approved.
XVII. Insurance Requirements
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The City requires consultants doing business with it to obtain insurance, as shown in RFP (see Exhibit B). The required insurance certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown and must be provided within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to the commencement of any work on the project.
XVIII. Business Licenses
The successful Contractor and all subcontractors used in the work will be required to hold or obtain a City of Richmond business license for which the fee will not be waived.
XIX. Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance (SCCO)
The Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 N.S. (Exhibit C) prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”).
Bidders/Proposers must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their Bid or Proposal/Qualifications (Exhibit D).
XX. Limited Liability Companies Disclosure Statement (LLCS)
Resolution No. 86-21, approved by City Council on July 6, 2021, requires disclosure of the identities of beneficial & responsible owners of Limited Liability Corporations (LLC) (Exhibit E). Bidders/Proposers must submit the attached Disclosure Statement of Limited Liability Companies Form with their Bid or Proposal (Exhibit F).
Exhibits
Exhibit A: City’s Standard Service Provider Agreement
Exhibit B: Insurance Requirements
Exhibit C: Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 N.S.
Exhibit D: Sanctuary City Compliance Statement
Exhibit E: Limited Liability Corporations (LLC), Resolution No. 86-21 Exhibit F: Disclosure Statement of Limited Liability Companies Form