Return Applications and Required Attachments ELECTRONICALLY by 4:30 p.m., November 1, 2017 to:

Transcription

1 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) (LLP) NOFA INFORMATION NOFA No.: HML-LLP Issue Date: October 6, 2017 Applications Due Date: November 1, 2017 CONTACT Caroline Belleci, Social Services Program Specialist 2, Homelessness Unit 1305 Tacoma Avenue South, Suite #104 Tacoma, WA Phone: (253) Return Applications and Required Attachments ELECTRONICALLY by 4:30 p.m., November 1, 2017 to:

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION 3 ACCESS TO REFERENCED DOCUMENTS 3 NOTICE OF SOLICITATION 3 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS 3 DESCRIPTION OF SOLICITED SERVICES 3 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS 7 ANTICIPATED TIMELINE 7 CONTACT 8 APPLICATION WORKSHOP 8 QUESTIONS FROM APPLICANTS AND RESPONSE BY PIERCE COUNTY 8 APPLICATION DUE DATE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTAL 9 APPLICATION EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA 9 UNACCEPTABLE APPLICATIONS 9 OWNERSHIP OF MATERIAL 9 APPLICATION COSTS AND PAYMENT OF CONTINGENT FEES 9 EXPECTED TERM OF RESULTING AGREEMENT 9 ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS 9 RIGHT TO REJECT OR NEGOTIATE 10 CONTRACT AWARD AND NOTIFICATION TO SELECTED APPLICANTS 10 RIGHT TO APPEAL 10 CANCELLATION OF APPLICATION 10 NOFA HML-LLP Page 2

3 REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION (hereafter referred to as the County ) will provide reasonable accommodation to allow for equal participation in the application process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please Caroline Belleci at cbellec@co.pierce.wa.us or call (253) (Voice) or 711 (Telecommunications Relay Service TRS). This document will be provided in alternate formats, upon request. ACCESS TO REFERENCED DOCUMENTS This document contains active hyperlinks. Prospective applicants who are unable to access the Internet may request copies of the documents referenced in this NOFA by contacting Caroline Belleci at (253) or 711 (Telecommunications Relay Service), or by sending an to cbellec@co.pierce.wa.us. All documents will be available on the County website at Pierce County Human Services. NOTICE OF SOLICITATION In addition to providing required notification via the County s publication of record, The News Tribune, the County will provide notification to all known interested parties and to other organizations and individuals currently on the Department s distribution list. Any individual or organization wishing to be added to the Department s distribution list in order to receive future notices of funding opportunities can make such a request by contacting Caroline Belleci at (253) or 711 (Telecommunications Relay Service), or by sending an to cbellec@co.pierce.wa.us. Failure of the County to notify any interested party or parties directly regarding the availability of these funds shall not void or otherwise invalidate the NOFA process. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS The County has made available, in accordance with the Tacoma/Lakewood/Pierce County Continuum of Care s Plan to End Homelessness, the following funds to be utilized by an organization to engage, recruit and establish partnerships with landlords and property management companies countywide to improve access to rental housing for homeless households. For this program year, the County estimates total funding of approximately three-hundred twenty-five thousand and 00/100 dollars ($325,000.00) will be available. DESCRIPTION OF SOLICITED SERVICES The primary function of the (LLP) will be to engage, recruit and establish partnerships with landlords and property management companies countywide to improve access to rental housing for homeless households. The successful applicant s primary role will be to establish formal business agreements with landlords willing to work with and/or reduce screening criteria for households with rental barriers. Promoting LLP and gaining the commitments of landlords and property owners should take place at all levels within the organization, and where possible, start with senior leadership. The successful applicant will also be responsible for developing, documenting, and implementing a countywide approach to engaging landlords that aligns with the Tacoma/Lakewood/Pierce County Continuum of Care s Plan to End Homelessness in collaboration with the County and its Partners (City of Lakewood, City of Tacoma, the Pierce County Housing Authority, and the Tacoma Housing Authority). This approach shall include formal coordination of landlord engagement strategies with both Housing Authorities Landlord Liaison staff and with any housing locator staff in homeless service agencies funded by the County or the Cities of Tacoma or Lakewood. While LLP is not responsible for providing direct client services to persons experiencing homelessness, it will collaborate with homeless service agency staff to assist their clients in accessing available units. LLP will be responsible for NOFA HML-LLP Page 3

4 convening participating entities regularly to ensure a consistent county-wide approach. The County and its Partners will work collaboratively with the successful applicant to bring the strongest incentives and supports possible to participating landlords, including ensuring that agencies providing direct services to tenants have the appropriate resources. Homeless service agencies provide case management that links their clients with services and, often, rental assistance. These important services help support housing retention. As such, they are a key tool for marketing LLP to and building relationships with property owners and managers The County and its Partners will collaborate with the successful applicant to determine the best mix of incentives to encourage landlord participation. Benefits to landlords may include reduced unit turnover, shorter unit vacancy, fewer evictions, services to improve tenant stability, and in some cases rental subsidies. Additionally, the County will make approximately $125,000 available as a risk mitigation fund, which may include additional deposits, coverage of excessive damage, tenant issue resolution, rent payments resulting from broken lease, advance rental concession and coverage of legal or eviction fees. The County will work with the successful applicant to develop policies for access the risk mitigation fund. The County and its Partners will work with the successful applicant to develop a data platform to help property owners fill units as they become available. LLP will be responsible for managing the data base and maintaining the list, and assist in filling units, as needed. Additionally, the successful applicant will work with the funding partners, coordinated entry and homeless service agencies to develop protocols for establishing priority access to these available units. Description Landlord liaison programs are typically characterized by partnerships among landlords, property managers, participating social service agencies, and homeless people with barriers to accessing permanent housing. The goal of these programs is to increase the availability of rental housing for persons who face barriers to moving from homelessness to permanent housing. Landlord liaison programs do not provide funding for direct capital projects to construct new rental units. Instead, programs focus on increasing access to existing affordable housing. Expanding access to private market rental housing is a key strategy for ending homelessness by using existing housing inventory rather than building new units of homeless housing with high capital and ongoing operating costs. Landlord liaison programs are beneficial for both landlords and tenants. Programs can provide support services for landlords which allow them to replace or relax their screening requirements for homeless people with barriers to accessing permanent housing. Landlords benefit by having a pool of qualified tenants who are provided with support services to improve housing retention; a Risk Mitigation Fund to cover damages that exceed security deposits; and the availability of LLP staff to help resolve issues that may arise. This, in turn, results in reduced unit turnover, shorter unit vacancies, and fewer evictions in the long-term. Through ongoing support, tenants also benefit by increasing their ability to obtain and maintain stable permanent housing. Target Client Population In Pierce County, a partnership of homeless service agencies facilitates access to homeless programs through the Homeless Crisis Response System (the network of community based homeless service providers) using standardized access points called Coordinated Entry. LLP shall only serve participants who are enrolled in a program participating in Coordinated Entry or are enrolled in a program with either the Tacoma Housing Authority or the Pierce County Housing Authority. NOFA HML-LLP Page 4

5 Households referred by Coordinated Entry to homeless service providers must meet either Category 1 or Category 4 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development s definitions of homelessness. These categories are defined below: Category 1: Literally Homeless (1) Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: (i) Has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; (ii) Is living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state and local government programs); or (iii) Is exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for ninety (90) days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution Category 4: Fleeing/ Attempting to Flee DV (4) Any individual or family who: (i) Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence; (ii) Has no other residence; and (iii) Lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing. Core Functions and Responsibilities The successful applicant will execute the following Core Functions and Responsibilities: Develop and grow the by engaging with and recruiting landlords, property management entities and owners of rental housing (private, public and nonprofit) operating throughout Pierce County. Coordinate a systematic approach and set of policies to engaging, recruiting, and maintaining landlords across all landlord liaison and housing locator programs in the County. Identify and engage property owners and managers through market research, landlord recognition events, and other methods. Facilitate and formalize specific details of landlord commitments/agreements (e.g. reduced screening criteria, unit availability, access to mitigation funds, etc.). Develop and maintain database for managing property partnerships, screening criteria, contacts, and rents. Develop an effective protocol for working with homeless service agencies and their clients to fill available units. In collaboration with the County and its Partners, develop policies for and administer risk mitigation and other limited flexible funds. Facilitate development of additional landlord incentives and supports to maximize program participation, which shall include private fundraising. Research and identify alternative housing options (room rentals, shared housing, etc.). Develop a landlord/tenant training curriculum and conduct classes on a regular basis for all participating landlords and tenants. NOFA HML-LLP Page 5

6 Provide education and assistance to landlords, as needed through a 24/7 telephone response line. Collaborate with homeless service agency staff. Work collaboratively with Pierce County and its Partners to ensure alignment with the Tacoma/Lakewood/Pierce County Continuum of Care s Plan to End Homelessness. Eligible Activities and Use of Funds Funds under this NOFA may be used for any of the activities detailed below. Rental Assistance o Rental Concessions o Risk Mitigation Funds Program Operations o Advertising o Communications o Costs Associated with Payroll (staff wages/benefits) o General Liability Insurance o Landlord recruitment/appreciation o Marketing materials (printing, etc.) o Office internet/space/supplies/utilities o Staff Mileage o Training Administrative Expenses o General management, oversight and coordination costs of overall program management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation. Performance-Based Contracting The successful applicant will be expected to meet performance targets in the outcome areas listed below. The County and its Partners will collaborate with the successful applicant to determine appropriate targets. County staff will assess program results on a quarterly basis using HMIS and other data, such as invoices. Performance Target Table Outcome Landlord Recruitment Rate Percent of new property partner agreements signed each quarter Landlord Retention Rate Percent of existing property partner agreements maintained each quarter New Units Inventory Percent of new units added to inventory each quarter Unit Retention Rate Percent of existing units maintained in inventory each quarter Household Placement Rate Percent of households referred and successfully leased up in unit inventory Private Fund-Raising Private funding secured each quarter Database Management Timely management of unit inventory each month NOFA HML-LLP Page 6

7 Landlord Satisfaction Rate Percent of participating property partners that are satisfied with the program Partner Satisfaction Rate Percent of participating housing partners that are satisfied with the program The County and its Partners will assess program performance against the contracted statement of work and share performance data with the selected provider on no less than a quarterly basis. If the County and its Partners identify that the program that is not meeting the contracted performance outcomes, that County will work with the provider to develop a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The PIP will include the provision of Technical Assistance. If, after implementing the PIP, performance does not improve, the funding partnership shall take action, including, but not limited to, placing a cap on spending, reducing funding, reallocating funding to a performing program and/or terminating the contract. Any program that is under-spending, even if it is meeting performance targets, may have unspent funds re-allocated to higher performing programs. Program performance is a heavily weighted factor in all funding decisions under this and all future NOFAs. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS Applicants must be registered as a business entity with the State of Washington and possess a Washington State Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number and a Federal Tax ID number. Any organization, non-profit or for-profit, serving residents of the County may apply to use these funds for eligible activities. Qualifications of the Funded Provider Successful applicants shall demonstrate the following qualifications: Experience in property management, real estate, business, marketing, and/or market research. Experience building and maintaining business relationships, and expertise negotiating agreements. Knowledge of current rental trends and ability to adjust approach in response to changes in housing market. Knowledge of housing regulations, landlord tenant law and fair housing. Experience with databases and/or property management software. Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders toward a common goal. Familiarity with accounting for public/grant funds and complying with federal, state, and local funding requirements. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE The following anticipated timeline is subject to change, at the discretion of the County: October 6, 2017: October 18, 2017: October 20, 2017: October 23, 2017: November 1, 2017: Notification of Funding Availability (NOFA) published in The News Tribune, the County s newspaper of record. Applications posted on the Pierce County Human Services website. Application Workshop for all prospective applicants, 1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m., Pierce County Human Services, Soundview Building, 3602 Pacific Avenue. Conference Room 1, Tacoma, WA Questions from prospective applicants are due by 4:30 p.m. The County s written response to each question submitted, communicated to all known prospective applicants and posted on the website. Application submission deadline; applications are due to the County NOFA HML-LLP Page 7

8 ELECTRONICALLY no later than 4:30 p.m. to November 30, 2017: Award announced. January 1, 2018: Anticipated Contract start. CONTACT Caroline Belleci, Social Services Program Specialist 2, Homelessness 1305 Tacoma Avenue South, Suite 104 Tacoma, Washington (253) (253) FAX APPLICATION WORKSHOP There are no mandatory trainings associated with this NOFA. However, County Staff will conduct one (1) application workshop. See Anticipated Timelines above for more information on the workshop time and location. It is the County s belief that attending the workshop will assist organizations to present the best possible request for funding. During the application workshop, County staff will give an overview of the application and the application process and will be available to answer all prospective applicant questions. This is the best opportunity for applicants to ask clarifying questions. Please come prepared with your instruction/application packet and any questions that you may have. Questions will not be answered after the Question Deadline, as indicated in the Anticipated Timeline section above. QUESTIONS FROM APPLICANTS AND RESPONSE BY PIERCE COUNTY The County will accept inquiries regarding the content of this NOFA submitted in writing, according to the timeframe provided in the Anticipated Timeline. Questions received after this date and time will remain unanswered. Submit questions electronically, or via U.S. mail to the contact person identified above. The County will time- and date-stamp all questions received via U.S. mail. The County will provide a written response to each question received and, as applicable, will issue any resulting amendments to this NOFA. A response will be provided directly to the applicant and, simultaneously, to any other interested party who has obtained a copy of the NOFA, provided that the County has a valid or postal address on record. Responses will also be posted on the Pierce County Human Services website. APPLICATION DUE DATE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTAL To be eligible for consideration, the application, Acknowledgement of Required Assurances and required attachments must be submitted either by with an attached zip file to PCHSCommunityPrograms@co.pierce.wa.us OR on a flash drive containing all documents electronically to 1305 Tacoma Ave S, Suite 104, Tacoma, WA no later than the time and date indicated in the Anticipated Timelines section. Applications will be considered as submitted and the County will not contact the agency for corrections to the applications. Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the anticipated timelines described above. Each page of the response must be numbered and document footers must contain the name of the applicant organization, program name and the NOFA number. No formatting changes are allowed to be made to the forms provided. Once submitted, no changes are allowed to be made to the attachments. Applications must be signed by a person authorized to bind the agency in a contract. NOFA HML-LLP Page 8

9 APPLICATION EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA County staff will review applications to ensure the minimum requirements. This review will include a threshold review to ensure applications meet the minimum criteria listed below: Demonstrate the organizational capacity sufficient to execute the core functions and responsibilities identified by this NOFA; The proposed activities are eligible under this NOFA; and Applicant has relevant experience in property management, real estate, business, marketing, and/or market research. All applications that meet the minimum threshold will be presented to the Application Evaluation Committee. Applications will also be evaluated on a competitive process according to, but not limited to, the following criteria: Professional Qualifications 25 points Business/Marketing Plan and Readiness 40 points Performance Targets and Data Management 20 points Budget 15 points The Application Evaluation Committee will evaluate the acceptable applications and make funding recommendations. UNACCEPTABLE APPLICATIONS Applications submitted that are not responsive to the requirements of the solicitation are unacceptable and shall not be considered. Unacceptable applications are those, which are subject to at least one (1) of the following shortcomings: 1) Clearly demonstrates that the applicant does not understand and/or address the essential requirements of the NOFA, including proposal of activities not eligible under this NOFA. 2) Does not include the signed application, budget form and the signed required signature forms (Attachments A, B, and C). 3) Does not meet the deadline for submittal. OWNERSHIP OF MATERIAL Responses, applications and other materials submitted in response to this request become the property of the County, are documents of public record and will not be returned. By submitting an application, applicants acknowledge and agree that they and/or their organization claim no proprietary rights to the ideas or approaches contained in their applications. APPLICATION COSTS AND PAYMENT OF CONTINGENT FEES The County is not liable for any costs incurred by an applicant prior to the issuance of a contract. All costs incurred in response to this solicitation are the responsibility of the applicant, including travel costs to attend workshops and/or contract negotiation sessions. In the event that the organization s application was developed with the assistance of other individuals (i.e., non-employees) and/or organizations, the applicant understands and agrees that no contingent fees will be paid under any resulting award. EXPECTED TERM OF RESULTING AGREEMENT NOFA HML-LLP Page 9

10 The contract period under this NOFA shall be for twelve (12) months beginning January 1, 2018, and ending December 31, ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS By submitting a response to this NOFA, the applicant acknowledges and accepts all terms and conditions of this request and all County and State regulations and requirements related to the delivery of the eligible activities. If the applicant is awarded a contract, the application will become part of the contract agreement. The applicant is bound by the terms of the application unless the County agrees that specific parts of the application are not part of the agreement. The County reserves the right to introduce different or additional terms and/or conditions during final contract negotiations. RIGHT TO REJECT OR NEGOTIATE The County reserves the right to reject any or all applications, if such a rejection is in the County's best interest. This NOFA is a solicitation for offers and shall not be construed as an offer, a guarantee, or a promise that the solicited services will be purchased by the County. The County may withdraw this notification at any time and for any reason without liability to applicants for damages, including, but not limited to, bid preparation costs. Additionally, the County reserves the right to negotiate with selected applicants and may request additional information or modification from an applicant. When deemed advisable and before a contract is issued, the County reserves the right to arrange an on-site visit/review to determine the applicant's ability to meet the terms and conditions described in this NOFA. CONTRACT AWARD AND NOTIFICATION TO SELECTED APPLICANTS All applicants will be notified by U.S. mail as to the decision regarding their application. Successful applicants will work with County staff to negotiate and execute a contract. RIGHT TO APPEAL Applicants whose applications are not selected have the right to appeal the decision of the County, limited to procedural errors in the selection process. In the event that no such procedural errors are found to have occurred, the decision of the County shall be final. An aggrieved applicant may, within seven (7) business days after the selection of prospective eligible programs, appeal in writing to the Director of. The appeal must state all facts and arguments upon which the appeal is based. The Director for will review the content of the County s solicitation document, the applicant s application and the facts which form the basis for the appeal. The Director will render a written decision within thirty (30) business days of the receipt of the appeal. CANCELLATION OF APPLICATION The County reserves the right, with or without cause, to cancel any contract resulting from this NOFA with a thirty (30) calendar day written notice sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the applicant s address of record, as indicated the applicant s application to this NOFA (or last known address on file). NOFA HML-LLP Page 10