RFP 1011-23 – HOMELESS HOUSING, ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM – ROUND 1 & 2 (HHAP)

IMPERIAL VALLEY CONTINUUM OF CARE COUNCIL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HOMELESS HOUSING, ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM – ROUND 1 & ROUND 2 RFP-1011-23 Issued Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Point of Contact: Rhoda Hoffman County of Imperial Purchasing Department 1125 Main St. El Centro, CA 92243 (442) 265-1866 rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IF RECEIVED AFTER THE DUE DATE AND TIME. AN AMENDMENT IS CONSIDERED A NEW PROPOSAL AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:00 PM (PST) County of Imperial Purchasing Department 1125 Main Street, El Centro, California 92243 Revised 1-24-2023 1 IMPERIAL VALLEY CONTINUUM OF CARE COUNCIL HOMELESS HOUSING, ASSISTANCE AND PREVENTION PROGRAM – ROUND 1 & ROUND 2 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS A. INVITATION FOR PROPOSALS The Imperial Valley

Continuum of Care Council (IVCCC) would like to invite qualified applicant(s) to apply for funds to address the needs of transitioning homeless individuals and families into permanent housing while supporting the efforts of those individuals and families to maintain their permanent housing. Funding should be housing-focused by either funding permanent housing interventions directly or have clear pathways to connect people to permanent housing from a shelter or via street outreach. This Request for Proposal (RFP) provides the information and forms necessary to prepare a proposal for IVCCC Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Round 1 and Round 2 grant funds. Qualified applicant(s) are invited to submit proposals in accordance with this RFP no later than: Friday, February 3, 2023 at 4:00 PM (PST) PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME. THE COUNTY OF IMPERIAL WILL NOT CONSIDER PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE DUE DATE. AN AMENDMENT IS CONSIDERED A NEW PROPOSAL AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME. Addenda to this Request for Proposals Revisions to this RFP or the timeline will be posted on the following websites:  County of Imperial Purchasing Department website: https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/rfqs-rfps  IVCCC website: https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org B. BACKGROUND On July 31, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 101 (AB 101), creating HHAP Round 1. On June 29, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 83 (AB 83) which appropriated funding for HHAP Round 2. HHAP Round 1 is a block grant program designed to provide jurisdictions with one-time grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address homelessness. The grant focuses on moving homeless individuals and families into permanent housing and on supporting the efforts of those individuals and families to maintain permanent housing. HHAP Round 2 is also a block grant program that focuses on funding permanent housing interventions directly and provide clear pathways to connect people to permanent housing options. It is designed to continue building regional coordination and a unified regional response to reduce and end homelessness. A proportion of the HHAP Round 1 and Round 2 funds authorized under AB 101 and AB 83 was awarded to the County of Imperial and the other to the Imperial Valley Continuum of Care (CoC). https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/rfqs-rfps https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org/ 2 The County of Imperial’s allocation has been redirected to the CoC to be administered on their behalf. Therefore, this RFP will award available funding under both the County of Imperial and CoC. The IVCCC is seeking responses from housing and services providers that demonstrate their experience, capacity, and innovative service delivery to expand or increase services and housing capacity to move homeless individuals and families or those at-risk of homelessness into permanent housing and supporting the efforts of those individuals and families to maintain their permanent housing using a best practice framework. C. PROGRAM HHAP is administered by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH), a subdivision of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH). Under HHAP Round 1, the County of Imperial was awarded $1,542,059.99, and the CoC was awarded $1,664,521.41, for a total of $3,206,581.40. For HHAP Round 2, the County of Imperial was awarded $704,942.00 and the CoC was awarded $787,591.00 for a total of $1,492,533.00. The combined total for both rounds is $4,699,114.40 of which $3,511,766.50 are available through this RFP. Allocations per grant funding can be found in Table 1. D. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES & AVAILABLE AMOUNTS The HHAP Round 1 and 2 programs require subrecipients to expend funds on evidence-based solutions that address and prevent homelessness among eligible populations and as stated in Health and Safety Code (HSC) § 50219 (c) (1-8), § 50220.5 (d) (1-8) and § 50220.5 (g). All project proposals must include a youth set aside component. On November 17, 2022, the IVCCC Executive Board approved a specific list of eligible activities based on local need. These activities were ranked from highest to lowest priority and its priority rank will be utilized as part of the application’s scoring and ranking process. It is important to note that some of the eligible activities slightly differ between each funding round. The eligible activities and available amounts under each HHAP round are as follows: Round 1 with an available amount of $2,629,498.61 and expenditure deadline of April 30 2025: 1. Delivery of Permanent Housing and innovative housing solutions (such as hotel and motel conversions); 2. Rental Assistance and Rapid Rehousing; 3. Landlord Incentives including, but not limited to, security deposits and holding fees; 4. Prevention and Shelter Diversion to permanent housing; 5. Operating Subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters, and navigation centers. Operating subsidies may include operating reserves; and 6. Outreach and Coordination (which may include access to job programs) to assist vulnerable populations in accessing permanent housing and to promote housing stability in supportive housing; 3 Round 2 – CoC Funds with an available amount of $699,733.92 and Round 2 – County Funds with an available amount of $182,533.97 and expenditure deadlines of April 30, 2026: 1. Delivery of Permanent Housing and innovative solutions, such as hotel and motel conversions; 2. Rapid Rehousing, including rental subsidies and incentives to landlords, such as security deposits and holding fees; 3. Prevention and Shelter Diversion to permanent housing, including rental subsidies; 4. Operating Subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters, non-congregant shelters, interim or bridge housing, and navigation centers. Operating subsidies may include operating reserves; 5. Services Coordination, which may include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in supportive housing; and 6. Street Outreach to assist persons experiencing homelessness to access permanent housing and services. Table 1. Amounts Available for HHAP Round 1, HHAP Round 2 – CoC, and HHAP Round 2 – County Eligible Uses HHAP Round 1 HHAP Round 2 – CoC Funds HHAP Round 2 – County Funds Allocation - General $2,366,548.75 $629,760.53 $164,280.57 Allocation - Youth Set Aside $262,949.86 $69.973.39 $18,253.40 Total $2,629,498.61 $699,733.92 $182,533.97 *Availability of funds includes applicable earned interest as of 1/17/2023 In order to meet HSC § 50218(b) and § 50218.5(f) youth set-aside requirements, each proposal must allocate at least 10% of funds awarded to serve homeless youth populations. Homeless youth are defined as unaccompanied youth who are between 12 and 24 years old and experiencing homelessness. Funds spent under this provision must still comply with the eligible use requirements of HSC § 50219(c) and § 50220.5 (d). Administrative costs are not an eligible expense under the HHAP grants for applicant(s). Indirect costs associated with carrying out program related activities should be included in the program budget submitted and not classified as administrative costs. 4 E. INELIGIBLE USES It is important to note that HSC § 50218(a)(5) states that program recipients shall not use HHAP program funding to supplant existing local funds for homeless housing, assistance or prevention. The intent of the HHAP program funds is to expand or increase services and housing capacity. HHAP funds cannot replace local funds that are committed to an existing or developing homeless assistance program. However, if funds previously supporting a service or project end or are reduced for reasons beyond the control of the grantee and services or housing capacity will be lost as a result of these funds ending, HHAP program funds may be used to maintain the service or program and are not considered supplanting. Examples include, but are not limited to, a time- limited city and/or county tax or one-time block grant, such as HEAP. Such projects must first receive approval from HCFC. Funds shall not be used for costs associated with activities in violation of any law or for any activities not consistent with the intent of the Program and the eligible uses identified in HSC §50220.5. Reimbursements are not permitted for any activities incurred prior to the execution of an awarded HHAP Round 1 and/or Round 2 project. F. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS Eligible applicant(s) shall be defined as local government, private non-profits, or for-profit organizations that the IVCCC determines are qualified to undertake the proposed activities. Applicant(s) will be able to include sub-recipients in a collaborative application in order to maximize effectiveness in addressing homelessness challenges. Sub-recipients must meet the same requirements as applicant(s). All sub-grantees must adopt a Housing First approach to the delivery of services. G. MAXIMUM & MINIMUM REQUEST There are three HHAP Round funding sources: HHAP Round 1, HHAP Round 2 - CoC & HHAP Round 2 - County. Applicants can request up to the maximum available amount under each funding source while the minimum will be set at $182,533.97 which aligns with the HHAP Round 2 - County available funding. Applicant must consider the different expenditure deadlines presented in Section D and the available funding per funding source when developing its proposal. H. FUNDING PRINCIPLES This RFP adopts the IVCCC Executive Board’s established funding principles to guide and prioritize grant allocations. The five (5) principles found below were established during the IVCCC Executive Board meeting held on March 6, 2019. 1. Invest in programs that support Imperial County’s service priorities: permanent housing, rapid re-housing, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive services to end homelessness. 2. Invest in programs that support Imperial County’s homeless population priorities and align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 5 recommended subpopulations such as veterans, youth, families, and chronically homeless individuals. 3. Invest in programs that work towards eradicating homelessness in the region by addressing the underlying causes and lessening the negative impact on individuals, families, and community. 4. Invest in programs that address significant service gaps among the chronically homeless and establish accountable, long-term, and sustainable results. 5. Invest in programs that support the housing first policy and emphasize on a comprehensive coordinated service delivery approach to wraparound services to ensure successful housing and self-sufficiency outcomes. I. PERFORMANCE PERIOD/TIMELINE/IMPORTANT DATES The schedule for processing applications is as follows: January 17, 2023 Release RFP on IVCCC’s website: IVCCC and County of Imperial Purchasing Department’s website: Purchasing January 23, 2023 HHAP Round 1 & 2 application workshop will be held via Zoom at 10:00 a.m.(workshop not mandatory but recommended). Interested participants must register via the following link: Workshop Registration January 25, 2023 Notice of Intent to Apply form due via email to rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us by 5:00 p.m. January 26, 2023 Deadline for submission of applicant(s) questions to Rhoda Hoffman at rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us by 5:00 p.m. January 30, 2023 Applicant(s) Question & Answers posted to the IVCCC and Imperial County Purchasing Department websites by 5:00 p.m. February 3, 2023 Submit three (3) hard copies and another digital copy on a USB of the application and related documents to County of Imperial Purchasing Department, 1125 Main Street, El Centro, CA by 4:00 p.m. February 6-10, 2023 Scoring and Ranking Committee review and ranks projects February 15-17, 2023 IVCCC Executive Board approves recommendations of Scoring and Ranking Committee. February 21, 2023 IVCCC posts ranking on IVCCC website and mails out award letters. April 30, 2025 HHAP Round 1 funds must be fully expended. April 30 , 2026 HHAP Round 2 funds must be fully expended. https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org/ https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/rfqs-rfps/ https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpcumsqzorGtXDi9UNSNsnCNkRdMziMFog mailto:rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us mailto:rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org/ 6 J. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS To be eligible for funding, applicant(s) shall submit a proposal that clearly describes how the project meets minimum requirements outlined below: 1. Service Delivery Conditions / Implementation Requirements a) Project must implement California’s Housing First Policy in all aspects of program design and operation. b) Project funds shall be expended on uses that support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges. Such activities must be informed by a best-practices framework focused on moving homeless individuals and families to maintain their permanent housing. c) Ensure the proposed project aligns with HCFC’s Promising and Evidence Based Practices or evidence-based practices identified as such by State or Federal agencies. HCFC’s Promising and Evidence Based Practices can be found in the following link: https://bcsh.ca.gov/calich/documents/hhap_promising_practices.pdf d) Permanent housing project applicant(s) are required to meet a 20 years affordability period consistent with local public housing authorities Total Tenant Payment (TTP) calculation. Application must include language agreeing to the 20 years affordability period. The project budget must include all necessary permanent project financing, including the permanent financing for the required period affordability. e) Grantees/sub-grantees commit to apply the IVCCC’s Written Standards to program throughout term of project. f) Participate and submit client data through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) or comparable database to track HHAP Round 1 & 2 funded projects, services and clients served. g) Permanent Housing projects must submit client data into HMIS for 20 years consistent with the Permanent Housing affordability period. h) Projects must ensure HMIS data is collected in accordance with applicable laws and in such a way as to identify individual projects, services, and clients that are supported by HHAP Round 1 & 2 funding. Successful applicant(s) will acknowledge that IVCCC staff shall have read-only access to all information input by all agencies within the HMIS trust network of the Imperial County CoC. As such, successful applicant(s) will grant access immediately and there shall be no delay in providing access. i) Project must participate in the IVCCC Coordinated Entry System (CES) and ensure all potential clients have been properly assessed and referred by defined CES entry points prior to receiving services supported by HHAP Round 1 & 2 funds. j) Project must designate at a minimum ten percent (10%) to provide permanent housing or provide services to youth populations as defined in HSC § 50216(k) and § 50218.5(f). For Permanent Housing projects, the designation of a number of housing units and/or beds for youth can be utilized to satisfy this requirement as long as the minimum ten percent (10%) funding expenditure is met. k) Projects must adhere to the expenditure deadlines listed in Section D for each of the funding grant sources. https://bcsh.ca.gov/calich/documents/hhap_promising_practices.pdf 7 2. Applicant Eligibility Requirements a) Successful applicant(s) must agree to comply with all the conditions of the Standard Agreement between the County of Imperial and the State of California Agreement No. 20-HHAP-00054 (Attachment A), the Standard Agreement between the County of Imperial and the State of California Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00067 (Attachment B) and the Standard Agreement between the County of Imperial and the State of California Agreement No. 21-HHAP-00068 (Attachment C). Applicant(s) must also comply with the applicable State requirements governing the use of HHAP Round 1 and Round 2 funds, and the terms and conditions governed by its agreements with the County of Imperial under this RFP. b) Successful applicant(s) must be able and willing to enter into an agreement with the County of Imperial. c) Notice of Intent to Apply Form (Attachment D) due via email to rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us no later than January 25, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. d) Applicant(s) must have at least 12 months of prior operational experience from the release date of this RFP. e) Proven administrative and financial capacity to administer the program within 60 days of the local award and on a reimbursement basis. f) Applicant(s) must be eligible to receive federal funds and not be on the Federal Exclusion list or any other government registries prohibiting funding eligibility. g) Applicant(s) shall be a general member of the IVCCC or become a general member if the project is selected for funding. h) Applicant(s) must maintain at least the minimum State-required worker’s compensation for those employees who will perform the proposed project activities or any part of it. i) Applicant(s) must maintain, as required by law, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, vehicle insurance and liability insurance in an amount that is reasonable to compensate any person, firm or corporation who may be injured or damaged while performing work or any part of it. j) Provide copy of current business license or other applicable licenses. k) Have or acquire a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. l) Be registered with the federal government’s System of Award Management (SAM). m) Funds shall not be used for costs associated with activities in violation of any law or for any activities not consistent with the intent of the Program and the eligible uses identified in HSC § 50218, § 50219 and § 50220.5. n) Any capital improvements for proposed permanent housing project(s) must comply with the California Building Code and either the Imperial County Planning & Development Services Department Code or the Building Code of the city in which the project will reside. The project must also meet the minimum habitability standards for permanent housing as described in 24 CFR §756.403 (c). o) A resolution authorizing submittal of the HHAP Round 1 & 2 application(s) is not mandatory; however, applicant(s) will be required to submit an approved resolution from their governing board (if any) before executing a contract with the County of Imperial. p) Applicants must submit a detailed project description, project schedule of target activities, a detailed breakdown of project costs, the proposed project location and any other pertinent project information. Permanent housing project applicant(s) must include: total number of housing unit(s) being provided, number of beds the housing unit(s) will be able to adequately house and any other relevant information. mailto:rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us 8 q) For the delivery of permanent housing projects, a preliminary property title report must be provided to the County of Imperial prior to contract execution of capital improvement projects. 3. Reporting Requirements Semiannual Progress Reports - Successful applicant(s) will be required to submit semiannual progress reports to the County of Imperial in a format to be provided at a later date. Information to be requested may include but is not limited to the following: a) Breakdown for each activity and program type (i.e. rapid rehousing, permanent housing, operating subsidies, project expenses, program assistance, services coordination, payroll, etc.). b) A description of the target activities and timelines that were met. c) Unduplicated number of homeless persons or persons at imminent risk of homelessness served, and a total number served in all years of the program, as well as the homeless population served. d) Number of instances of service and other socioeconomic or statistical data collected via the HMIS system. e) Increases in capacity for new and existing programs. f) Number of unsheltered homeless persons being sheltered. g) The types of housing assistance or services provided, broken out by the number of individuals assisted. h) Number of homeless persons entering permanent housing. i) Number of homeless persons being assisted through the funded eligible project. j) Outcome data for individuals served through program funds, including the type of housing that an individual exited to, the percent of successful housing exits, and exit types for unsuccessful housing exits. k) The alignment between HHAP funding priorities and “Housing First Principles”. l) Major accomplishments and impacts from funding that contributed to the IVCCC’s goals and objectives. Semiannual Reporting Schedule Semiannual Report Reporting Period Due Date Summer 2023 January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 July 31, 2023 Winter 2024 July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 January 31, 2024 Summer 2024 January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 July 31, 2024 Winter 2025 July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 January 31, 2025 Summer 2025 January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 July 31, 2025 Winter 2026 July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 January 31, 2026 Summer 2026 January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026 July 31, 2026 Winter 2027 July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 January 1, 2027 Quarterly Expenditure Reports – Successful applicant(s) will be required to submit quarterly expenditure reports to the County of Imperial. Reports are due no later than 15 days following the end of each fiscal quarter (January 15th, April 15th, July 15th and October 15th of each year). The report must include the ongoing tracking of the specific uses and expenditures of any program funds broken out by eligible uses listed, including the current 9 status of those funds, as well as any additional information the County deems appropriate or necessary. HHAP recipients may be required to provide supplemental reporting with written notice by the County of Imperial. K. PERMANENT HOUSING EXPENDITURE MILESTONES AND EXPECTATIONS 1. Any capital improvements intended for the delivery of permanent housing must submit a site plan of any proposed structural modifications to the city or county planning and/or building department and receive approval from permitting agency within three (3) months of contract execution. 2. A concept plan must be provided to the IVCCC within three (3) months of contract execution. Applicant(s) must also provide proof of site control within six (6) months of contract execution. Acceptable evidence of site control is a deed, lease or purchase agreement. The owner, lessee, and purchaser shown on these documents must be the selected applicant(s) identified in the HHAP funding application. 3. Permanent Housing project applicant(s) shall be issued a certificate of occupancy by the appropriate City or County building department for the permanent housing unit(s) by no later than March 17, 2025. 4. All HHAP 1 & 2 funds designated towards the delivery of Permanent Housing project(s) must be expended by April 30, 2025. 5. The Permanent Housing project(s) must be operational by May 31, 2025 with no less than 50% of the housing units being occupied. L. INSPECTION AND RETENTION OF RECORDS The applicant(s) agrees that the Agency and/or the County shall have the right to review, obtain, and copy all records and supporting documentation pertaining to performance under a contract agreement with the County. The applicant(s) agrees to provide the Agency and/or the County with any information requested. The applicant(s) agrees to give the Agency and/or the County access to its premises, upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours, for the purpose of interviewing, employees who might reasonably have information related to such records, and of inspecting and copying such books, records, accounts, and other materials that may be relevant to an investigation of compliance with the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program laws, the HHAP program guidance documents published on the website, and this contract agreement. The applicant(s) agrees to retain all records described above for a minimum period of five (5) years after the termination of this contract agreement. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, monitoring, inspection or other action has been commenced before the expiration of the required records retention period, all records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it. M. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS A non-conflicted Scoring and Ranking Committee selected by the CoC will review, score, and rank each proposal that has met the minimum threshold criteria. It is the intent to select proposals that are in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the RFP (refer to Part F. Eligible 10 Applicant(s), Part J. Minimum Requirements and Part O, RFP Application Instructions / Preparing A Proposal). Bonus points will be given to applicants who apply for eligible activities with the greatest local need as approved by the IVCCC Executive Board on November 17, 2022. The HHAP Round 1 eligible activities differ from HHAP Round 2; therefore it is important to note the difference in bonus points attributed to the proposed project. For those proposals that include more than one eligible activity, bonus points will be applied only to the eligible activity that encompasses the highest proportion of the budget. The highest possible score is 110 points. The Scoring and Ranking Committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the IVCCC Executive Board for final determination of awards. Standard agreements between the County of Imperial and the successful applicant will be reviewed and approved by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors. The County, in collaboration with the IVCCC Executive Board and the Scoring and Ranking Committee, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to waive any discrepancy or technicality and make the award(s) in any manner determined by the County, IVCCC Executive Board and Scoring and Ranking Committee. SCORING CRITERIA Applicant Capacity Max Score: 15  Experience providing similar services and/or housing to homeless persons or other vulnerable populations for which funds are being requested.  Experience addressing the needs of the proposed target population.  Sufficient capacity for project oversight and administration. 5 points 5 points 5 points Project Design and Approach Max Score: 20  Project is based on best-practices framework proven methods.  Project approach demonstrates positive outcomes.  Project design reflects CoC Written Standards, IVCCC Funding Principles, Housing First Principles and ability to address homeless challenges.  Anticipated numbers served appear reasonable given the prioritization of vulnerable individuals and families within the homeless population.  Staffing pattern is reasonable to provide long term housing retention.  Project addresses disproportionately impacted communities of color and those whose English is not their primary language. 4 points 4 points 4 points 4 points 2 points 2 points Financial Capacity, Feasibility and Sustainability Max Score: 18  Budget clearly shows use of funds and staffing pattern to sustain project.  Reasonable project costs, to include cost per client served.  Degree to which project leverages agency and community resources.  Outstanding and/or unresolved audit findings. 2 points 2 points 2 points 3 points Please include a detailed budget with line item descriptions. 11  Demonstrated capacity to operate the project based on its budget.  Demonstrated capacity to effectively manage the finances of the project (e.g. invoices submitted in a timely, complete manner).  Describes specifically how the project will continue after the one-time funding is exhausted, or how it will end with the least negative impact on participants. 3 points 3 points 3 points Past Performance Max Score: 15  Provided annual performance report or similar report demonstrates a proven track record of permanently housing individuals and/or families in a similar project.  Data collection and reporting will allow for accurately reflected outcomes and performance.  Clearly addresses how a current/similar project enhances system performance by reducing the length of time persons experience homelessness, reduces returns to homelessness, and increases both cash and non-cash income of participants. 5 points 5 points 5 points Coordination and Collaboration Max Score: 22  Applicant will provide services countywide.  Demonstrates coordination with other agencies and providers for the proposed project to enhance service delivery and avoid duplication.  Demonstrates history of collaboration.  Coordination with other agency activities and funding sources.  Links participants to mainstream resources and critical services not provided by the project.  Adequate staffing for CES participation and case conferencing.  Adequate staffing to support data collection and tracking on HMIS or comparable database. 4 points 4 points 3 points 3 points 2 points 3 points 3 points Implementation and Timeliness Max Score: 10  Demonstrates the ability to deliver services or start capital improvement project activities within three (3 months) of contract award.  Demonstrates provides project bench marks and target dates. 5 points 5 points Total Score: 100 12 BONUS POINTS - HHAP ROUND 1 Permanent Housing Delivery of Permanent Housing and innovative housing solutions (such as hotel and motel conversions) 10 points Rental Assistance and Rapid Rehousing Rental Assistance and Rapid Rehousing 5 points Landlord Incentives Including, but not limited to, security deposits and holding fees. 4 points Prevention and Shelter Diversion Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing. 3 points Operating Subsidies In new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters, and navigation centers. Operating subsidies may include operating reserves. 2 points Outreach & Coordination To assist vulnerable populations in accessing permanent housing and to promote housing stability in supportive housing (may include access to job programs). 1 point BONUS POINTS - HHAP ROUND 2 Permanent Housing Delivery of Permanent Housing and innovative housing solutions (such as hotel and motel conversions) 10 points Rapid Rehousing Including rental subsidies and incentives to landlords, such as security deposits and holding fees; 5 points Prevention and Shelter Diversion Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent housing, including rental subsidies. 4 points Operating Subsidies In new and existing affordable or supportive housing units, emergency shelters, and navigation centers. Operating subsidies may include operating reserves. 3 points Services Coordination May include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in supportive housing. 2 points Street Outreach Outreach to assist persons experiencing homelessness to access permanent housing and services. 1 point 13 N. METHOD OF AWARD The Scoring and Ranking committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the IVCCC Executive Board for final determination of awards. Standard agreements between the County of Imperial and the successful applicant(s) will be reviewed and approved by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors. The County in collaboration with the IVCCC Executive Board reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to waive any discrepancy or technicality and to split or make the award in any manner determined by the County and IVCCC Executive Board. The County and IVCCC Executive Board recognizes that project cost are only one of several criteria to be used in judging an offer and are not legally bound to accept the lowest offer. RFP submission in response to the solicitation process, become the exclusive property of the County. Upon submission of an applicant’s proposal, the submission and any pertaining documents is subject to the State of California Public Records Act. Exceptions will be those elements in the California Government Code section 6250 et. seq. (Public Records Act) and which are marked "trade secret," "confidential," or "proprietary." The County shall not be liable or responsible for the disclosure of any such records, including, without limitation, those so marked, if disclosure is required by law, or by an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. In the event the County is required to defend an action on a Public Records Act request for any of the aforementioned documents, information, books, records, and/or contents of a Qualification marked "trade secret", "confidential", or "proprietary" the Vendor agrees to defend and indemnify the County from all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in action or liability arising under the Public Records Act. Where applicable, Federal regulations may take precedence over this language. O. RFP APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS / PREPARING A PROPOSAL The instructions in this section correspond to each of the proposal components and to the forms required to complete the proposal. To be considered, applicant(s) shall follow the instructions in each section of this RFP, including the following requirements:  Provide clear and detailed description of each proposed project/service provided, at minimum, addressing specific components for all the sections in the RFP application.  Submit all the necessary supporting documentation requested. Applicant(s) that do not submit a complete RFP application along with the supporting documentation requested may be found to be “non-responsive” and disqualified from the RFP process. The applicant(s) must examine and understand all of the requirements, specifications or interpretations. If any provision in this agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will nevertheless continue in full force without being impaired or invalidated in any way. 14 1. APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS Vendor Registration – If awarded a contract, applicant(s) must be registered with the County of Imperial within (5) business days of announced award. The vendor application is located online at: https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/vendor-registration Vendors will also have to submit a Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (Form W-9) to the Imperial County’s Auditor Department. Applicant’s Conference / Technical Assistance Workshop An Applicant Conference and Technical Assistance Workshop will be provided and all those interested in submitting a proposal are encouraged to attend. Please register through the zoom registration link found below. Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 Time: 10:00 am Location: Zoom Video Conference Registration: Workshop Proposal Application – proposal must be submitted utilizing the template (Attachment E) located on the County of Imperial Purchasing Department website: https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/rfqs-rfps as well as on the IVCCC website: https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org and attach all required narrative responses to the application form. If an organization wishes to submit multiple individual projects, each project will require its own application and supporting documentation. Each application must clearly define the HHAP Funding Source they are applying for, the proposed eligible funding activity and answer each question application specifically tied to each project. Applicant(s) who propose a project that encompasses more than one eligible activity can submit a single application identifying each activity. The proposed project must also list the HHAP Funding Source they are applying for. Bid Protest Procedures – applicant(s) can contact the County of Imperial Purchasing Department at 442-265-1866 to request a copy of the Services Purchasing Manual for Bid Protest Procedures. 2. GENERAL All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the standards and specifications contained within this RFP. a. The County reserves the right to waive, at its discretion, any irregularity, which the County deems reasonably correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the proposal. b. The County shall not pay any costs incurred or associated in the preparation of this or any proposal or for participation in the procurement process. https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/vendor-registration https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82450451101?pwd=ZTExYm50Zk80bWxaWGRUSW1LdVNlZz09 https://purchasing.imperialcounty.org/rfqs-rfps https://www.imperialvalleycontinuumofcare.org/ 15 c. Modification of proposals, any applicant(s) who wishes to make modifications to a proposal already received by the County must withdraw his/her proposal in order to make the modifications and re-submit. It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to ensure that modified proposals are resubmitted before the RFP submittal deadline. d. Applicant(s) may withdraw their proposals at any time prior to the due date and time by submitting notification of withdrawal signed by the applicant’s authorized agent to rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us. Proposals cannot be changed or modified after the date and time designated for receipt. e. Proposals submitted to any other County office will be rejected. f. All proposals shall be signed by the applicant’s authorized agent. g. All work papers prepared in connection with the contractual services will remain the property of the successful applicant(s); however, all reports rendered to the County are the exclusive property of the County and subject to its use and control. h. Questions concerning the HHAP Round 1 & Round 2 proposal process should be submitted in writing during the Question and Answer (Q&A) period noted in the Timeline table as noted in page 5 of this RFP. All contacts or questions during the application process should be made to: County of Imperial Purchasing Department Name: Rhoda Hoffman Email: rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us i. Attempts by the applicant(s) to contact any other County representative or IVCCC Executive Board member may result in disqualification of the applicant(s). j. The County reserves the right to amend, modify, revise the project scope of Services and/or make the award as deemed necessary by the County and IVCCC Executive Board. k. The applicant(s) must make careful examination and understand all of the requirements, specifications, and conditions stated in the RFP. If an applicant(s) planning to submit a proposal finds discrepancies in or omissions from the RFP, or is in doubt as to the meaning, a written request for interpretation or correction must be given to the County prior to the closing date. Any changes to the RFP will be made only by written addendum and be posted in the IVCCC and County of Imperial websites (websites are listed on page 2). l. The applicant(s) must be in compliance with the economic sanctions imposed on Russia due to its actions in Ukraine and must report on steps taken to comply with such sanctions. These steps include, but are not limited to, desisting from making new investments in, or engaging in financial transactions with, Russian entities, not transferring technology to Russia or Russian entities, and directly providing support to the government and people of Ukraine. This applies to any agreement valued over $5 million. 3. PROPOSAL CHECKLIST The Proposal Checklist form (Attachment F) must be filled in and each item checked off to ensure all items requested by the County in this RFP have been submitted. mailto:rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us mailto:rhodahoffman@co.imperial.ca.us 16 4. CERTIFICATION The Certification form (Attachment G) must be signed by an authorized representative. Signature by an authorized representative of the Organization on the certification form shall constitute a warranty, the falsity of which shall entitle include the right, at the option of the County of Imperial, of declaring any contract made as a result thereof, to be void. 5. WORKER COMPENSATION / INSURANCE DOCUMENTATION Applicant(s) must provide a copy of worker compensation policy and insurance certificates as specified in Section J.2.h and J.2.i as part of this application packet. 6. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL APPLICATION DUE DATE AND SUBMISSION OPTIONS All proposals must be submitted as follows: Applicant(s) shall submit three (3) hard copies for each individual project the applicant(s) is applying (1 original with required signatures and 2 copies) of the HHAP Round 1 & Round 2 application (Attachment E) along with a digital copy on a USB of the proposal application must be delivered to County of Imperial Purchasing Department by the date and time indicated below. Copies must be submitted in sealed envelopes bearing on the outside the name of the consultant or agency, the address, and the title of the RFP for which the qualifications are submitted. It is the sole responsibility of respondent to ensure that the proposals are received by the County of Imperial in proper time. Any proposals received after the scheduled closing time for recipient will be returned to the consultant unopened. Proposals may not be submitted by facsimile, telegraph, electronic mail or any other means other than by personal delivery, Untied States Mail or other delivery services such as Federal Express or United Parcel Service. Submissions Instructions: All applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 3, 2023 to the following address: County of Imperial Purchasing Department HHAP Round 1 & Round 2 RFP Attention: Rhoda Hoffman, Purchasing Agent 1125 Main St, El Centro, CA 92243 17 P. DEFINITIONS a) Agency: The Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. b) Applicant: A local government, private non-profit, or for-profit organizations that the IVCCC determines are qualified to undertake the proposed activities. c) California Housing First Policy: “Housing First Model”, is a model of housing assistance that is offered without preconditions (such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold) or service participation requirements, and rapid placement and stabilization in permanent housing are primary goals. Research shows that it is effective for the chronically homeless with mental health and substance abuse disorders, resulting in fewer inpatient stays and less expensive interventions that other approaches. For more information about Housing First see: https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/welfare-and-institutions-code/wic-sect-8255 https://endhomelessness.org/what-housing-first-really-means d) Capital Improvement Project: Project intended for the delivery of Permanent Housing and can include acquisition, renovation, rehabilitation and conversion of structures. Capital improvement under this funding opportunity does not include the construction or build-out of new units/structures. e) Coordinated Entry System: A centralized or coordinated process pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that section read on January 10, 2019, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals. In order to satisfy this subdivision, a centralized or coordinated assessment system shall cover the geographic area, be easily accessed by individuals and families seeking housing or services, be well advertised, and include a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool. f) Chronically Homeless: HUD defines a chronically homeless person as an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. To be considered chronically homeless, persons must have been sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/or in an emergency homeless shelter during that time. g) Continuum of Care: As defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development at Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations found in the link below. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578 h) County: The County of Imperial and its Imperial County Department of Social Services (ICDSS). For purposes of this RFP, Imperial County Department of Social Services (ICDSS) and County are used interchangeably. https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/welfare-and-institutions-code/wic-sect-8255 https://endhomelessness.org/what-housing-first-really-means https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578 18 i) Emergency Shelter: Any facility whose primary purpose is to provide temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless. j) Executive Board: Refers to IVCCC executive board members. k) Homeless: As defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations found in the link below: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578 l) Homeless Management Information System: The information system designated by a continuum of care to comply with federal reporting requirements as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The term “Homeless Management Information System” also includes the use of a comparable database by a victim services provider or legal services provider that is permitted by the federal government under Part 576 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. m) Homeless Youth: An unaccompanied youth between 12 and 24 years of age, inclusive, who is experiencing homelessness, as defined in subsection (2) of Section 725 of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)). “Homeless youth” includes unaccompanied youth who are pregnant or parenting. n) IVCCC: The Imperial Valley Continuum of Care Council. o) Jurisdiction: A city, city that is also a county, county, or continuum of care, as defined in this section. p) Navigation Center: A Housing First, low-barrier, service-enriched shelter focused on moving homeless individuals and families into permanent housing that provides temporary living facilities while case managers connect individuals experiencing homelessness to income, public benefits, health services, shelter, and housing. q) Permanent Housing: As specified in 24 CFR 578.3, permanent housing means community-based housing without a designated length of stay, and includes permanent supportive housing. To be permanent housing, the program participant must be the tenant on a lease for a term of at least one year, which is renewable for terms that are a minimum of one month long, and is terminable only for a cause. A structure or set of structures with subsidized rental housing units subject to applicable landlord-tenant law, with no limit on length of stay and no requirement to participate in supportive services as a condition of access to or continued occupancy in the housing. “Permanent housing” includes permanent supportive housing. r) Permanent Supportive Housing: Permanent housing with no limit on the length of stay that is occupied by the target population and that is linked to onsite or offsite services that assist the supportive housing residents in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-24/subtitle-B/chapter-V/subchapter-C/part-578 19 s) Program: The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program. t) Program Allocation The portion of program funds available to expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges. u) Recipient: A jurisdiction that receives funds from the agency for the purposes of the program. v) Rental Assistance: Provisions of rental assistance to provide homeless prevention, transitional or permanent housing to eligible persons. w) Supplanting: Deliberately reduce the amount of federal, state, or local funds currently being appropriated to an existing program or activity, because a HHAP grant funds has also been awarded for the same purpose. When the contractor replaces grant in this manner, it reduces the total amount that would have been available for the stated grant purpose, and the substitution results in supplanting. Funds should be used to supplement existing funds for program activities and not replace funds that have been appropriated for the same purpose.