Consultant Services to Complete a Homelessness Study

The City of Newport News (the “City”) is seeking proposals from qualified consultant firms (the “Offeror” or “Contractor”) to furnish the goods and/or services described herein and proposals will be received via the City’s e-Procurement Portal, OpenGov Procurement ( https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/nnva), to be received no later than Monday, April 29, 2024 at 11:30 pm (local prevailing time).The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals to furnish/provide consulting services to develop a comprehensive homelessness study that addresses the immediate and ongoing needs of the area's homeless population.BackgroundThe City of Newport News is a 26-mile-long linear city along the James River and Hampton Roads Harbor. It has two corridors and a CSX railway running its entire length. It is six miles wide at its widest point and one mile wide at its narrowest point. The City

was developed to support a shipyard and railroad in the late 1800s. The City has distinct urban, suburban, and rural character areas. The City has a population of approximately 185,000. Statistical data regarding Newport News is available at https://www.nnva.gov/1811/Statistical-Profile-Reports.The City of Hampton, with an approximate population of 138,000, borders Newport News along the southern portion of the City and York and James City Counties along the central and northern portions of the City. The area which also includes the City of Williamsburg, City of Poquoson and Gloucester County is collectively known as the Peninsula.Newport News, Hampton and other Peninsula stakeholders have been helping the homeless population over many years through federal, state and local resources along with many partners from area non-profits, faith-based communities and others. Stakeholders in the region have found that homelessness challenges transcend municipal boundaries and the needs can be complex and ever changing. Area leaders are in need of effective strategies to harness and channel resources to make the greatest impact on addressing the root causes of homelessness and meeting needs of the area's homeless population.The City of Newport News operates Four Oaks Day Service Center which is designed to be a one-stop service and assistance center where men, women and families experiencing homelessness receive support and connections to community services. More information about the Four Oaks Day Service Center as well as homelessness initiatives for the City of Newport News is available at: https://www.nnva.gov/2811/Homelessness-and-Community-Initiatives.At present, a comprehensive housing study for the City of Newport News is underway. This study will provide information regarding housing affordability and the need for additional housing types.Homelessness services are provided by Hampton and other localities on the Peninsula as summarized below:The City of Hampton Department of Human Services provides services to the homeless population through its Housing program and offers assistance in the areas of Outreach, Housing Prevention, and Rapid Re-Housing. Hampton Roads Ecumenical Lodgings and Provisions, Inc. (HELP, Inc.) also provides shelter, healthcare, and support services to residents of Hampton.The City of Williamsburg Department of Human Services has two positions focused on emergency housing and homelessness. The Outreach Coordinator meets with individuals with emergency housing needs, conducts assessments, and assists individuals to develop service plans, which may include local resources or collaboration with community resources. In addition, a Resource Navigator position works with families who are experiencing homelessness and provides support to families across locality borders in York County, Poquoson, and James City County. The faith-based community in Williamsburg plays a large role in helping homeless individuals. The House of Mercy offers food distribution, emergency housing, and daily hot meals to individuals impacted by homelessness. The Community of Faith Mission (COFM) is the winter shelter program, rotating between local churches eighteen weeks of the year. The Human Services department also has connections with several churches who assist financially with emergency housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.The James City County Housing Office offers the following housing resources to address homelessness: State funded Virginia Homeless Solutions Program for Rapid Rehousing, Emergency Shelter, and Prevention. The Housing Office also provides a Housing Resource Navigator that allows the office to be a one-stop shop for all housing needs and has two SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR)-trained staff that can assist those experiencing homelessness and also have a diagnosed disability that meets criteria for access Social Security benefits in an expedited manner. In addition, the Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission (GWOM) is a network of churches and community partners that provide meals to those precariously or insecurely housed. Olde Town Medical Center offers primary health care with integrated behavioral health, dental, and vision care regardless of income or insurance.The York County Housing Division acts as an access point for homeless services and provides an emergency shelter program, rapid rehousing program, and a homeless prevention program for York County families.The Commonwealth of Virginia’s municipalities or political subdivisions are broken into cities, towns, and counties, and as such, some may have limited powers and may operate in different ways. It will be important that the study take these complexities into consideration as recommendations for homeless solutions and infrastructure are developed. The desire is that recommendations and solutions can be applied across the Peninsula. Additionally, it should be recognized that the cities of Newport News and Hampton are not only adjacent cities that share a considerable municipal boundary, but also are the largest urban areas with a considerable portion of the homeless population on the Peninsula. Therefore, these types of complexities will need to be understood going into the study process, throughout the study process and any recommendations or solution will need to be reflective of this understanding.TimelineRelease Project Date:March 27, 2024Pre-Proposal Conference/Site Visit (Non-Mandatory):April 2, 2024, 11:00am Teams Virtual Link for Pre-Proposal Conference - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YzNiZmE4NWYtMjk5Yy00MGZmLWE0MWItYWYzMmJkZGNjYzBk%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22d4208ef9-3b0e-41d2-9c98-d197220fa73a%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e2e302f4-c086-4c1e-9547-9ba80717e72f%22%7dQuestion Submission Deadline:April 8, 2024, 5:00pmProposal Submission Deadline:April 29, 2024, 11:30pm