/ REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
For
Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing /
Department of Human Services
County of Dane, Wisconsin / CDBG Office
City of Madison, Wisconsin

RFP NUMBER

/ #109080

RFP TITLE

/ Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Services
PURPOSE / The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal to provide homeless prevention and rapid re-housing services to eligible households living within Dane County.
DEADLINE FOR
RFP SUBMISSIONS / July 7, 2009
2:00 P.M. Central Time
LATE, FAXED OR UNSIGNED PROPOSAL WILL BE REJECTED
SUBMIT RFP TO

THIS ADDRESS

/ DANE COUNTY PURCHASING DIVISION
ROOM 425 CITY-COUNTY BUILDING
210 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD
MADISON, WI 53703-3345
SPECIAL

INSTRUCTIONS

/ q  Label the lower left corner of your sealed submittal package with the RFP number
q  Place the Signature Affidavit as the first page of your proposal
q  Submit one original and (3) copies of your proposal if applying only for the City of Madison funded portion of this RFP
q  Submit one original and (5) copies of your proposal if applying only for the Dane County funded portion of this RFP
q  Submit one original and (8) copies of your proposal if applying to serve all of Dane County
DIRECT ALL INQUIRES TO / NAME / Carolyn Clow
TITLE / Purchasing Agent
PHONE # / 608/266-4966
FAX # / 608/266-4425
EMAIL /
WEB SITE / www.danepurchasing.com
DATE RFP ISSUED: June 8, 2009

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#109080

Dane County Vendor Registration Program

All bidders wishing to submit a proposal must be a paid registered vendor with Dane County. Prior to the rfp opening, you can complete a registration form online by visiting our web site at www.danepurchasing.com , or you can obtain a Vendor Registration Form by calling 608.266.4131. Your completed Vendor Registration Form and Registration Fee must be received for your bid to be considered for an award.

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#109080

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 4

1.1 Introduction 4

1.2 Definitions 4

1.3 Project Overview 4

1.4 Clarification of the specifications 7

1.5 Addendums and/or Revisions 8

1.6 Calendar of Events 8

1.7 Reasonable Accommodations 9

2.0 PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL 9

2.1 General Instructions 9

2.2 Proprietary Information 9

2.3 Incurring Costs 10

2.4 Vendor Registration 10

2.5 Submittal Instructions 10

2.6 Required Copies 10

2.7 Proposal Organization and Format 10

2.8 Multiple Proposals 11

2.9 Oral Presentations (County) 11

3.0 PROPOSAL SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS 11

3.1 Preliminary Evaluation 11

3.2 Proposal Scoring 11

3.3 Right to Reject Proposals and Negotiate Contract Terms 12

3.4 Evaluation Criteria 12

3.5 Award and Final Offers 12

3.6 Notification of Intent to Award 12

4.0 RFP AND CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS 13

5.0 GENERAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 13

5.1 Proposal Narrative 13

5.2 Outcomes 14

5.3 Budget 14

6.0 SPECIAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS 15

7.0 REQUIRED FORMS 15

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#109080

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

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1.1 Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal to provide homeless prevention and rapid re-housing services to households living in Dane County.
The City and County intend to use the results of this RFP process to award a contract(s) and/or issuance of a purchase order for service(s) stated above. Organizations may submit a proposal for only the City of Madison funded portion of this RFP, for only the Dane County funded portion of this RFP, or to serve all of Dane County.
It is anticipated that the agency(ies) with the successful proposal will enter into two contracts for services: one with the City of Madison CDBG Office up to the amount of $776,237 plus $20,427 in additional administration funds (eligible to the lead agency in a collaborative application) and the other with Dane County up to the amount of $273,118.
The City’s Contract Administrator will be Sue Wallinger, Grants Administrator with the Community Development Block Grant Office. The County’s Contract Administrator will be Lori Bastean, Sr. Program Analyst/Manager with the Dane County Department of Human Services.
This RFP is issued on behalf of the City of Madison and Dane County by the Dane County Purchasing Division, which is the sole point of contact during the procurement process.
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1.2 Definitions

The following definitions are used throughout the RFP.
City refers to the City of Madison
County refers to Dane County
Proposer/vendor refers to a firm submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.
Contractor refers to proposer awarded the contract.
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1.3 Project Overview

1.3.1 / Background
The City of Madison and the Dane County CDBG Offices have received notice of award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds under Title XII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The City of Madison will receive $817,092 directly from HUD as an entitlement city and Dane County will receive $284,498 from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Bureau of Supportive Services in HPRP funds; these funds are to be used to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless or help those who are experiencing homelessness to quickly be re-housed and stabilized. The Wisconsin Department of Commerce intends to execute a grant agreement with Dane County no later than August 1, 2009; HUD intends to execute a grant agreement with the City of Madison no later than September 1, 2009. The City and County will enter into separate sub-recipient agreements with non-profit agencies selected as part of this RFP process. It is intended that these funds will provide services for two program years.
1.3.2 / Purpose
The purpose of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program is to provide homelessness prevention assistance to households who would otherwise become homeless – many due to the economic crisis – and to provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are homeless as defined by section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302). HUD expects that these resources will be targeted and prioritized to serve households that are most in need of this temporary assistance and are most likely to achieve stable housing, whether subsidized or unsubsidized, outside of HPRP after the program concludes.
HPRP funding is focused on providing temporary financial assistance and stabilization services to individuals and families who are homeless or would be homeless but for this assistance. The program is intended to target two populations:
1)  individuals and families who are currently in housing but are at risk of becoming homeless and need temporary rent or utility assistance to prevent them from becoming homeless; and
2)  individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness (residing in emergency or transitional shelters or on the street) and need temporary assistance in order to obtain and maintain housing.
Funds are not available as part of a mortgage assistance program. HPRP funds are only eligible to help program participants, renters or homeowners about to become homeless, pay for utilities, security deposits, and rent in a new unit.
1.3.3 / Eligible Activities
There are four categories of eligible activities: financial assistance, stabilization services, data collection/evaluation, and administrative costs. The intent of the HPRP assistance is to rapidly transition program participants to stability. Assistance should be focused on housing stabilization, linking program participants to community resources and mainstream benefits, and helping them develop a plan for preventing future housing instability.
Financial Assistance is defined as: 1) rent subsidies up to 18 months in duration, 2) first month’s rent, 3) rent in arrears, 4) security deposits, 5) utility payments in arrears, 6) utility payment assistance, and 7) moving costs (truck rental, storage rental). Other uses as defined by HUD in the HPRP regulations are eligible if applying for City HPRP funds. Priority will be given to proposals that prioritize homeless prevention activities.
Stabilization Services are defined as: 1) case management to provide services related to meeting the housing needs of program participants and helping them obtain/maintain housing stability including tenant counseling, 2) representative payee services (City proposal only), 3) outreach to property owners, 4) landlord/tenant mediation, 5) legal services (other than services related to mortgages); and 6) money management, budgeting and resolving personal credit issues as they relate to housing. Stabilization services are limited to 35% of the total request for County HPRP funds.
Data Collection/Evaluation is defined as: costs related to entering client based data into Wisconsin ServicePoint (WISP), costs associated with operating WISP such as fees, licenses, equipment; and costs related to data analysis.
Administration Costs are defined as: accounting for the use of grant funds, preparing reports, and similar costs related to administering the grant prior to and after the award. Only lead agencies of collaborative applications will be eligible to apply for administration funds. Administrative costs are limited to 2.5% of the total City-funded award.
1.3.4 / Ineligible Activities
Ineligible activities include: rental subsidies that exceed 18 months; direct payments to individuals requesting assistance; mortgage payment assistance; security deposit, rent, and utility assistance for transitional housing; security deposit, rent, and utility assistance for properties owned or operated by sub-grantees or their affiliates; motel vouchers; general case management not directly affiliated with HPRP activities; legal assistance related to homeownership; and any other homeownership-related activities.
1.3.5 / Eligible Participants
Two populations are eligible to receive HPRP funds: persons who are still housed but at risk of becoming homeless but for this assistance and persons who are already homeless. The household must either be homeless or at risk of losing its housing and meet both of the following circumstances: 1) no appropriate subsequent housing options have been identified; AND 2) the household lacks the financial resource and support networks needed to obtain immediate housing or remain in its existing housing. Sub-recipients are responsible for verifying and documenting the individuals’ homelessness or risk of homelessness that qualified them for receiving rental assistance and/or supportive services.
Financial Assistance may not exceed 18 months and eligibility must be assessed and verified every 3 months. For households receiving money for rent and/or utilities in arrears, the number of months that the households was in arrears counts toward the 18 month limit.
Any individual or family provided assistance must have at least one consultation with a case manager to do a needs assessment and determine the appropriate type of assistance needed to meet their needs.
All households must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI)
Only those individuals and families who are homeless are eligible to receive Rapid Re-Housing assistance. Homeless is defined as: 1) sleeping in an emergency shelter, 2) sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation, 3) in an institution for up to 180 days but slept in a shelter or uninhabitable place prior to entry into the institution, 4) graduating from a transitional housing program, and 5) victims of domestic violence.
1.3.6 / Services Area
These funds are intended to serve households living within Dane County.
Funds from the City of Madison shall be used to serve eligible participants in the greater-Madison area which is defined as communities contiguous to the City of Madison (i.e. Fitchburg, Maple Bluff, Middleton, Monona, Shorewood, Town of Madison, Town of Blooming Grove). Funds from Dane County shall be used to serve eligible participants who reside in Dane County, but not within the Madison city limits.
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1.4 Clarification of the specifications

All inquiries concerning this RFP must be directed to the person indicated on the cover page of the RFP Document. (electronic mail is the preferred method)
Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing by mail, fax or e-mail on or before the stated date on the Calendar of Events (see Section 1.6)
Proposers are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the RFP document at this point in the RFP process. If a proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFP, the proposer should immediately notify the contact person of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document.
Mailing Address:
Dane County Purchasing Division
Room 425 City-County Building
210 Martin Luther King JR BLVD
Madison, WI 53703-3345
Proposers are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of Dane County or the City of Madison, except as described herein. No County or City employee or representative other than the individual listed as the contact in this RFP is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFP.
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1.5 Addendums and/or Revisions

In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, revisions/amendments and/or supplements will be posted on the following web sites:
City of Madison
www.cityofmadison.com\cdbg
Dane County Purchasing Division
www.danepurchasing.com
It shall be the responsibility of the proposers to regularly monitor the Purchasing Division web site for any such postings. Proposers must acknowledge the receipt / review of any addendum(s) at the bottom of the RFP Cover Page /Signature Affidavit.
Each proposal shall stipulate that it is predicated upon the terms and conditions of this RFP and any supplements or revisions thereof.
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1.6 Calendar of Events

Listed below are specific dates and events related to this RFP. The events must be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the County/City. In the event that the County/City finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates and times in the calendar of events listed below, it will do so by issuing a supplement to this RFP and posting such supplement on the websites listed in 1.6, above. There may or may not be a formal notification issued for changes in the estimated dates and times.
The County/City reserves the right to modify the Calendar of Events at any time.
DATE / EVENT
June 8, 2009 / Date of issue of the RFP (for Purchasing use)
June 26, 2009 / Last day for submitting written inquiries (2:00 p.m. Central Time)
June 30, 2009 / Supplements or revisions to the RFP posted on the Purchasing Division web site at www.danepurchasing.com and www.cityofmadison.com\cdbg
July 7, 2009 / Proposals due from vendors
July 11, 2009 / Oral presentation by invited vendors (County only - tentative)
July 2009 / Notification of intent to award sent to vendors
September 2009 / Contract start date
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1.7 Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a proposal opening, contact the Purchasing Division at (608) 266-4131 (voice) or 608/266-4941 (TTY)

2.0 PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

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2.1 General Instructions

The evaluation and selection of a contractor and the contract will be based on the information submitted in the proposal plus references and any required on-site visits or oral interview presentations. Failure to respond to each of the requirements in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting a response.
Elaborate proposals (e.g. expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal, are not necessary or desired.
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2.2 Proprietary Information

All restrictions on the use of data contained within a proposal and all confidential information must be clearly stated on the attached “Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information” form. Proprietary information submitted in a proposal, or in response to the RFP, will be handled in accordance with the applicable Wisconsin State Statute(s).
To the extent permitted by law, it is the intention of the City of Madison and Dane County to withhold the contents of the proposal from public view until such times as competitive or bargaining reasons no longer require non-disclosure, in the opinion of the City of Madison and/or Dane County. At that time, all proposals will be available for review in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Records Law.
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2.3 Incurring Costs

Neither the City of Madison nor Dane County is liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this RFP.
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2.4 Vendor Registration

All proposers wishing to submit a proposal must be a paid registered vendor with Dane County. Prior to the RFP opening, you can complete a registration form online by visiting our web site at www.danepurchasing.com, or you can obtain a Vendor Registration Form by calling 608.266.4131. Your completed Vendor Registration Form and Registration Fee must be received for your bid to be considered for an award.

2.5 Submittal Instructions