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FACT SHEET AND APPLICATION PROCESS - TENANT INTERIM LEASE ("TIL") PROGRAM PREQUALIFIED VENDOR LIST  (PDF)

NOTICE OF SOLICITATION AVAILABILITY 

REQUEST BIDS FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF A FOOD BAR LOCATED AT DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 100 GOLD STREET, LOBBY AREA, NEW YORK, NY 10038 

SOLICITATION NUMBER 806121000605 

In accordance with Section 1-12 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”) is issuing as of the date of this notice, a Request for Bids (“RFB”) for the operation and maintenance of a food bar located at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, 100 Gold Street, Lobby Area, New York, NY. 

There will be an on-site Pre-Bid Conference and Site Tour on Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 11:00 am.  We will be meeting at the proposed concession site, which is located in the lobby of 100 Gold Street, New York, NY.  The Pre-Bid Conference will follow the site tour in Room 1-R. If you are considering responding to this RFB, please make every effort to attend this strongly recommended meeting and site tour.  All bids submitted in response to this RFB must be submitted no later than Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 11:00 am.

 The RFB is available for download, at no cost, commencing on February 15, 2013 through March 20, 2013, on The City Record website.  To download the RFB, visit www.nyc.gov/cityrecord. 

Hard copies of the RFB can also be obtained, at no cost, commencing on February 15, 2013 through March 20, 2013, between the hours of 9:00 am to Noon and 2:00 to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding Legal Holidays at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, 100 Gold Street, 6^th floor, Section 6M, New York, NY 10038. 

For more information, prospective bidders may contact Mr. Hector Padilla, Project Manager for this RFB, at (212) 863-5783; by e-mail at padillah@hpd.nyc.gov.; or by FAX at (212) 863-5864 / 5730 

TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD) (212) 863-8508

Concept Paper
Family Self Sufficiency Program

The following Concept Paper is in connection with the forthcoming issuance by the New York City (“NYC”) Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”) of the Family Self Sufficiency (“FSS”) Request for Proposal (“RFP”).

1- BACKGROUND

The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) created the FSS Program in the early 1990s as a successor to earlier efforts to facilitate an increase in employment income and a decrease in reliance on government subsidies among public housing residents and Section 8 voucher holders. At this time, HUD mandated that HPD, offer an FSS program.  

Currently in the Section 8 program, any increase in tenant income results in an increase in the amount of rent the tenant must pay, creating a disincentive to seek work or job advancement. The FSS program removes this disincentive by matching any increases in the tenant share of rent caused by increases in earned income, in an escrow savings account.  Escrow deposits, which are administered by the housing agency, commence as soon as the participant experiences an increase in earnings that results in an increase in his or her share of the rent.   The accumulated escrow savings are available upon successful completion of the 5-year plan (or sooner if the person "earns out” of Section 8), or for approved purposes in the interim related to the client’s self-sufficiency objectives.

The prospect of economic self sufficiency for thousands of Section 8 participants is bleak.  Low skilled wage earners, adults without post secondary education, and those whose first language is not English are severely challenged.   HPD’s FSS program has long sought partnerships with organizations that can support participants in meeting these challenges by providing services and strategies in four key areas;

• Well designed approaches to assessment of skills and needs
• Innovative approaches to instruction and occupational training
• Academic and non academic supports to promote success
• Connecting participants to career track employment opportunities

HPD’s FSS program, recognized as a “best practice” by HUD , uses existing community resources, through three separate contracts with community-based service providers and one contract with LaGuardia Community College. The principal contract, initiated in 2003, is with Laguardia Community College’s Division of Adult and Continuing Education.

The previous RFP for this program established individual competitions for 3 boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Bronx) in need as determined by the Agency’s where concentrated Section 8 populations reside.   Three Community Based Organizations (“CBOs”) were selected and each was awarded a 2 year contract with three one year renewals.  The three existing contracts are currently in their second renewal period. The CBOs are paid on a fee for service basis and are allowed to select work from a ‘menu’ of services to include, in part, job training and placement, financial literacy, case management, and job retention. 

The previous RFP contained 13 performance based deliverables provided by three community based organizations, as follows:
 
• needs assessment which includes credit check,
• financial literacy and asset building services, 
• linked to benefits and work supports,
• credit score improved, 
• participants linked to family based supports, (day care, tutoring food banks)
• started education or training,
• completed education training, 
• started employment,
• employment retention 30 days,
• employment retention 90 days,
• employment retention 120 days,
• job promotion, 
• case management services.

2. PURPOSE OF THE RFP

 HPD will be seeking 3 appropriately qualified community based organizations  to provide services to approximately 1,500 HPD Section 8 participants enrolled in its FSS program.
The upcoming RFP planned for the FSS program will focus on three NYC geographical areas, including high-poverty neighborhoods with a concentration of HPD Section 8 participants.  The three geographical areas will include Upper Manhattan, South Bronx, and Central BrooklynOne contract will be awarded in each geographical area. One basis for selecting a Community Based Organizations (“CBO”) to participate in the FSS program was and will continue to be the CBO’s experience serving neighborhoods in these areas and its dedication to decreasing poverty and increasing self-sufficiency.

HPD’s Division of Tenant Resources (“DTR”) is proposing to change the scope of services for the RFP that will provide community based services to participants in HPD’s FSS Program.  In the upcoming RFP, the Agency envisions expanding the scope of services by including three new deliverables, and combining 2 existing deliverables. 

Proposed changes to the current deliverables/payments include:

• Combine Linked to Benefits and Work Supports and Linked to Family Based Supports
• A monthly fee would be paid for case management services based on serving a percentage of participants rather than on a per participant basis

Three (3) new deliverables envisioned to be added to the RFP and resultant contract(s) are:. 

• Bi monthly-job seminars, job fair, motivational speaker, informational seminar or training and education
• Quarterly mailing of organization’s calendar and other community events and opportunities to FSS participants and to HCV participants to encourage enrollment.
• Bi annual graduation event

The proposed additional deliverables in combination with the existing deliverables should result in;

• Expansion of existing FSS program, specifically through additional service offerings at targeted, community-based locations

• Enhanced marketing to potential FSS participants, as well as engagement and case management of individuals and families throughout their participation in the program

• Increased awareness of the FSS program amongst providers of workforce development services

• Engage existing FSS program participants in achieving their educational, financial, and employment related goals.

Further, under the upcoming RFP, HPD intends to establish a minimum and maximum price range for each of the deliverables.  Proposers will be required to offer unit prices, on the price proposal form within the ranges established.

The contract awards resulting from the previously issued RFP were NYC Expense funded. The proposed RFP will be 100% Federal (HUD) funded.  Due to an increase in HUD funding levels when compared to previous City funding levels, each of the three (3)  contract awards  will increase to approximately $900,000for the three year period of initial contract performance.

The major areas of responsibility for a community-based organization in the provision of FSS services include:

Enrolling Participants: 

HPD seeks to maintain the FSS program in terms of the number of participants (approximately 1500) while striving to improve the diversity and quality of these services. This will involve a significant HPD led marketing and recruitment campaign in late 2013 and early 2014. HPD is seeking CBO(s) with experience in outreach and marketing to be responsible for:  

- Coordinating outreach events with HPD and/or its partners.  This would include assisting in the development of marketing materials, mailings, and conducting follow-up phone calls with individuals who have received invitations from HPD to attend outreach events as well as attending marketing events and actively participating in explaining the program to potential enrollees.
- Contacting individuals interested in the program after outreach events and completing an FSS contract of participation with them.  At this point the CBO would also conduct a credit check for the participant and use a self-sufficiency calculator to determine if there are benefits the client could receive from participation but currently does not.

 Core Program Service Elements: 

The primary responsibility of the CBO(s) will be to provide case management services to FSS participants based on the results of a needs assessment, a financial evaluation as well as any other needs identified at intake, including a career plan. Each participant is eligible for all offered program services but an initial assessment by a case manager is recommended to target specific needs and make appropriate service suggestions. Participants will be referred if necessary to services not offered at the CBO.  These services will be available to participants in HPD’s FSS program, and are intended to build skills and a supportive network that will enhance the likelihood that participants increase their income and, ultimately, their self-sufficiency. These services will be available and free to participants in the program.   These services will include but will not be limited to asset building, benefits and work supports, workforce development, education, and training, life skills development, family support, and case management.  The
Core Program Service Elements include:

• Job Readiness, Search Assistance and Skills Training

Program participants may present with varying levels of job readiness and education and contractors need to be able to successfully utilize various strategies tailored to the individual. clients strengths to develop an individual plan upon intake.  This career plan should include long and short term goals that are achievable over the period of five years.  Job readiness services include skills assessment, education, employment goals, vendor directed job search activites, assistance with development of job search resources such as resume, cover letter and references, services and work shops that improve job readiness, practical budgeting and financial literacy.

• Employment, Job Development, Placement,  Retention and Advancement

Contractors are expected to develop and maintain relationships with employers and also to make referrals to other agencies (e.g. Small business Services, WorkForce1 Careeer Centers) to assist with job placement.  Ideally job development strategies are demand driven and targeted to high growth sectors in the New York City area labor market.  Once a job is obtained contractors are expected to provide retention services to make sure the job is kept.

• Case Management and Social Support Services

Program staff will assess a participant’s needs in order to recommend referrals both on and off site.  Contractors should have appropriate organizational partnerships to ensure all participants needs can be addressed.  Services could include legal services, mental health services, youth programs, child care, emergency food, and services for the formerly incarcerated.  These referrals can happen at anytime during FSS contract of participation and staff would proactively follow up with partner organizations to confirm uptake.

Metrics and Reporting:

HUD has placed a significant emphasis on finding strategies that demonstrably assist households below the poverty level in increasing their self-sufficiency.  As such, this project requires that the CBO(s) have experience in collecting, storing, and reporting data on client outcomes anticipated to include:

- Provide notice  mailings, program description and outreach material  to individuals interested in enrolling in FSS
- Provide data and report participant progress over time on metrics to be detailed in forthcoming RFP such as the services the clients received, their income over time, their total assets over time, and their employment status over time.
- Along with HPD, conduct yearly interviews with the participants to receive feedback on the program and ensure compliance with Section 8 requirements.

In summary the contractors selected under the RFP will be required to complete evaluation forms, needs assessments, attendance sheets, referral forms and performance based milestone reports.

Contractor will also be expected to be effective in collaborating with partner agencies,  making referrals, improving in-resident asset building and financial literacy, and seeking innovation and effective community support for work strategies and implementation.

3- PLANNED METHOD OF EVALUATING PROPOSALS

Proposals will be evaluated pursuant to the evaluation criteria that are specified in the RFP.  This to include the quality and quantity of successful relevant experience; demonstrated level of organizational capacity; and the quality of the proposed program approach and design.

 4 – PROPOSED TERM OF THE CONTRACT(S)
 
 It is anticipated that the terms of the contracts awarded from this RFP will be for three years, January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2016 (36 months). There will be one option to renew for a period of up to three years. 

 5 - PROCUREMENT TIMELINE
 
 HPD currently anticipates releasing the Family Self Sufficiency RFP during the Winter 2013.
 
 
 6 - TOTAL FUNDING AVAILABLE/SOURCES OF Funding
 
 It is anticipated total payment for all contracts awarded from this RFP will not exceed $ 2,700,000.  Funds are anticipated to be provided on an annual basis by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”)   Additionally HPD will require proposer to leverage funding from private sources in the amount of $15,000 or 5% of annual funding levels received. for the provision of metro cards,  payment of educational or technical fees,  and payment of professional assistance to program participants.
 
 7 - ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF CONTRACTS
 
 HPD anticipates that one contract award will be made in each of the three geographic areas.
 
8. COMMENTS

Please provide written comments to HPD, at the following address, no later than January 18, 2013.

JAY BERNSTEIN, DEPUTY AGENCY CHIEF CONTRACTING OFFICER
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
100 GOLD STREET, ROOM 8-S4
NEW YORK, NY 10038

FAX:  212-863-6657  E-MAIL: JB1@HPD.NYC.GOV