Contract Administration Homeless RFP FAQ's

Questions from ESG RFP Training

RFP Related:

1. How to count UN-duplicated individuals/households:

The number of unique individuals/households your program provided services to in the time period requested.

2. For Essential Services Only: How to count average days served (client “touches”) if your agency is new :

   As documented in client files, the number of days each client received essential services – meaning they met with your therapeutic/supportive services staff (case manager, therapist, nurse, doctor, lawyer providing legal aid, etc.). Elapsed time in a program does not qualify.

3. On the Part E – Submission checklist for Essential Services Only applicants are requested to create a cover page which proposed the numbers of duplicated and un-duplicated clients served and 2007 and anticipate how many will be served in 2008. How do we count duplicated clients for Essential Services Only?

   The Part E Submission checklist for Essential Services Only does not request any numbers for duplicated clients on the separate sheet of paper. It asks for (copied from the RFP):

   • Offeror Name:
   • Activity Applied For:
   • Dollar amount of MFA Funds Applied For:
   • Number of clients served from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2007 (These must be clients you maintain a client file.)
   • Average number of days served per client served (Proof of days served must be documented in the client file.)
   • Proposed Number of clients to serve in 2008/2009 Grant Year:

4. We use essential services only funding to provide case management support for our housing program.  So if we are tracking numbers of days served, do we then track the numbers of days people are in the housing program?  The numbers of days they are contacted? 

   For Essential Services Only, the average number of days served per client should be the number of days the client actually received the essential services --- not an elapsed time, and not based on any other partner programs. For example, if a client is receiving case management, then this would be the number of days they actually had case management sessions.

5. How do we keep our RFP response together – staples or is something else needed?

   Staples are fine if this works for you. It will make it easier for us to deal with your copies if you do not staple or bind them - e.g. binder clips, three-prong report covers, enclosing each copy in a separate envelope inside the mailer, etc.

6. In the Submission Format, it states that applications must include the "Homeless Application" form attached to Application package.  Where is the "Homeless Application"?

   The Application is the form beginning on page 26 of the RFP. It is also available on the website as a fill-in Word document. Click here to download.

7. On the lead sheet for Essential Services Only, Question # 4 asks "Number of clients served form Jan1-Dec 31, 2007 (must maintain file on clients)-Is this all of our clients or just the ones benefiting from these funds?  Do you want it broke down to duplicated and UN-duplicated clients? 

   Please provide the number of unduplicated clients served utilizing MFA funds from Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2007.

Please also provide the average number of days served per unduplicated client in the question above – this is in lieu of reporting duplicated client information.

8. We are ready to send out our application.  However, we noticed that this year there are no “Exhibit” forms asking for “Scope of Work-Service Chart”, “Budget Schedule”, and “Operational Expenditures”.   Is this correct?   Of course, we are sending the agency operating budget and program budget as required.

This is correct, provided that the required budgets are submitted.

9. We are applying to provide essential services only: why are we required to demonstrate that we have experience placing people in housing and dealing with landlords?  And describing our housing services?

Our funding goals reflect HUD's increasing emphasis on permanent supportive housing. All agencies applying for essential services need to demonstrate their capability to link their supportive services with housing, and to support homeless individuals in maintaining housing.

10. Is a letter of support needed from the local government for an Essential Services application?

    At least one letter of support from the community and/or other service providers must be submitted to reach minimum threshold for any activity. These may be from the local unit of government and/or other service providers in the community - a letter can be from the government entity but does not have to be.

11. How/where do we acquire documentation stating that we do not use lead-based paint?

    Th e RFP only requires submission of the signed "Part D: Certifications" to address this issue. The offeror must have written policies/documentation on file in-house to support the certification submitted with the application.

    For properties built after 1978, lead-based paint regulations do not apply, per 24 CFR 35.115 (a). It is still necessary for organizations to certify that they comply with these regulations (24 CFR 35, Subparts B-R). Proof of construction dates would be one way to document that the regulations do not apply and that therefore the organization is compliant.

    For properties built before 1978, please refer to the following resources:

    An overview of the lead-based paint regulation
    www.hud.gov - 1012fs.pdf

    The portion of the regulation which applies to ESG grantees
    www.hud.gov - LSHR_Sub_K.pdf

    How to do visual assessments of your facility for deteriorated paint - (includes photos & examples; approx. 50 slides)
    www.hud.gov - h00101.htm
    

12. The RFP states that needed is “Evidence of an Offeror’s support, in letter form, from the community and/or other service providers dated no later than 90 days prior to the date of submission of the application.” The wording of the above statement is confusing.  Does it mean the letter should have been written in December? 

    The letter should be no older than 90 days prior to the submission of the application – so if you have a letter from 6 months ago, you will need to get that letter re-written & re-signed. The letter can be more recent than 90 days before the submission.

13. If HUD CoC prior funding is a requirement for the CoC match and permanent supportive housing funding categories?

    Yes.

14. If it is a requirement, is a CoC supportive housing award for new construction a permissable match/funding source?

    No - the RFP specifies that we will match only operations, supportive services and/or leasing.

15. We are a __________________ shelter.  Do we still have to submit the Lead-based paint disclaimer in our RFP?

    Yes.

16. What is the Section 3 MBE/WBE 24 CFR 135.3 that is requested?

    This does not have to be submitted with your application.

    All agencies receiving HUD funding should have in place in their fiscal procurement policies, a policy stating that your agency will, when feasible, utilize minority-owned business enterprises and women-owned business enterprises.

17. Clarification on agency budget required for the proposal. Is the request a projected budget for FY 2008-2009 or our current budget?

    Two budgets are required per application:

    • for minimum threshold, a current full agency budget
    • for each activity, a proposed activity budget for the 2008/2009 operating year
      
18. Am I correct that a project narrative is required for Homeless Prevention applications, but is not required for Shelter Operations?  (Compare checklist requirements, Section E.).

    Yes, that is correct.

19. How does MFA define "Executive Summary"?

    A brief overview/summary of the agency's business plan.

20. For Homeless Prevention: When asked for "number of families" should I give the number of "households" instead?  Many of the people I assist with funds are singles or couples with no children.  If it's important, I can break down "households" into:  families, couples w/no children, and singles w/no children. 

    Yes, for the purposes of the RFP, “number of families”  refers to the “number of households”, regardless of whether there are children. This is different from the monthly reports, which ask for the breakdown of households into singles, couples with no children, families with children, etc.

21. Do we need to sign and submit  Part D Certifications with our  submission? If we need to submit it, where in the submission to you want the document placed?

    Yes. Part D Certifications appears in the RFP in the application, immediately following the Minimum Threshold checklist – therefore this document should be place immediately after all minimum threshold documents.

22. Under Application Requirements it says that we only need to submit one Financial Audit with the application packet but that you must prepare a complete application package for each funding category where you are applying. So if I'm applying for three funding categories, does that mean I need to submit a Financial Audit with each complete application (three in all) or just one audit for all three applications?

    The financial audit is the only exception to multiple copies - we only need financial audit per agency, regardless of the number of funding categories you are applying for.

23. Can you please provide me with the formula to calculate the occupancy rate for the 12-month period?

    Occupancy Rate is calculated by dividing the total bed nights provided by the total bed nights available for a given calendar year. (The calculation can be found on Page 18 of the RFP.)

24. In the current RFP, I did not see a required letter from the City of Albuquerque , Family and Community Services.  Is this letter not required in 2008 as it was in 2007?

    Minimum Threshold Requirement states:

    Evidence of an Offeror's support, in letter form, from the community and/or other service providers dated no later than 90 days prior to the date of submission of the application.

It does not have to specifically be the letter from the City of Albuquerque , Dept of Family and Community Services.

25. The workshop for the RFP informed that we only needed to submit a letter of support.  There was no distinction made that the letter needed to come from a “unit of local government”.  Must I now submit a letter of support from a city/county government entity or will the letter from CYFD used for another grant be sufficient?

This was a typo in the initial definitions section of the RFP. As detailed in the checklist for minimum threshold, letters of support may come “from the community and/or other service providers dated no later than 90 days prior to the date of submission of the application.”

26. How is the number calculated for duplicated individuals served in 2007/08 and proposed to serve in 2008/09 for both permanent supportive housing and emergency services?  Is it counted on a monthly basis?  For instance, if an individual comes to the program in July 2008 and remains through June 2009, is he counted as 1 unduplicated and 11 duplicated individuals?  Or is it calculated on an annual basis so he is 1 unduplicated and 1 duplicated?

    Duplicated individuals: for the purposes of the RFP, please count monthly (add the numbers from your monthly reports). In the example, that means that our client would be counted as 11. This applies to all activities.

27. My question is do we have to provide 3 copies of staff resumes, mission statement, executive summary and agency business plan? Or is 1 original of each document ok?

    A complete application contains 1 original and 3 copies. Each of the 3 copies of the application must contain all documentation except the financial audit. Please note that a complete application (1 original and 3 copies) must be submitted for each funding category being applied for (Shelter Operations, Essential Services Only, Homeless Prevention Only, COC Match, Permanent Supportive Housing). 

28. The homeless prevention activities that fall under the Essential Services activity seem different than those allowed under Homeless Prevention.

    Homeless prevention is allowable under Emergency Shelter Operations (a maximum of 30% of the total award); it is not allowable under Essential Services Only.

    The activities permitted are the same; there is a formatting issue in the RFP under the Homeless Prevention Activity. The allowable uses of funding are (as copied from the clearer portion of the RFP):

    • providing short-term subsidies to defray rent and utility arrearages for families that have received eviction and/or utility termination notices;
    • providing security deposits or first month's rent to permit a homeless family to move into its own apartment;
    • providing mediation programs for landlord-tenant disputes;
    • providing legal services programs for the representation of indigent tenants in eviction proceedings;
    • providing payments to prevent foreclosure on a home.
      
29. We would like to help with security deposit and first month's rent – does this allow us to assist with the payment of utility deposit?

    Yes – however, a given household can only receive assistance for ONE of the intended uses. For example, Jane is homeless and trying to get into an apartment. She owes past due utilities and needs to pay a security deposit, a utility deposit, & first month's rent. If she comes to your agency for assistance and meets all of the eligibility criteria, you will only be able to assist her with ONE of these expenses from homeless prevention funds.

30. What is documentation of site control of the emergency shelter?

This means that we need proof of ownership or rental agreement – so, a title, lease, etc.

31. It appears that you no longer require resumes of key personnel… is that correct?

    For agencies currently receiving homeless program funding , that is correct: we no longer need resumes of key personnel.

    For agencies which are new or did not receive funding for 07-08 , we are requiring resumes.

32. It appears that you do not need us to attach the most recent monitoring letter… is that correct?

    No. The checklist requires that the agency have no significant outstanding findings with the most recent MFA monitoring, or other documented outstanding issues with MFA; in order to document that the agency meets this requirement, please include a copy of the most recent monitoring letter from MFA, including any follow-up correspondence (e.g., response from management & acceptance of response by MFA).

33. The submission checklists reference project budgets, but there are no budget forms provided.  Should we create our own budget forms, or re-use last year's?

    You may do either.

34. Do we need to submit multiple copies of the Homeless RFP, or is one copy sufficient?

    Yes, multiple copies must be submitted (the original and three copies).

35. Will historical data (data from contract years prior to 2007-2008) be counted for performance points?

    On further review and due to the difficulty of re-assembling data on the timeliness of invoices and reports, this data will not be considered for performance points. Historical data can be used to justify the proposed numbers to be served.

36. Will the form changes that took place in 2007-2008 and resulting reporting issues affect performance points?

    Consistency in reports will be looked at starting with the September 2007 reports, which were turned in after training and focus groups took place on the new forms.

FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES ONLY – this does not apply to any other activity:

How should families and children be counted?

• Only those individuals, whether adults or children, who are directly receiving services should be counted. For example:
• An agency providing childcare would count only the children for that service.
• An agency providing parenting classes, where only the parents are active participants, would count only the parents for that service.
• An agency providing family therapy, engaging all family members, would count each member present (adults and children) for that service.

What should be present in the client files?

• For each client visit, the client file should include the date, person served, provider's name, and service(s) provided.

Is there a 50% requirement on children in the home?

• No.

Other questions (questions from the training that do not pertain to the RFP specifically):

Is prior MFA approval needed for purchases over $5,000?

• Yes.

Do purchases default to MFA ownership?

• Any purchase over $500.00 becomes MFA property after the termination/expiration of the contract.

Can time spent on Board activities by a volunteer Board be counted as match?

• No. Board members acting as such are not providing direct client services and therefore their time cannot be counted as match.

Policy Templates requested:

• As we collect these documents, they will be posted to the forms section of the website. They are not required for submission with the RFP application packet.
• Lead-Based Paint
• Confidentiality
• Conflict of Interest
• Procurement/Bids and preference for women and minority owned businesses
• Lease
• A standard New Mexico lease has been posted to our website. Click here for more information.