Addendum to Affordable Housing and Homeless Services RFP refines evaluation criteria

NEWS RELEASE - Jan. 24, 2023

Evaluation criteria for affordable housing and homeless services proposals target results-oriented solutions

Spokane Valley, WA - Encouraging results-oriented proposals for affordable housing and homeless services, the City of Spokane Valley refined the criteria City Council will use to evaluate projects in an addendum to the City's request for proposals (RFP) released Jan. 12. Proposals are due Feb. 10 for up to $6 million of the City's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation. The City Council will evaluate proposals in March.

RFP Addendum #1 issued Jan. 24 reiterated the City's emphasis on preventing homelessness and permanently housing those that are homeless. To that end, City Council will consider how each proposal creates enduring solutions, provides long-term affordable housing units, and transitions those experiencing homelessness into permanent housing. Consideration will include prior successful projects from applicants, experience in implementing proposals, and experience in operating proposed projects. The City will consider and evaluate projects with those goals in mind and will focus on awarding grants to entities whose proposals align with the following criteria as part of the evaluation process:

• Emphasis on creation of new permanent units, versus ongoing operations of existing units or creation of temporary units.
• Emphasis on maximizing the number of new units created.
• Focus on proposals that provide a diverse range of units for individuals, groups, and families all within the same project, and that provide affordable permanent housing units within market-rate projects in multiple locations throughout the City.
• Focus on proposals that provide units or services to groups other than those who may be chronically homeless and who may not qualify for other types of assistance, including but not limited to youth-oriented proposals, seniors, those with mobility challenges, veterans, and those who may not otherwise qualify as low-income but who may be at risk of homelessness or who are unable to find permanent housing due to housing costs.
• Focus on entities that have a plan for long-term sustainability once the City's funding is complete.
• Focus on projects that will have full funding with receipt of the City's funding or who will utilize City funding to leverage additional grant or other funding sources.
• Focus on homeless prevention projects targeted to those at risk of becoming homeless.
• Emphasis on proposals from entities with a demonstrated record of high success rate at permanently housing those that are homeless.
• Strong desire for proposals that create new services/projects within Spokane Valley.

The RFP and instructions to submit proposals through the City's ARPA portal are available atwww.SpokaneValley.org/grantfunding.Contact Sarah Farr for RFP information, [email protected] or (509) 720-5041.

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