Direct Lease RFQ Questions and Responses 4832-TN Final .pdf

Direct Lease RFQ Questions and Responses

1. Can you confirm if the counties listed in Attachment 2 (e.g., Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen) are the only eligible areas for this RFQ? Are there additional counties designated for assistance under DR-4832-TN? The following six counties are declared for Direct Housing assistance: Carter, Cocke, Green, Johnson, Washington, and Unicoi

2. Are there any proximity requirements for housing relative to FEMA field offices or disaster recovery centers within these counties? No, there are not any proximity requirements outside of being in a Direct Housing approved county.

3. Who determines the scope of ADA modifications required for compliance? Disability Integration & Individual Assistance Program will notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative of any modifications if necessary.

4. How are costs for retrofits calculated and reimbursed? The vendor will provide a quote for retrofitting the unit. The quote will be evaluated for price reasonableness. Payment will be issued after receipt and approval of submitted invoice.

5. What is the expected timeline for completing retrofits after units are identified?

Preferably 1 week.

6. Will FEMA inspect and approve all units before the performance start date of January 20, 2025? No, due to no period of performance date/ no contract awarded.

7. What are the expected timelines for finalizing contracts and preparing units for occupancy? FEMA intends to issue awards by the end of January 2025. ***Once a Contract is awarded, Individual Assistance (IA) Program will ensure each applicant that is eligible for Direct Housing assistance is carefully matched to a unit that meets their needs. Additionally, IA and Logistics will complete a Ready For Occupancy inspection before Move-In.

8. Should pet fees be included in the overall rental rate specified in the Pricing Template, or will these be handled separately as an additional cost to FEMA or the tenant? The tenant will be responsible for pet fees. Pet fees will not be covered by the contract.

9. If pet fees are included, should they be a flat rate or vary depending on the type and number of pets? Varies: That will be at the discretion of the Property Manager

10. Does our company need to be registered as a business entity in Tennessee to be eligible for this solicitation, or is active SAM.gov registration sufficient? A www.sam.gov registration is the only requirement of FEMA.

11. If state registration is required, what type of documentation or licensing should be submitted with the proposal? A www.sam.gov registration is the only requirement of

FEMA.

12. The RFQ specifies 46 units. Could you please confirm if FEMA is requesting exactly 46 units? Additionally, could you provide information on which specific county or counties these units are needed? Alternatively, should we quote 46 units in one of the mentioned counties, and after issuing the BPA, FEMA will send requests for quotations for each county based on availability? Yes, 46 units were requested. The units are needed in the six approved counties for Direct Housing Assistance: Cocke, Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Washington, and Greene.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

13. Regarding the pricing and schedule, the RFQ mentions a maximum allowance of 200%.

Does this mean the quote should not exceed 200% of the HUD fair market value schedule, or should we propose our pricing, with negotiations occurring afterward?

Quotes shall not exceed 200% of the established HUD fair market rate.

14. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services? No, there is currently no incumbent.

15. If so, could you kindly provide the contract number and the total contract value? Not applicable.

16. When paying the first month's rent and the last month's rent required by the landlord, will that payment be made by FEMA or the incoming tenant? FEMA will pay associated deposits for property.

17. Will different families be occupying the property during the one-year lease period? Yes, there is a potential this may occur.

18. Does the monthly rent in the table below include Monthly Unit Rental Rate, Property Management Fees, and Monthly Maintenance and utilities. The units being rented are required to be turnkey, meaning, fully furnished. The monthly unit rental rate includes the agreed-upon rate (acquired from HUD’s published Fair Market Rent, or FMR), along with the following fees and their percentages, which are added to the agreed upon rate on a monthly basis to cover the associated costs:

• Property management fee 10%

• Maintenance 7%

• Utilities 11%.

19. “Contractor and DHS-FEMA shall evaluate each property to ensure the property is safe, sanitary, secure, and functional.” Q: If Contractor not physically present for property evaluation, can someone else (i.e. leasing agent from leasing office) evaluate the property with the FEMA agent, on the contractor’s behalf? The Vender and FEMA will conduct the HUD inspection after an award is granted. The Property Manager may attend the inspection of the unit.

20. “The monthly cost per unit may not exceed the amounts established in Figure 1 below” Q: Are costs in Figure 1 for units only, or are the costs inclusive or furniture, utilities, contractor profit margin, ect? FEMA will pay up to 200% of HUD’s published Fair Market Rent (FMR) this pricing applies to rent only. The units being rented are required to be turnkey, meaning, fully furnished.

The following fees, along with their percentages, are added to the FMR on a monthly basis to cover the associated costs:

• Property management fee 10%

• Maintenance 7%

• Utilities 11%.

21. All damages above the cost of monthly rent shall be the responsibility of the contractor and or applicant.” Q: Is Contractor able to hold the applicant's credit card on file, in case of damages above the cost of monthly rent? FEMA pays the Security Deposit. Any damage costs that exceeds the deposit will be the responsibility of the tenant.

Perro, Corey Table not attached to the answer document.

Hoyt, Karley This question was regarding the table outlining the FMRs. Does the 200% increase cover maintenance, utilities, etc? Or just the rent?

Perro, Corey Question 18 has been updated to better reflect the various fees covered in the monthly payment and their percentages.

Perro, Corey Figure 1 was not attached to this answer doc, however, the IGCE was used as a reference.

Hoyt, Karley Its the FMR table

22. “DHS-FEMA will also inform each applicant of the next steps towards their placement in a Direct Lease Unit, such as having background checks for properties that require it.” Q:

All properties require a criminal background check on applicants age 18+, and most require a credit screening as well. Will FEMA accept properties if a credit screening is required? That is, should Contractor offer up properties that require both a criminal and credit screening on all applicants, or properties that require criminal screening only and wave the credit screening? Yes, FEMA will accept properties that require credit screenings and background checks. Additionally, FEMA will prioritize properties that do not require background and credit checks.

23. Q: Is document 2.2.1+Attachment+1+-+DR-4832- TN+Direct+Lease+Property+Tracking+Sheet to be completed and submitted with the quote? Yes.