1.9.1 RFI Questions and Answers_DR-4860-KY Direct Lease.pdf

RFI Questions Received DR-4860-KY Direct Lease

Q1: Among the 14 declared counties (Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike), which county currently has the highest anticipated demand for Direct Lease properties?

Response: Pike, Floyd, and Perry counties have the highest current need for Direct Housing (see Exhibit 1). FEMA is also interested in identifying potential Direct Lease options across all designated Direct Housing counties and surrounding areas.

Q2: Would FEMA prefer contractors to focus their initial efforts and property portfolios on specific high-need counties, or should we aim for geographic distribution across multiple counties?

Response: FEMA is looking for potential Direct Lease options across all counties designated for Direct Housing to meet the identified population's needs (see Exhibit 1). Contractors should prioritize properties near accessible public transportation and wrap-around services whenever possible.

Q3: Are there particular counties where FEMA anticipates challenges in securing adequate housing inventory?

Response: All counties (Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, and Perry) have limited rental resources, with most having three (3) or fewer rental resources available, which may make securing units more challenging.

Q4: Will this procurement result in a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) or similar multiple-award vehicle?

Response: This procurement will result in a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a twelve-month period of performance, consisting of a six-month base period and one six-month option period.

Q5: Is there an estimated number of homes that will be needed per county?

Response: See Exhibit 1.

Q6: Is there an FMR list per county?

Response: See Exhibit 2. Fair Market Rents (FMR), which is also available on the U. S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website at huduser.gov.

Q7: Can we expect to hear something on this RFI soon or what does that look like as things move forward?

Response: Contractors should monitor SAM.gov and email communications from FEMA for updates.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html https://sam.gov/

Exhibit 1: DR-4860-KY Direct Housing Need

County Current Need for Direct Housing Breathitt 1 Clay 2 Estill 4 Floyd 19 Harlan 2 Johnson 4 Knott 3 Leslie 5 Letcher 4 Martin 2 Perry 12 Pike 36 Grand Total 94

Exhibit 2: Rental Resource FMR RATES DR-4860-KY

Questions Asked Prior to Industry Day

Could FEMA please share:

• Estimated target number of units needed for Direct Lease under DR-4860-KY?

This target number is to be determined based on applicant need. However, a need for units in all FEMA Direct Housing declared counties is high priority.

• Historical average number of units leased under Direct Lease in prior Kentucky disasters?

Historically, there are challenges standing up any Direct Lease or MLR program in East Kentucky, due to limited available resources. However, if the market has changed, we would like to revisit those alternative options in this disaster, if possible.

• Past contract award values or CLIN structures for similar programs?

This is public information that can be found on public sources. We are not at the point at which we have determined CLIN structure. This is a request for information (RFI) only.

Confirm:

• Whether FEMA will accept new small business primes who coordinate multiple landlords, instead of owning units directly? – Needs clarification of the question.

• Can the prime aggregate units from multiple owners and PMs under one contract? -Needs clarification of the question.

• Are corporate apartments, vacation rentals, or second homes allowed, if they meet HUD habitability standards and are within the declared counties or 60-minute radius?

Yes, where possible, FEMA may avail the use those options. The housing solutions will need to be in the specified declared counties, and have access to wraparound services such as emergency service, grocery stores, public transportation, laundry facilities, schools, etc.

Clarify:

• Is the rental rate FEMA pays strictly HUD FMR, or can it vary by actual local market rate?

The rental rate will be set at HUD FMR.

• Will FEMA provide a mobilization / advance payment to cover initial onboarding and compliance setup? No.

• Will FEMA accept pay-when-paid subcontracts to manage cash flow risk?

Payments are made to Prime contractors not to sub-contractors.

Could FEMA share:

• Expected timeline to move from RFI → solicitation → award? To be determined.

• Expected duration of the lease (e.g., 18 months initial, renewable)?

The duration is 18 months start from Declaration date with possible extensions.

(Declaration Date and End of Program Date: February 25th,2025 to August 25th of 2025)

• Will FEMA provide standard lease templates to use with property owners?

Leases will need to be provided from the property owner as well as the templates that FEMA will supply.

Confirm:

• Does FEMA require units to include furnishings / living kits, or do units stay unfurnished?

Yes, FEMA will require that all unit be Furnished and have Living Kits.

• Does FEMA require the prime to provide 24-hour on-call maintenance, or is standard PM coverage acceptable?

• Will FEMA conduct pre-award site inspections, or rely on our compliance certifications & photos?

FEMA will not perform pre-award inspections. However, will require the vendors to provide us with HUD inspections checklist and photos of full unit, HVAC and appliances.

(External and Internal)

I saw the sources sought published on the SAM website. I have worked with FEMA direct lease in the past. Is there an estimated number of homes that will be needed per county? Is there an FMR list per county?

1. County Priority and Demand Distribution:

• Among the 14 declared counties (Breathitt, Clay, Estill, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike), which county currently has the highest anticipated demand for Direct Lease properties?

Currently we have not identified a specific county with the highest need for this Program.

FEMA would like to have a wide variety of options in all 14 declared counties.

• Would FEMA prefer contractors to focus their initial efforts and property portfolios on specific high-need counties, or should we aim for geographic distribution across multiple counties?

Being able to cast a wide net for a variety of resources would be the favorable option.

• Are there particular counties where FEMA anticipates challenges in securing adequate housing inventory?

Historically in this area of Eastern Kentucky we have not being able to locate a feasible number of resources. This would be a challenge not based solely on terrain but more so on availability.

2. Contract Structure and Vendor Selection:

• Will this procurement result in a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) or similar multiple-award vehicle? – To be determined.

• Understanding these details will help us better align our property identification efforts and capability statement with FEMA's operational priorities and procurement strategy.