Emergency_and_Transitional_Housing_Operator.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2024-82

EMERGENCY AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OPERATOR

City of Newark

47-63 Green Street, 1st Level

Newark, NJ 07102

RELEASE DATE: December 13, 2024

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: December 23, 2024

RESPONSE DEADLINE: January 9, 2025, 10:15 am

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/newarknj https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

City of Newark

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator

I. Legal Notice II. Introduction

III. Instruction to Proposers IV. RFP Standard Information V. Proposer Qualifications

VI. Project Details VII. Evaluation Criteria

VIII. Vendor Submissions

Attachments:

A - Letter of Qualification and Letter of Intent

B - Vendor Submission Forms

C - W-9 (March2024)

Request for Proposals #2024-82 Title: Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator

1. Legal Notice

1.1. Notice

CITY OF NEWARK

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed proposals will be received by the Division of Central Purchasing on

Thursday, January 9, 2025, up to and until 10:15 am (prevailing time) in the City’s electronic procurement portal at which time proposals will be opened and read in public for:

2024-82Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator

Specifications and other proposal information may be obtained on the City’s electronic procurement portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj.

Proposals shall be submitted via the City's electronic procurement portal:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj. Any proposal received after 10:15 A.M. shall not be accepted. Only electronic proposals shall be accepted.

Respondents are required to comply with N.J.S.A. 10:5-31, et seq., P.L. 1975, c. 127, N.J.A.C. 17:27-1 et seq., and all other applicable laws, regulations, or ordinances concerning affirmative action goals and equal employment opportunity.

The City of Newark reserves the right to reject any and all proposals in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:11-

4, 40A:11-13.2 and 40A:11-23.2, and waive minor informalities not considered material defects under

N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.

The City of Newark will conduct and broadcast the bid opening in real time at the Division of Central

Purchasing. Respondents and the public have the option of remotely accessing and viewing the bid opening through a Zoom conference with visual and audio capability. Bidders may join the virtual bid opening using the information below:

https://zoom.us/join

Meeting ID: 949 706 0885

If there are any questions regarding the bid opening process, please contact the Division of Central

Purchasing at 973-733-3776.

Juan Uribe, QPA

Purchasing Agent https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj

2. Introduction

2.1. Summary

The City of Newark, NJ will receive RFP responses via the City's e-Procurement Portal for 2024-82, Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator. RFP responses will be received until 10:15 am on

Thursday, January 9, 2025 and then publicly opened and read aloud. Any proposal received after 10:15 am shall not be accepted in the OpenGov system.

Only electronic proposals shall be accepted.

NOTE: It is important to note that this process should be completed well in advance of the bid deadline / bid opening. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. The City's electronic procurement portal will not allow electronic bids to be submitted once the deadline has passed, even if you've already started the process. The deadline is based on the countdown timer found on the OpenGov bid submission page.

2.2. Contact Information

Project Contact:

Joanette Hinnant

Senior Buyer

47-63 Green Street

Newark, NJ 07102

Email: hinnantj@ci.newark.nj.us

Phone: (973) 733-3777

Procurement Contact:

Joanette Hinnant

Senior Buyer

47-63 Green Street

Newark, NJ 07102

Email: hinnantj@ci.newark.nj.us

Phone: (973) 733-3777

Department:

Division of Central Purchasing

Department Head:

Juan B. Uribe

Purchasing Agent

2.3. Timeline

Release Project Date December 13, 2024 mailto:hinnantj@ci.newark.nj.us tel:(973)733-3777 mailto:hinnantj@ci.newark.nj.us tel:(973)733-3777

Question Submission Deadline December 23, 2024, 12:00pm

Submission Deadline January 9, 2025, 10:15am

3. Instruction to Proposers

3.1. Project Overview

The City seeks Proposals from qualified individuals or organizations with experience providing

Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator

3.2. Contract Term.

The contract term is For twelve (12) consecutive months with One (1) One (1) year option to renew.]

3.3. Single Point of Contact.

From the date this RFP is issued until a proposer is selected and the selection is announced by the

Purchasing Agent, proposers may not communicate with any City staff, commissioners or officials regarding this procurement, except at the direction of the Purchasing Agent in charge of the solicitation.

Any unauthorized contact may disqualify the proposer from further consideration. Contact information for the single point of contact can be found in the #Introduction.

3.4. Review RFP.

Proposers should carefully review all instructions, mandatory requirements, specifications, standard terms and conditions set out in this RFP and promptly notify the Purchasing Agent identified above in writing of any ambiguity, inconsistency , unduly restrictive specifications, or error which they discovered upon examination of this RFP. This should include any terms or requirements within the RFP that either preclude the proposer from responding to this RFP or add unnecessary cost.

This notification must be accompanied by an explanation and suggested modification and be received by the deadline for receipt of inquires set forth below. The City will make any final determination of changes to the RFP.

3.5. Form of Questions.

Proposers with questions or requiring clarification or interpretation of any section within this RFP must address these questions in writing, via the ProcureNow Question/Answer Tab via the City's e-

Procurement portal, on or before, Monday, December 23, 2024 by 12:00 pm. Each question must provide clear reference to the section, page, and item in question. Questions received after the deadline may not be considered. All questions submitted and answers provided shall be electronically distributed to bidders following this solicitation on the City's e-Procurement Portal.

3.6. City Response.

The City will provide written answers to proposers’ questions. Any other form of interpretation, correction, or change to this RFP will not be binding.

3.7. Pre-Proposal Conference

No pre-proposal conference is scheduled.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/newarknj/projects/134745/document?section=1212996

3.8. Acceptance of Standard Terms and Conditions/Contract.

By submitting a response to this RFP, proposer agrees to acceptance of the standard terms and conditions as set out in this RFP. Much of the language included in the standard terms and conditions reflects requirements of New Jersey law. Requests for additions or exceptions to the standard terms and conditions including any necessary licenses, or any added provisions must be submitted via the e-

Procurement Portal by the date for receipt of written questions and must be accompanied by an explanation of why the exception is being sought and what specific effect it will have on the proposer’s ability to respond to the RFP or perform the contract. Any material exceptions requested and granted to the standard terms and conditions language will be addressed in any formal written addendum issued for this RFP and will apply to all proposers submitting a response to this RFP. The City will make any final determination of changes to the standard terms and conditions.

3.9. Resulting Contract.

This RFP and any addenda, the proposer’s RFP response, including any amendments and any clarification question responses, shall be included in any resulting contract. The City’s contract contains the contract terms and conditions which will form the basis of any contract between the City and the selected proposer. In the event of a dispute as to the duties and responsibilities of the parties under this contract, the contract, along with any attachments prepared by the City, will govern in the same order of precedence as listed in the contract.

3.10. Mandatory Requirements.

To be eligible for consideration, a proposer must meet the intent of all mandatory requirements. The

City will determine whether a proposer’s RFP response complies with the intent of the requirements.

RFP responses that do not meet the full intent of all requirements listed in this RFP may be subject to point reductions during the evaluation process or may be deemed non-responsive.

3.11. Understanding of Specifications and Requirements.

By submitting a response to this RFP, proposer agrees to an understanding of and compliance with the specifications and requirements described in this RFP.

3.12. Proposer’s Signature.

The proposals must be submitted by an individual authorized to legally bind the business submitting the proposal. The proposer’s submission of a proposal in response to this RFP guarantees that the offer bas been established without collision and without effort to preclude the City from obtaining the best possible supply or service. Proof of authority of the person signing the RFP response must be furnished upon request.

3.13. Offer in Effect for sixty (60) Days.

A proposal may not be modified, withdrawn or canceled by the proposer for a sixty (60) day period following the deadline for proposal submission as defined in the Schedule of Events and proposer agrees in submitting the proposal.

3.14. Pay-to-Play Disclosure.

Business entities are advised of their responsibility to file an annual disclosure statement of political contributions with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) pursuant to N.J.S.A.

19:44A-20.27, if they receive contracts in excess of $50,000.00 from public entities in a calendar year.

Business entities are responsible for determining if filing is necessary. Additional information on this requirement is available from ELEC at 888-313-3532 or www.elec.state.nj.us.

3.15. Submitting a Proposal.

A. Content of Proposal. Proposer should address all requests for information and qualifications set forth in this RFP.

B. Failure to Comply with Instructions. Proposers failing to comply with the instructions in this RFP may be subject to point deductions.

C. Copies Required and Deadline for Receipt of Proposals. Proposers must submit one (1) proposal to the City via the e-Procurement Portal prior to 10:15 am on Thursday, January 9, 2025.

D. Late Proposals. Regardless of cause, late proposals will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the proposer’s sole risk to assure submission by the designated time. Late proposals will not be accepted in ProcureNow system.

3.16. Cost of Preparing a Proposal.

A. City Not Responsible for Preparation Costs. The costs for developing and delivering responses to this RFP and any subsequent presentations of the proposal as requested by the City are entirely the responsibility of the proposer. The City is not liable for any expense incurred by the proposer in the preparation and presentation of their proposal or any other costs incurred by the proposer prior to execution of a contract.

B. All Timely Submitted Materials Become City Property. All materials submitted in response to this

RFP becomes the property of the City.

4. RFP Standard Information

4.1. Authority

This RFP is issued under the authority of the City of Newark. The RFP process is a procurement option allowing the award to be based on the attached Evaluation Criteria. No other evaluation criteria, other than as outlined in the RFP, will be used.

4.2. Proposer Competition

The City encourages free and open competition among proposers. Whenever possible, the City will design specifications, proposal requests, and conditions to accomplish this objective, consistent with the necessity to satisfy the City’s need to procure technically sound, cost-effective services and supplies.

4.3. Public Information

All information received in response to this RFP, including copyrighted material, subject to public disclosure and may be made available for public viewing after the time for receipt of proposals has passed with the following four exceptions: (1) bona fide trade secrets meeting the requirements of the

Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Title 30, chapter 14, part 4, MCA, that have been properly marked, separated, and documented; (2) matters involving individual safety as determined by the City; (3) any company financial information requested by the City to determine vendor responsibility, unless prior written consent has been given by the proposer and (4) other constitutional protections, or as otherwise not subject to disclosure according to OPRA guidelines.

4.4. Purchasing Agent Review of Proposals

Upon opening the proposals received in response to this RFP, the Purchasing Agent in charge of the solicitation will review the proposals and separate out any information that meets the referenced exceptions in Section 2.2.1 above, providing the following conditions have been met:

• Confidential information is clearly marked and separated from the rest of the proposal.

• The proposal does not contain confidential material in the cost or price section.

• An affidavit from a proposer’s legal counsel attesting to and explaining the validity of any trade secret claim asserted by the proposer.

Information separated out under this process will be available for review only by the Purchasing Agent, the evaluation committee members, and limited other designees. Proposers must be prepared to pay all legal costs and fees associated with defending a claim for confidentiality in the event of an open public records request from another party.

4.5. Initial Classification of Proposals as Responsive or Non-Responsive

All proposals will initially be classified as either “responsive” or “non-responsive.” Proposals may be found non-responsive any time during the evaluation process if any of the required information is not provided; the submitted price is found to be excessive or inadequate as measured by attached

Evaluation Criteria; or the proposal is not within the plans and specifications described and required in the RFP. If a proposal is found to be non-responsive, it may be subject to point deductions.

4.6. Determination of Responsibility

The City will determine whether a proposer has met the standards of responsibility. Such a determination may be made at any time during the evaluation process if information surfaces that would result in a determination of non-responsibility. If a proposer is found non-responsive, the determination must be in writing, made a part of the procurement file and mailed to the affected proposer.

4.7. Evaluation of Proposals

The City will evaluate the proposals and recommend whether to award the contract to the firm determined to best meet the needs of the City or, if necessary, to seek discussion in order to determine the firm to be selected. All responsive proposals will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria.

The City may consider such factors as accepted industry standards and a comparative evaluation of all other qualified RFP responses in terms of differing quality and contractual factors. These will be used to determine the most advantageous offering to the City.

4.8. Completeness of Proposals

Selection and award will be based on the proposer’s proposal and other items outlined in this RFP.

Submitted responses may not include references to information located elsewhere, such as internet websites or libraries, unless specifically requested. Information or materials presented by proposers outside the formal response or subsequent discussion may not be considered.

4.9. Opportunity for Discussion and/or Oral Presentation/Product Demonstration

After receipt of all proposals and prior to the determination of the award, the City may initiate discussions with one or more proposers should clarification be necessary. Proposers may also be required to make an oral presentation and/or product demonstration to clarify their RFP response or to further define their offer. In either case, proposers should be prepared to send qualified personnel to the City of Newark to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the proposal. Oral presentations/demonstrations, if requested, shall be at the proposer’s expense.

4.10. Contract Award

Contract awards, if any, will be made to the proposer who the City determines who best can provide the services required and provides all required documents. Formal contracts incorporating this RFP, including attachments hereto, and the selected proposals, will be executed by all parties

4.11. Termination of Contract

The City reserves the right to terminate any contract entered into as a result of this RFP provided written notice has been given to the proposer at least thirty (30) days prior to such proposed termination date.

4.12. Excise and Sales Tax

The prices herein shall not include any Federal or Excise Taxes of Sales Tax imposed by any state or municipal government. All taxes must be deducted from prices quoted and must be shown separately under items where applicable. The City will not furnish Federal Tax Exemption certificates unless the tax is shown separately. The City's purchase order (Vendor's Copy) will serve as the State Tax Exemptions

Form.

4.13. Statutes and Ordinance

No officer, or employee, elected or appointed in any municipality shall be interested directly, or indirectly, in any contract or job for work or materials, or the profits thereof, or services to be furnished or performed for such municipality (R.S. 40:69A 163 Chap.210--P.L. 1950).

Pursuant to P.L. 1971, c. 198 (40A:11-18) the proposer must agree to comply with the provision of

American goods and products to be used where possible.

On all contracts for public works, the respondent must comply with the provisions of R.S. 34:11-56, et.

seq., which law provides that laborers, workers and mechanics while engaged on work under the contract shall work not more than eight hours in any one day, except as otherwise provided for in said statute, and that the prevailing rate of daily wages in the locality where the work is performed shall be paid to the mechanics, workmen and laborers engaged in the work under the contract. It is understood and agreed by the Contractor that, in addition to the abovementioned provision, the said Contractor will obey and comply with the Laws of the State of New Jersey, and in the event said Contractor shall violate the provisions of New Jersey State Statutes Annotated, R.S. 34:11-56, and Chapter 213, Public Laws of the State of New Jersey 1962, or any other statutes of the State of New Jersey, then this contract shall be voided at the option of the City of Newark. The Contractor shall pay to all mechanics, workmen and laborers employed in the work contained under this contract the prevailing rate of wages pursuant to the provisions of New Jersey Statutes Annotated; R.S. 34:11-56 and shall further comply with all of the provisions of New Jersey Statutes Annotated; R.S. 34:11-56. The Contractor further agrees that he shall comply with Chapter 213, Public Laws of the State of New Jersey 1962. The provisions of same shall be considered part of these specifications. It is further understood and agreed that all labor employed by the Contractor on this project shall be such as will work with other trades employed on the project so that there will be no dissension between trades. All labor employed on this project shall conform to local labor Union practices.

Pursuant to Revised Statutes 10:2-1 et seq., Respondent agrees that:

• In the hiring of persons for the performance of work under this contract or any subcontract hereunder, or for the procurement, manufacture, assembling or furnishing of any such materials, equipment, supplies or services to be acquired under this contract, no contractor, nor any person acting on behalf of such contractor or subcontractor, shall, by reason of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation or sex, discriminate against any person who is qualified and available to perform the work to which the employment relates.

• No contractor, subcontractor, nor any person on his behalf shall, in any manner, discriminate against or intimidate any employee engaged in the performance of work under this contract or any subcontract hereunder, or engaged in the procurement, manufacture, assembling or furnishing of any such materials, equipment, supplies or services to be acquired under such contract, on account of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation or sex.

• There may be deducted from the amount payable to the contractor by the contracting public agency, under this contract, a penalty of $ 50.00 for each person for each calendar day during which such person is discriminated against or intimidated in violation of the provisions of the contract.

• This contract may be canceled or terminated by the contracting public agency, and all money due or to become due hereunder may be forfeited, for any violation of this section of the contract occurring after notice to the contractor from the contracting public agency of any prior violation of this section of the contract.

• This contract may be canceled or terminated by the City of Newark, and all money due or becomes due hereunder may be forfeited, for a second or any subsequent violation of the terms or conditions of this section of the contract.

All contracts and purchases of materials and supplies are subject to the provisions of Section 2:4-14 of the City Administration Code, Revised Ordinances of the City of Newark, New Jersey, which follows:

(a) All contracts hereafter made by or on behalf of the City of Newark or any of its departments or subdivisions with any corporation, person or persons for the performance of any kind of work or the sale, furnishing or delivery of any material or supplies of any nature shall contain a provision that the laborers, workers and mechanics engaged in said work or in the manufacture, sale or delivery of said material or supplies shall not work more than eight hours in any one day while so engaged; and that the said laborers, workers and mechanics shall be paid the prevailing rate of wages for the type of work to be done in the territory in which it is to be performed; and shall contain a further provision that the violation of the foregoing provision shall constitute a breach of the Contract, and that the said foregoing provision shall be considered to be a contractor for the benefit of said workers, laborers and mechanics upon which said laborers, workers and mechanics shall have the right to maintain action for the difference between the prevailing rate of wages and the wages actually received by them; and all such contracts shall contain the further provision that in case any dispute arises as to the amount of the prevailing rate of wage, said dispute shall be referred to the Commissioner of Labor of the State or to such person as will be designated by said Commissioner of Labor as an arbitrator to settle said dispute, the parties to be bound by decision of such arbitrator.

(b) All advertisements for Request for Proposals and all specifications in pursuance of any law requiring the advertisement for Request for Proposals shall include specific reference to this section.

4.14. City’s Rights Reserved

While the City has every intention to award contracts as a result of this RFP, issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the City to award and execute any contract. Upon a determination that such action would be in its best interest, the City, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel or terminate this RFP; reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP; waive any undesirable, inconsequential, or inconsistent provisions of this RFP which would not have significant impact on any proposal; not award if it is in the best interest of the City not to proceed with contract execution; or if awarded, terminate any contract if the City determines adequate funds are not available.

4.15. Non-Discrimination in Employment

The proposer shall agree to comply with all Federal and State legislation and regulations governing Fair

Employment Practice, including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, Executive

Order 11246 September 1965 and the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

No employee of the City of Newark or a member of the immediate family of an employee of the City of

Newark may submit a proposal for this contract, nor should an employee of the City of Newark be an employee of the contractor submitting a proposal on this contract.

4.16. Indemnification and Insurance

The proposer shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless all City members and agents of the City against claims, demands, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) without limitation, and claims of personal or bodily injury or death. The proposer shall maintain for the duration of the contract, at its own expense, insurance as required in the Scope of Work.

4.17. Primary Insurance

The bidder’s insurance coverage shall be primary insurance with respect to the City of Newark, its officers, officials, employees, volunteers and program participants and shall apply separately to each project or location. Any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the city of Newark, its officers, officials, employees, volunteers and program participants shall be excess of the bidder/vendor’s insurance.

4.18. Additional Insured Status

The City of Newark is to be listed as additional insured for liability arising out of activities performed by or on behalf of the bidder/vendor. This can be achieved by providing (A) and (B) below:

A. The following language on the face of the insurance certificate: The City of Newark is included as additional insured.

B. Provide the City with a copy of the Additional Insured Broad Endorsement Form.

4.19. Worker’s Compensation Insurance

Workers Compensation insurance shall be maintained in full force during the life of the contract, covering all employees engaged in performance of the contract pursuant to N.J.S.A. 34:15-12(a) and

N.J.A.C. 12:235-1.6.

4.20. General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance shall be provided with limits of not less than $200,000 any one person and

$300,000 any one accident for bodily injury and $100,000 aggregate for property damage, and shall be maintained in full force during the life of the contract.

4.21. Other Provisions

1. Both parties agree to comply with all requirements of the Federal Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability act of 1996 (“HIPPA”) as may be amended from time to time, and the corresponding

HIPPA regulations for the confidentiality and security of medical information. If awarded the bid, the contract shall:

• Not share or disclose protected health information other than as permitted or required by law

• Use appropriate safeguards to protect the confidentiality of the information

• Report any use or disclosure not permitted

Proposer, by execution of the contract, shall thereby indemnify and hold the City of Newark harmless from any and all liabilities, claims, actions, costs and penalties which may be incurred as the result of the failure of the contractor to comply with the requirements of HIPPA or any other statute or case law protecting the privacy of persons using its services.

2. The City of Newark shall retain all of its rights and interest in any and all documents and property both hard copy and digital furnished by the City to the successful proposer (contractor) for the purpose of assisting the contractor in the performance of the contract. None of the documents and/or property shall, without the written consent of the City, be disclosed to others or used by the contractor or permitted by the contractor to be used by their parties at any time except in the performance of the resulting contract.

3. Award of any contract pursuant to these specifications shall in all cases be subject to availability of funds duly appropriated for these purposes. Any contract as awarded shall immediately cease to be in effect at such time as funds cease to be available for these purposes.

4. Proposers shall comply with the applicable regulations of the Secretary of Labor, United States

Department of Labor, made pursuant to the so-called "Anti- Kickback Act" of June 13, 1934 (48 Stat.

948:62 State. 862; title 18 U.S.C., Sec 874; and Title 40 U.S.C. Section 276c) and any amendments or modifications thereto.

5. Proof of licensure for any activity regulated by the State of New Jersey and required to do the work required under this specification, for either the firm or the person responsible for the work, shall be provided as required by the City of Newark.

4.22. Payment Terms

Although total contract costs will not be the determining factor, budget or allocations of funds will be considered.

• For the Services set forth in the Scope of Work, the Proposer shall submit a Rate Schedule for services related to the Proposal (cost details), including the hourly rate of each of the individuals who will be performing the services.

• The Proposer shall be paid hourly rates for typical classification of personnel for the program.

The Proposer shall provide with its statement of qualifications a list of all persons anticipated to provide work on the contract and their job classifications.

• The Proposer shall submit a detailed invoice, including hours of work performed, rates and disbursements, including incidental costs. Proposer shall execute the standard City purchase order as a requirement for payment.

5. Proposer Qualifications

5.1. References

Proposers shall provide a minimum of three (3) references that are using services of the type proposed in this RFP. The references may include the state, county government or municipalities where the proposer, preferably within the last three (3) years, has successfully completed three (3) contracts of this type. At a minimum, the proposer shall provide the entities name, the location where the services were provided, contact person(s), contact’s position, customer’s telephone number, a complete description of the service type, dates the services were provided, and cost of services. These references may be contacted to verify proposer’s ability to perform the contract. The City reserves the right to use any information or additional references deemed necessary to establish the ability of the proposer to perform the conditions of the contract.

5.2. Resumes/Company Profile and Experience

Proposer shall specify how long the individual/company submitting the proposal has been in the business of providing services similar to those requested in this RFP and under what company name. A resume or summary of qualifications, work experience, education, skills, etc., which emphasizes previous experience in this area should be provided for all key personnel who will be involved with any aspects of the contract.

5.3. Detail and Supporting Documentation

Contractor will provide sufficient detail, information, supporting documentation or examples of the following:

• Name of Individual assigned primary responsibility for the project.

• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of anticipated sub-contractors.

• Organization’s experience with governmental agencies: Federal, State, County, and Local.

• Detail experience in administering similar projects. Explain the extent of your experience, how each element is addressed and whether the service is done in-house or contracted out.

• Describe how your firm ensures good communication with clients (client report mechanisms, etc.)

• Has contractor worked with New Jersey counties or municipalities on previous projects? Is contractor familiar with the terrain of the City of Newark?

5.4. General Abilities/Method of Providing Services

Proposer should provide a description of the work plan and the methods to be used that will convincingly demonstrate to the City what the proposer intends to do, the ability to accomplish the work, and how the work will be accomplished.

• The proposal submitted in response to the RFP may be used as an example of a professional document produced by the contractor.

• The contractor should have experience in all aspects of administering similar projects.

Contractor and staff must be familiar with Federal and State statutes, regulations, and procedures.

• The contractor must have the ability to work with the government agencies at various levels, Federal, State, and Local. History of good working relationships with counties and municipalities, specifically in New Jersey is helpful.

6. Project Details

6.1. Important Instructions for Electronic Submittal

The City of Newark is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders shall create a FREE account with

ProcureNow by signing up at https://secure.procurenow.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Submit Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

6.2. Emergency and Transitional Housing Operator

City of Newark Office of the Mayor Homeless Division

Riviera Hotel

Emergency and Transitional Housing Program

Request for Proposals (RFP)

THE PATH HOME

In recognition that homelessness is a crisis, the City of Newark's Strategic Plan on Homelessness provides achievable recommendations to end chronic homelessness. Importantly, the outcomes are measurable, in order to monitor progress. During the pandemic, the crisis of homelessness became more apparent. The city and its providers rose to the challenges presented to serve those most in need.

New opportunities became available along with new funding streams. The homeless services delivery system was faced with unprecedented challenges, and they responded. Successful approaches were tried, and lessons were shared on what worked. This plan builds off the momentum built during the pandemic that cut through barriers to deliver services under difficult circumstances and seeks to address the most pressing challenges going forward.

Through a comprehensive planning process, the city developed a vision: Newark will strive to end chronic homelessness for all individuals over the next three years through collaboration, prevention, and housing and when it cannot be prevented it will be a rare, brief and a nonrecurring experience. The homelessness landscape is constantly shifting, and Newark needs a plan that can adapt. The homelessness strategic plan lays the foundation to address chronic homelessness by developing a more proactive service system that prevents housing loss when possible, quickly shelters and stabilizes those https://secure.procurenow.com/signup in need, and promptly facilitates connection back to permanent housing with any necessary supportive services.

A key part of the plan's implementation will be the consistent review of data and outcomes. Newark will leverage new data resources and community partnerships to see what is working and adjustment as needed. We are committed to taking action to address homelessness over the next three years and community feedback will continue to be a critical component of the plan's implementation. In order to address the complex needs of this population we're seeking to partner with emergency shelters that are aligned with the key strategies of this plan.

KEY STRATEGIES

As outlined in our plan and as demonstrated over the past year, the City is seeking to identify high-quality Emergency Housing Services that will improve access for the unsheltered and transform the culture in shelters to better support residents in their transition to housing stability through the following key strategies:

A. Improve shelter conditions and experience by setting clear expectations and policies, including consistent and accessible grievance policies and protocols, and expectations for length of stay.

B. Implement staff-wide training on de-escalation techniques and other best practices like motivational interviewing to improve engagement and support for shelter residents

C. Integrate employment and income resources to support transition to housing.

D. Implement a housing-focused model with trained housing navigators to help clients find housing and move out of shelter and track and monitor outcomes such as reducing the average length of stay, improving exits to permanent housing, and decreasing recidivism.

E. Create partnerships to provide connections to behavioral health services onsite or via telehealth.

F. Integrate CoC's Coordinated Entry program to improve access to housing options for residents.

G. Provide private room options for the hardest to house residents.

PURPOSE

The Mayor's Office of Homeless Services (OHS) is seeking proposals from not-for-profit organizations to operate a sixty-five (65) Bed Emergency Housing and sixty-five (65)

Transitional Housing program for Newark residents at the Riviera Hotel located at 169 Clinton Ave

Newark, NJ. The organization must be a licensed, qualified, non-profit organization with experience providing temporary housing with supportive services to homeless Newark residents.

EXPERIENCE

• The contractor must have tax-exempt not-for-profit status under 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code.

• The contractor and/or sub-contractors, if any, would have at least three (3) years of successful demonstrated experience, within the last six (6) years, in providing social services to vulnerable populations and homeless residents, low-barrier homeless residences and/or low-income housing programs.

• The contractor and/or subcontractors, if any, would have the organizational capability to manage the administrative, social service, and financial components of this program.

• The contractor must have a license to operate temporary sheltering services in New

• If applicable, a current license to operate hotel, motel issued by the Department of

Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards

• The contractor must have applicable certificates from local and state authorities, including but not limited to Occupancy, Sanitary, Are Code, Sprinklers. and Pest Control.

PROGRAM INTAKE

Public Assistance

• This City of Newark is the payor of last resort; therefore, the contractor must ensure that residents apply for all benefits that they may be eligible for, including Division of Family

Assistance and Benefits (DFAB), Social Services for the Homeless (SSH), Ryan White or HOPWA

Housing Services, and other benefits that assist in securing emergency housing.

• The contractor must provide OHS with documentation that residents applied to these programs within three (3) business dates from intake.

Intake/Orientation

• The contractor would only accept residents referred to the respective residence by OHS or partnering organizations; all OHS-referred residents will be accepted into the program on a twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) day a week basis.

• The contractor will accept referrals during a Code Blue or Red declaration as defined by the City of Newark and County of Essex.

• The contractor would conduct a basic needs interview for incoming residents at entry and an extensive housing and service plan completed in seven (7) calendar days by the designated Case

Manager and Housing Navigator.

• The contractor would orient new residents to the facility, which includes, but is not limited to, explaining program expectations, providing new residents with a list of rights and responsibilities, OHS' grievance complaint procedure, housekeeping items, and assigning them to their placement.

• The contractor would provide each client with a thorough explanation of the OHS Rights and

Code of Conduct statement. The signing of the statement would initiate the resident's understanding of this process.

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Health Services

• The contractor would establish a relationship via a medical linkage agreement with a fully accredited medical institution or clinic for referral and care coordination of residents and emergency treatment. Whenever possible, a clinic that has experience in serving homeless individuals should be selected.

• The contractor would develop infection control protocol with approval of the Newark

Department of Health Community Wellness to ensure that communicable diseases are promptly identified; the medical provider is contacted immediately, or the resident sent to the hospital, and that those affected are isolated, if appropriate.

• The contractor would ensure that at least one (1) staff person with first-aid and CPR and Opioid

Overdose Prevention Response training would be on duty at all times.

• The contractor would provide access to sharps disposal containers for residents who use needles to inject medications.

• The contractor would provide access to a lockable refrigerator in a secure area for residents who may be on medications that require refrigeration.

• The contractor would refer to psychiatric outpatient services and substance use services, including medication-assisted treatment for opiate dependence, syringe exchange programs, detoxification services, residential rehabilitation, and smoking cessation counseling and tools.

• The contractor would develop and implement an appropriate and effective plan for emergency response, and for transferring clients to hospitals or clinics for treatment when necessary.

Food Services

• Consistent with N.J.A.C. 5:15-3.4 Client Services: facilities with children, Class Ill and shelters for all-day adult and individual sheltering Class I must provide access to three meals a day.

• Consistent with N.J.A.C. 5:15-3.4 (c) every Class Ill emergency shelter providing food shall have a space for dining and leisure activity.

• The contractor is responsible for obtaining any necessary Food Service Handling or

Establishment permits.

• The contractor may choose to partner with Community Food Bank of NJ (CFBNJ) providers, sub-contract with experienced food service vendors or, in locations with appropriate commercial kitchens, the contractor may propose preparing food on site.

• A kitchen or food preparation area must be well lit, ventilated with adequate equipment and include a refrigerator and stove jn good working order.

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES

Case Management

The contractor must designate Case Managers in their emergency housing site to provide the following supports or activities:

• Engage residents in educational and/or vocational training, mental health and substance use services, and other services.

• Leverage resources from the local community in order to support clients and their ability to live independently and attain stable and/or increased earnings.

Counseling clients when confronting issues adversely affecting their lives (e.g., mental illness, addiction, abuse, loss).

• Establishing and maintaining working relationships with public agencies concerning public benefits, employment services, and other supportive services.

• In partnership with Housing Navigators, Case Managers would connect clients to opportunities in the community based on their needs and promote stable employment earnings and public assistance, where needed, to sustain permanent housing. Utilize HMIS to regularly conduct intakes, needs assessments, create and monitor service plans, and record case notes. • Prepare service engagement reports.

Housing Navigation

The contractor must designate (1) Housing Navigator for every thirty-five (35) residents in their emergency housing site to support residents in their transition into housing and meet housing placement targets set by the OHS. The Housing Navigator will perform the following functions:

• Develop a housing stability plan in partnership with Case Managers that connect the client to stable housing.

• Ensure that each resident is obtaining and completing appropriate housing applications, including local, county, and state affordable housing programs and following up on housing appointments.

• Provide appropriate forms to document housing search efforts, and verify all housing rejections, including the reason for rejections.

• Prepare clients for housing and program interviews and accompany clients on housing searches, when appropriate.

• Maintaining relationships with landlords/brokers, housing partners, and other housing-related community organizations.

• Securing a pool of available apartments of all sizes and rent levels to be offered to residents.

• Assist residents throughout the entire housing process, including submitting an application, meeting prospective landlords and programs, lease signing, and moving activities.

• Meeting regularly with assigned residents about their housing plans. Preparing housing status and placement reports.

Shelter Monitoring

• The contractor wilt station residential monitors twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week on all floors, common areas, and facilities to support the needs of residents and ensure a safe and secure facility.

• The responsibilities of monitors include but are not limited to program admissions, meal and service support, safety inspections, communication logs, emergency response, and conflict de-escalation.

STAFFING PLAN

• The contractor would employ adequate staffing to ensure operational success, this must include a Shelter Director or Manager and other required staff.

• The contractor must ensure an appropriate staff ratio for key positions, including security, case managers, housing navigators, and other critical staff.

• The contractor must hire supervising staff with a minimum of 1 year of experience supervising a homeless shelter facility (N.J.A.C. 5:15-1.1 et seq), a minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited College or an Associate's degree plus two years of relevant experience for case managers, and GED or a High School Diploma for all other staff.

• The contractor's proposed staff would have the appropriate qualifications to effectively provide the requisite services to meet the needs of the target population (ex.

de-escalation and crisis intervention experience) and have opportunities for ongoing professional development and training.

• Appropriate staff would have a level of computer literacy that allows them to perform case management and operational functions in HMIS.

• The contractor would employ mechanisms for providing ongoing and consistent staff supervision, ensuring adequate staff coverage (provide staffing schedule including back-up staff, and justifications for each position), procedures for evaluating staff performance and protocols for employee discipline and termination.

• The contractor would hire staff that are culturally sensitive and able to communicate in the languages of the clients being served including language line and certified sign language interpretation services.

• The contractor would have the capacity to maintain staffing levels within established guidelines.

The contractor may not hire shelter residents as case managers or other shelter staff.

SECURITY, FACILITIES, AND BUILDING MANAGEMENT

Security and Emergencies

• The contractor would create a security plan that is approved by the Newark Police

Department and follows New Jersey Department of Community Affairs regulations.

• The proposed security plan would delineate how the contractor will provide security services, twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, including but not limited to the number of security staff to be provided per shift, location and number of cameras, equipment (e.g., metal detectors, wands) and procedures for accessing the facility (e.g., bag inspections at entry points).

• The contractor must provide the Office of Homeless Services with updated security plans outlining shelter security measures, personnel and qualifications, client safeguard measures, and incident reporting procedures at time of proposal.

• The contractor must provide the Office of Homeless Services with updated emergency evacuation plans at time of proposal and annually if awarded contract for services.

• The contractor must outline a plan to respond to emergencies in coordination with Police, EMS, Crisis Services, and other emergency services.

• The contractor must have staff trained in CPR, preferably jn the use of defibrillators, first aid, and the use of Naloxone, as an emergency measure.

• The contractor is expected to provide incident report(s) to the Office of Homeless Services within twenty-four (24) hours of incidents.

Equipment Furnishings and Supplies

The contractor must provide equipment and furnishings, which support the daily activities of the clients when they are staying in the shelter. o Each resident, adult or child shall be supplied with:

• A bed or cribs for infants which is solidly constructed, in good repair with a clean mattress.

Bed bug proof encasements for each mattress.

• Clean sheets, pillowcase and at least one (1) blanket.

Towel, soap, and toilet tissue. Toothbrush and toothpaste.

Shelter Operations

Program Expectations

Contractors must have clear expectations for residents and consequences for residents that do not meet them. These expectations must be posted in a central location and a copy given to each resident upon admission to the shelter. A copy of the program expectations must be included with the proposal.

These program expectations should center on keeping guests, staff, and visitors safe; and around the work to support people in obtaining permanent housing.

These expectations should contribute to a low-barrier environment and should not impede guests' ability to access shelter and obtain permanent housing. They must include, but are not limited to:

• Resident responsibilities for themselves, their actions, and their housing plan.

• Attending resident meetings.

• Abstaining from behavior that is disruptive and…