Request for Information (RFI) regarding Homeless Individual Emergency Winter Response RFI

Agency Document Number: HLC0000125 COMMBUYS Bid Number: BD-27-1076-OCDDE-HS003-131461

Division: Housing and Stabilization

THIS IS AN RFI ONLY. RESPONDENTS TO THIS RFI ARE INVITED TO RESPOND TO ANY OR ALL OF THE QUESTIONS IN THIS

DOCUMENT. RESPONSES TO THIS RFI SHALL SERVE SOLELY TO ASSIST THE COMMONWEALTH IN UNDERSTANDING THE

CURRENT STATE OF THE MARKETPLACE WITH REGARDS TO THE SOLICITED INFORMATION OR TO INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF

A POSSIBLE PROCUREMENT IN THE FUTURE. THIS RFI DOES NOT IN ANY WAY OBLIGATE THE COMMONWEALTH TO ISSUE OR

AMEND A PROCUREMENT OR CONTRACT, OR TO INCLUDE ANY OF THE RFI PROVISIONS OR RESPONSES IN ANY

PROCUREMENT. RESPONDING TO THIS RFI IS ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY AND WILL IN NO WAY AFFECT THE COMMONWEALTH’S

CONSIDERATION OF ANY PROPOSAL SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO ANY SUBSEQUENT PROCUREMENT, NOR WILL IT SERVE AS AN

ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE TO THE RESPONDENT IN THE COURSE OF ANY PROCUREMENT THAT MAY BE SUBSEQUENTLY

ISSUED OR AMENDED. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES (EOHLC) MAY ELECT TO MODIFY OR

EXPAND THE SCOPE AND STRUCTURE OF ANY FUTURE PROCUREMENTS RESULTING FROM THIS RFI AS NEEDED TO ENSURE

COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATUTES, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES.

No information received in response to this RFI is binding on the Commonwealth or any of its contracted vendors or agencies. All costs incurred in responding to this RFI, or in support of activities associated with responding to this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of the respondent. Receipt of RFI responses may not be acknowledged.

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete procurement that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. All respondents are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information and requirements for the entire RFI, which are all incorporated therein. Respondents may also contact the Operational Services Division (OSD) Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov or the OSD Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

Intent and Context:

The Division of Housing Stabilization within EOHLC is issuing this RFI to better understand regional winter emergency shelter needs for individuals experiencing homelessness.

EOHLC seeks information regarding the regional scale of unsheltered homelessness, and the extent to which homeless service providers and municipalities are prepared to meet winter emergency shelter needs.

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300 www.mass.gov Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617.573.1100 mailto:OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov

Responses to this RFI will help inform winter shelter planning, budget development, and the design of future procurements for winter emergency shelter capacity.

EOHLC seeks responses from municipalities and homeless service providers. Municipalities and providers are encouraged to develop collaborative relationships where appropriate to support coordinated planning and strengthen preparedness for winter emergency shelter capacity. Respondents may answer any or all of the following questions.

EOHLC also reserves the right to request clarification and/or additional information from Respondents, as needed.

Municipalities:

• Which local homeless service providers operate in your community?

• Do local homeless service providers collaborate with your office and other providers?

• How many emergency shelter beds currently exist for households without children in your community?

• Does the municipality have facilities that could potentially be used as temporary overnight shelter this winter (e.g., community centers, municipal buildings, schools, faith-based facilities)?

• Are there encampments of unsheltered people in your community?

o If yes, how many encampments and approximately how many people per encampment?

o Is there outreach serving unsheltered people in your community?

• In addition to emergency shelter, what other needs do homeless persons in your community have?

• Are there municipal resources that could be used to help support added winter shelter capacity?

• What challenges did your municipality experience during previous winter shelter operations or severe weather events?

• What recommendations would you offer EOHLC to improve future winter shelter planning and procurement?

Service Providers:

• What is your agency’s relationship with your municipality(ies) and, where relevant, other homeless service providers in your region?

• How many emergency shelter beds currently exist for households without children in your community?

• Are you aware of facilities that could potentially be used as temporary overnight shelter this winter

(e.g., community centers, municipal buildings, schools, faith-based facilities)?

• Are there encampments of unsheltered people in your community?

o If yes, how many encampments and approximately how many people per encampment?

o Is there outreach serving unsheltered people in your community?

• In addition to emergency shelter, what other needs do homeless persons in your community have?

• Are there other resources that could be used to help support added winter shelter capacity?

• What challenges did your agency experience during previous winter shelter operations or severe weather events?

• What recommendations would you offer EOHLC to improve future winter shelter planning and procurement?

Continua of Care:

• Are there trends or considerations HLC should understand about your PIT count that is not easily understood by looking only at the data?

• Are there encampments of unsheltered people in your continuum?

o If yes, how many encampments and approximately how many people per encampment?

o Is there outreach serving unsheltered people in your community?

• In addition to emergency shelter, what other needs do homeless persons in your community have?

Response Criteria:

Responses may be up to five pages, typed in in font no smaller than 12 point with 1-inch margins, and submitted as either Microsoft Word or PDF documents.

Comments and Information can be provided by:

• Submitting written comments to EOHLCindividualshelter@mass.gov with the subject line “Winter

Shelter RFI” by 5pm, August 31, 2026.

• EOHLC will also engage in a virtual listening session at 2:30 pm on August 19, 2026. This virtual listening session is on Microsoft Teams, but you can access it through your normal internet browser if you don’t have Teams.

Log in from browser Click here for the 8/19 meeting

Phone number to call in 1 857-327-9245

Meeting ID (for calling in) 556 570 848#

• Any interested parties are welcome to submit comments, including but not limited to persons with lived experience of homelessness, homeless service providers, advocates, Continua of Care, municipalities, and any other constituents.

• Interested parties may participate in the virtual listening session AND in submitting written comments.

EOHLC anticipates that it will begin crafting a procurement on August 28, 2026 but will continue to accept comments until the RFI closing on August 31, 2026. EOHLC may elect to establish a different timeline for a procurement resulting from the RFI, as needed, RFI Calendar EVENT DATE / Info

Announcement of Request for Information July 31, 2026

Listening Session August 19, 2026, 2:30 pm

Deadline for Submission of Comments 5pm, August 31, 2026 mailto:Gordon.Calkins@mass.gov https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27720267964132?p=Y2HZzAhnCcgAPdXjfV

Additional terms

EOHLC notes that any services or solutions resulting from any subsequent procurement and/or contract that EOHLC may elect to issue must be provided in a non-discriminatory manner, and in conformance with all applicable state and federal regulations, administrative guidance, policies, and other requirements that EOHLC may provide.

All services must also comply with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS) policies and standards, or any successor standards thereto, which can be found here:

https://www.mass.gov/handbook/enterprise-information-security-policies-and-standards.

It is also anticipated that any Bidder(s) who may be selected pursuant to completion of an appropriate procurement and/or contractual process will also be required to enter into a contract with EOHLC which will include compliance with the Commonwealth’s Standard Contract Form and Instructions and Certifications, the applicable Commonwealth Terms and Conditions, and EOHLC’s contract documents, and applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to M.G.L. c. 66A, M.G.L. c. 93H, and M.G.L. c. 93I.

Please note that EOHLC shall maintain sole and exclusive ownership rights to all program data assembled, created, or used in the performance of the selected Bidder(s)’ work. For the avoidance of doubt, the Bidder(s) shall have no rights in or to the EOHLC program data other than the limited, revocable right to use such data solely as required for the vendor to meet its obligations under contract with EOHLC.

Responses to this RFI become the property of EOHLC, and may be subject to the Massachusetts Public Records law. Content submitted in response to this RFI must be suitable for public viewing. EOHLC reserves the right to edit or delete any inappropriate content.

Respondents should not display the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Seal in their response or subsequent marketing materials if they are awarded a contract pursuant to a subsequent procurement and/or contract, because use of the coat of arms and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth for advertising or commercial purposes is prohibited by law.

Respondents with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFI information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to EOHLC. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. EOHLC reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

https://www.mass.gov/handbook/enterprise-information-security-policies-and-standards https://www.macomptroller.org/wp-content/uploads/form_standard-contract.docx https://www.macomptroller.org/wp-content/uploads/instructions_standard-contract-form.pdf https://www.macomptroller.org/wp-content/uploads/instructions_standard-contract-form.pdf https://www.macomptroller.org/wp-content/uploads/form_commonwealth-terms-and-conditions.pdf