RFP_-_Kent-County-Housing-Study.pdf

Kent County, Maryland

Request for Proposals

For

Kent County Housing Study

Proposal Submission Deadline: MONDAY, JUNE 8TH, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

Primary Contact for Request for Proposals:

Carla Gerber, Director

Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning

400 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620

410-778-7474 cgerber@kentgov.org

Table of Contents Advertisement

I. Project Overview

A. Introduction

B. Kent County Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning Overview

C. Background

D. Request for Proposals

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

A. Project Details

B. Conclusions and Recommendations

III. Proposal Format, Content, and Submission Requirements

A. Submission of Proposals and Deadline

B. Equal Opportunity

C. Questions about the Request for Proposals

D. Minimum Proposal Requirements

E. Debarred, Suspended and Ineligible Contractors

F. Acceptance of Consultant Proposals

G. Scoring of Proposals

I. Contract Price and Payment

IV. Timelines

A. RFP Timeline

B. Project Timeline

Acknowledgement of RFP Terms and Conditions

Advertisement

Kent County is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to assist the County in developing a comprehensive housing study with detailed analysis of the current housing stock supply – including its availability, accessibility, adequacy, and affordability – and demand, including as stratified by income demographic in Kent County. The housing inventory and study will also include an analysis of strategies to meet future demand and foster economic development in Kent County. The selected vendor will identify key data metrics, including but not limited to the number of housing units constructed in Kent County and its municipalities annually; the makeup of said housing units;

availability and accessibility of rental units; the change in household income demographics in Kent County by year compared with the types of housing constructed and/or available rental stock; and change in housing prices and/or rental rates relative to wages earned by Kent County residents.

Data examination will also include need for special population housing in Kent County, including for homeless and disabled individuals and aging adult populations. The selected vendor’s analysis is expected to be informed by engagement with stakeholders, all five municipalities in Kent County, and community members to inform the strategic, actionable housing goals and priorities included in the final deliverable.

An electronic copy of this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be downloaded from eMaryland Market Place, the State of Maryland’s eProcurement system, at https://emma.maryland.gov as well as from the Kent County Government webpage at https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal.

Each proposal received in response to this RFP will be evaluated on the vendor’s approach to analysis, methodology, capacity, experience and cost as outlined in this RFP.

All proposals must be submitted via electronic copy as outlined in Section III of this RFP and must include all elements described in Section III.D of this RFP to be considered fully responsive.

Questions can be sent written via email to Carla Gerber, Director of Planning, Housing, and Zoning, as directed in Section III.C of this RFP.

I. Project Overview

A. Introduction

The Kent County Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to assist the County with developing a comprehensive housing inventory and study to measure the current and projected market supply and demand for housing by type, size, and income ranges; identify barriers; and, based on data and analysis of strategies utilized by comparable jurisdictions, to identify actionable recommendations and/or strategies and inputs required to implement such recommendations to increase the housing stock and rental availability needed for projected population segments by income demographic in Kent County.

Recommendations and strategies should align with reaching 2030 Housing Production Targets for the State of Maryland for Kent County and its municipalities, as established by Governor Moore’s Housing Starts Here executive order and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s report published on January 1, 2026.1

The selected vendor will assess the current and future economic climate (including up to 10 years of historical data and projecting 10 years of future needs based on anticipated demographic trends) to determine what demand exists for rental units and homeownership units stratified by cost demographic, and what price ranges are needed within the housing and rental stock to meet demand by these demographic bands. The vendor will examine the needs of the overall County and by geographic areas, including by municipality. The selected vendor will create an inventory of dwelling types in the County, such as apartments, townhomes, single family homes, large family homes, studios, duplexes, condominiums, etc. as well as inventory of income-based housing and housing for special needs populations such as older and disabled adults, homeless individuals, etc.

The inventory will also address housing quality and substandard housing stock.

The vendor will assess recent trends, existing conditions, evaluate current policies, conduct community focus groups and provide surveys to identify gaps in the housing market, including gaps specific to income-based need for housing. Finally, the selected vendor will provide potential strategies, recommendations for policy changes, and innovative housing options that will result in housing solutions for the residents in Kent County.

B. Kent County Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning Overview

Kent County’s Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning works to guide responsible growth, protect natural and historic resources, and support quality housing and development throughout Kent County. We administer land use regulations, zoning codes, permits, and long-range planning efforts that help shape the future of our communities.

The Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning serves the present and future inhabitants of Kent

1 https://dhcd.maryland.gov/HousingStartsHere/Pages/default.aspx https://dhcd.maryland.gov/HousingStartsHere/Documents/housing-starts-here-executive-order-summary.pdf https://dhcd.maryland.gov/HousingStartsHere/Documents/housing-starts-here-executive-order-summary.pdf

County, Maryland by:

1. Conducting immediate and long-range planning;

2. Providing for the preservation and enhancement of the attractiveness of the county through good design and arrangement and by assuring the provision of adequate public utilities, services and facilities;

3. Protecting Kent County's significant natural and historic resources and historic areas against destruction or encroachment;

4. Protecting and preserving Kent County's agricultural industry and the prime agricultural soils essential to the conduct of this industry;

5. Providing for the development of a light industrial base, and

6. Directing development into appropriate locations.

C. Background

According to the 2020 Maryland State Housing Needs Assessment, Kent County was one of only two counties out of nine on the Eastern Shore where 100% of its census tracts were rated as demonstrating ‘moderate to high’ need for housing, and 0% of its census tracts rated ‘low to lowest’ need for housing (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, prepared by the National Center for Smart Growth and Enterprise Community Partners, pg. 51, Table 18). Updates to the State Housing Needs Assessment made in 2025 continued to show exacerbated need for housing options in Kent County responsive to various income demographics, with Kent County demonstrating the highest percentage of cost-burdened homeowners of all counties located on the Eastern Shore (2025 Maryland Housing Needs Assessment Update, pg. 52, Table 16). Yet, as the least populous County in Maryland, with a population of approximately 19,500 individuals, Kent County has limited resources available to (1) provide detailed quantitative assessment of the housing needs among County residents, (2) conduct meaningful qualitative and quantitative analysis on the current and projected gaps that exist between Kent County demographic groups and corresponding housing and rental stock, and to (3) identify potential process or infrastructure challenges that hinder addressing those gaps and/or potential strategies that the County and its municipalities can pursue to address such gaps based on comparable case studies and/or approaches of geographically similar counties.

Kent County is a rural community consisting of approximately 277 square miles and an estimated population of 19,557 as of 2024 Census Data estimates. According to Maryland Department of Planning Housing Data Dashboard information, there are approximately 8,530 occupied housing units in Kent County, with 72.1% of units owner-occupied and 27.9% renter-occupied. Countywide, more than 35% of homeowners are categorized as cost-burdened, e.g., spending more than 30% of household income on mortgage costs, while 60% of renters are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of household income on rent. This countywide data demonstrates that sufficient housing responsive to the needs of various income demographics is a significant issue across all of Kent County. Specific areas within Kent County, however, face disproportionate disparities of housing cost-burden. For example, within the Town of Chestertown, data indicates that more than 60% of homeowners and nearly 70% of renters are cost-burdened—rates well above the countywide average. Reported lack of availability of rental units makes housing a particularly difficult struggle for low to moderate income families, who often cannot afford homeownership. Insufficient housing likewise impacts ability to attract new businesses to settle within the County if business owners are concerned that their workforce will not be able to live nearby. Rental and housing needs continue to be a rising concern among current residents, with recent extensive data collection from the Kent https://planning.maryland.gov/MSDC/Documents/pop_estimate/estimates-post2010/county/County-table1A.pdf https://apps.planning.maryland.gov/hb1045/index.html https://apps.planning.maryland.gov/hb1045/index.html

Local Management Board, including a door-to-door canvassing of over 1,000 homes, revealing need for more affordable housing and rental opportunities to be one of the top needs prioritized by community members.2

Kent County also includes a significant portion of older adults; in 2020, Kent County was ranked third among Maryland Counties for the percentage of older adults (55+) relative to the total population, at 44%.3 The Maryland Department of Planning estimates that Kent County will have the highest percentage of older adults out of all counties in Maryland, at 49%, within the next five years.

Older age cohorts face unique housing challenges, as this population varies in housing, health, and functional needs and is particularly vulnerable to rising housing costs.

D. Request for Proposals

The contract will be awarded to the vendor that offers the most beneficial proposal to the County, encompassing all possible criteria established within this Request for Proposals, as well as cost for the proposed services and timeframe needed to complete the data collection and recommendation summary.

Proposals will be reviewed privately and evaluated by a panel to make the final award decision.

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

A. Project Details

The Kent County Housing Study aims to provide a comprehensive inventory of the housing stock and rental opportunities in Kent County as well as to evaluate and offer solutions to improve availability, affordability, and condition of housing stock available to individuals within Kent County across income demographics. The housing study will incorporate a comprehensive housing needs assessment to determine the community’s issues and needs. The study will examine geographic areas of opportunity, blighted areas and/or properties for possible rehabilitation and rental units, housing for specific populations such as older adults, disabled or homeless individuals, and any other project also considered to assist households across various income levels in securing and maintaining housing. The study will provide an evaluation of existing County and Municipal ordinances and Comprehensive Plans coupled with an analysis of the current real estate market and projection of the future economic climate in Kent County to recommend possible new inclusionary zoning policies. It will also review promising and proven housing strategies and estimate their capacity to succeed in Kent County, as well as constraints that impact housing supply in Kent County, such as short-term rentals and second homes. The unique aspects of the County will be considered in this analysis.

2 KNOCK (Kids and Neighbors Organizing for Change in Kent) Canvassing Results, available at https://sites.google.com/everydaycanvassing.org/knockcommunityconvos/home?authuser=0 3 https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Documents/Research/Housing-Needs-Assessment/Report-3-v0627-SHNA-2025.pdf

The Scope of the Work and Deliverables to be provided by the proposer shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Examination of Data

The proposed vendor will be expected to utilize publicly available data sources, as well as to supplement and leverage data from County, Municipal, and non-profit housing entities participating in this work. It is expected that American Community Survey Census data will not serve as the sole data source used in the deliverable. Data analysis should include the following:

1. Market Analysis

a. Existing and historic (10-year) market demand for housing, broken down by:

i. Rental vs. homeownership

ii. Housing type

iii. Household size

iv. Income limits (i.e. 50% AMI, 80% AMI, 120% AMI)

b. Projected (10-year) market demand for housing, broken down by:

i. Rental vs. homeownership

ii. Housing type

iii. Household size

iv. Income limits (i.e. 50% AMI, 80% AMI, 120% AMI)

c. Existing and historic (10-year) market supply for housing broken down by:

i. Rental vs. homeownership (including, for rentals, analysis of number of units, average rents, and availability)

ii. Housing type

iii. Household size

iv. Average sales price (to identify change in housing price relative to change in income demographics noted in section 1.a.iv above, as accessible by income limits (i.e. 50% AMI, 80% AMI, 120% AMI)

v. Number of homes built within water and sewer service areas versus septic systems

vi. Location in municipalities versus County

vii. Reference to housing condition and substandard conditions

d. Projected (10-year) market supply for housing, broken down by:

i. Rental vs. homeownership

ii. Housing type

iii. Household size

iv. Units required by average sales price (as aligned by projected income demographics noted in section b.4, as accessible by income limits (i.e. 50% AMI, 80% AMI, 120% AMI)

e. Analysis of demographic, socio-economic and geographical data.

f. Economic feasibility of inclusionary zoning

g. Cost to produce housing stock based on gaps identified between housing stock and demand by income limits defined, broken down by rental and homeownership.

2. Housing and Zoning Analysis.

a. Review and evaluate current zoning policies of the County and each of the five municipalities that impact housing stock, such as for single and multi-family housing and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) requirements, as well as policies that impact rental availability, such as rental code enforcement.

b. Identification of current land zoned for housing (acreage and location) by single-family and multi-family use by County and municipality, as aligned with Kent’s Comprehensive Plan and the Comprehensive Plans of the five municipalities.

c. Identify existing barriers that impede the development of housing stock by income demographic needs, and rental availability by demographic needs.

i. Include a review of the County’s and Towns’ zoning codes and future land use maps and applicable opportunity or incentive zones.

ii. Recommendations to address barriers.

d. Identify options to incentivize housing construction or programs to enhance rental availability for income demographics, such as rental code enforcement.

3. Community Housing Needs Assessment

The involvement of community members, residents, for-profit and non-profit housing developers, and elected officials is essential in developing a successful approach to the County’s housing needs. The Department expects that the contracted vendor will host multiple public focus groups throughout different parts of the County to educate stakeholders on inclusionary zoning and best practices to develop and ensure sufficient housing stock that is responsive to various income-based demographics, the housing demand in Kent County by income demographic, as well as to encourage stakeholder recommendations and input.

a. Host meetings with stakeholders. Including, but not limited to:

i. Community members and leaders;

ii. Private, for-profit housing developers;

iii. Affordable housing advocates;

iv. Kent County elected officials; and

v. Representatives of and/or organizations serving protected classes. Topics to include, at a minimum:

i. Defining and explaining, at a high level, Comprehensive Plans and current zoning regulations and other land use policy documents and processes.

ii. Defining and explaining availability of housing stock as responsive to various income-based and special demographics in Kent County.

iii. The housing demand in Kent County based on various demographics.

iv. Case examples of best practices for housing programs, housing trust funds, opportunity zones, and others based on comparable sized and/or rural jurisdictions.

v. Solicitation of public recommendations and input.

vi. Creating community support for housing solutions responsive to county demographic needs.

b. Generation of an online survey and comment submission portal.

4. Create an easily readable fact sheet of data on housing gaps in Kent County that can be distributed to stakeholders. Public-facing data or fact sheets should be made available in English and in Spanish.

B. Conclusions and Recommendations

1. Projected 10-year future housing needs by income and other demographic categories.

2. Identify incentives and strategies to improve or expand housing supply responsive to the needs of various income and other demographic categories in Kent County aligned with the County and Municipal Comprehensive Plans and prioritized growth areas, and DHCD housing targets.

3. Financial benefits, costs, political risks and impacts of incentives.

4. Identify any additional resources, legal or otherwise, necessary to implement recommendations.

5. Create a plan including a timeline for implementation of suggested strategies, inputs and/or resources that would be required for strategies to be successful, barriers to implementation strategies and suggestions to address such barriers, and current readiness levels of the County and/or municipalities to implement suggested strategies.

III. Proposal Format, Content, and Submission Requirements

A. Submission of Proposals and Deadline

Applicants will submit proposals in response to this RFP to Carla Gerber, Director of Planning, Housing, and Zoning via email only at cgerber@kentgov.org, with “Kent County Housing Study” included in the subject line of the email. Submitted proposals shall follow the content requirements outlined in Section III.D of this RFP, including Sections 1-5 as described.

Electronic submission must be received by MONDAY, JUNE 8TH, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.

Late proposals will not be accepted.

There is no expressed or implied obligation for Kent County to reimburse applicants for any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request. Kent County reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected.

Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the applicant of the conditions contained in this Request for Proposals, unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract.

B. Equal Opportunity

All qualified persons, firms and proposers will receive consideration without regard to age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation. Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women-Owned Enterprises (WBE), and Veteran-Owned Enterprises are encouraged to apply.

mailto:cgerber@kentgov.org

C. Questions about the Request for Proposals

Questions related to the scope of work, requests for additional information, and/or questions relating to the submission of the proposal, may be directed to Carla Gerber, Director of Planning, Housing and Zoning. Only written questions submitted by email to cgerber@kentgov.org with “Housing Study RFP” in the subject line will be accepted and responded to. No questions will be responded to via telephone or other methods. All questions must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, May 26th, 2026. Questions and Answers will be posted in the form of an Addendum to the original post on eMaryland Marketplace and on Kent County’s website at https://www.kentcounty.com/government/request_for_proposal by June 1, 2026.

D. Minimum Proposal Requirements

1. Contents of the proposal shall include:

a. Section 1: An executive summary of not more than one page.

b. Section 2: Proposed Scope of Work not to exceed ten pages, to include:

i. 2.1: Description of approach/methodology to the scope of services.

ii. 2.2: Description of deliverable products.

iii. 2.3: Implementation schedule of how the study would progress, and at what points various tasks will be completed, including 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of completion.

c. Section 3: A general background of the applicant vendor not to exceed three pages, to include:

i. 3.1: Description of similar studies undertaken.

ii. 3.2: Names and contact information for three references familiar with similar work.

iii. 3.3: Experience with inclusionary zoning programs and affordable housing programs.

iv. 3.4: Knowledge of economic factors influencing housing markets, emphasizing rural areas

v. 3.5: Experience with market studies and data assessment interpretation.

vi. 3.6: Demonstrated track record of coordinating with government departments, non-profits, and municipalities

vii. 3.7: Familiarity with Kent County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore

viii. 3.8: Knowledge of Maryland’s housing policies, regulations, and zoning ordinances

ix. 3.9: Resumes of staff members to be assigned to this study (excluded from Section 3 page limit)

x. 3.10: Samples of similar work completed in the last three years (excluded from Section 3 page limit)

d. Section 4: Budget Description, not to exceed two pages, including:

i. 4.1: Costs by work product and total cost.

ii. 4.2: Plans for subcontracting, if applicable.

e. Section 5: Signed Acknowledgment of RFP Terms and Conditions mailto:cgerber@kentgov.org

E. Debarred, Suspended and Ineligible Contractors

The applicant certifies by submission of a proposal that it is not a debarred, suspended or ineligible contractor by any Agency of Federal or State government, no proposal received from a debarred, suspended or ineligible contractor will qualify for an award.

F. Acceptance of Proposals

Kent County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any nonmaterial irregularities in the proposal, to accept or reject any item or combination of items and accept any proposal which best benefits the people of Kent County. Kent County reserves the right to negotiate with any, none or all of the proposing vendors. Kent County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

G. Scoring of Proposals

Each proposal will be rated and ranked in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Approach for conducting the analysis (20 points)

2. Specific methodologies for completing various aspects of the study (25 points)

3. Demonstrated ability and capacity (15 points)

4. Technical qualifications of individuals to be assigned to project (15 points)

5. Ability to meet proposed timeline (15 points)

6. Total price of study (10 points)

Qualified applicants may be invited to interview and respond to further questions about their approach, methodologies, and qualifications. Kent County reserves the right to award a contract based solely on the proposals or to negotiate with one or more applicants. During the evaluation process Kent County may request additional information or clarification from applicants. The selected vendor will be chosen on the basis that it is the best fit for the County and may not necessarily be based on the lowest price. The chosen vendor must agree to execute a contract within 30 days after the Notice of Award. No contract may be assigned, either in whole or in part, without the prior approval of Kent County.

I. Contract Price and Payment

The Proposal must state the total planned hours and hourly rate by staff classification of those anticipated to work on the project. An all-inclusive maximum fee for each work product, broken down by hourly rates must be provided, as well as an all-inclusive maximum fee for the entire study.

This project will be funded by a grant award totaling $30,000 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and grant award totaling $13,000 from the Upper Shore Regional Council.

The price quoted in the proposal must be firm and not subject to change. The price shall represent the total cost to Kent County including direct, indirect and out-of-pocket expenses. Quoted costs should include, but not be limited to, meeting with County staff, stakeholder meetings, public hearings and presentation of final report. Any additional costs, such as travel, should be explicitly stated.

Payment will be made upon approval of products at 25%, 50% and 75% completion. The final 25% will be paid upon completion and approval of all products.

IV. Timelines

A. RFP Timeline

TUESDAY, MAY 5TH, 2026 Release of Request for Proposals

TUESDAY, MAY 26TH, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST Deadline to submit questions

MONDAY, JUNE 1ST, 2026 Answers to questions will be posted

MONDAY, JUNE 8TH, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST RFP Responses due to Kent County

EARLY JULY, 2026 Estimated Notice of Award

B. Project Timeline

Proposers are required to develop a comprehensive proposed timeline for completion of the project in Section II of the RFP response, which will be confirmed upon execution of a contract. The proposed timeline should anticipate completion of all work products and final deliverables by February 1, 2027.

Acknowledgement of RFP Terms and Conditions

Proposer, as part of its Response, must submit this document signed by a representative(s) authorized by the proposer to make representations for the proposer and to obligate the proposer to perform the commitments contained in its response.

Acknowledged and Agreed:

Signature Signature

Printed Name Printed Name

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Firm Name Firm Name

City, State City, State

Phone Number Phone Number

Date Date

Signature Signature

Printed Name Printed Name

Title Title

Firm Name Firm Name

City, State City, State

Phone Number Phone Number

Date Date