CDBG - Fair Housing

Dane County, Wisconsin, on behalf of the Dane County Urban County Consortium comprising 59 participating municipalities, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #42708-CDBG-FH) to solicit applications from eligible organizations to operate a fair housing program. The procuring agencies seek to fund a single organization to provide fair housing education and outreach services, conduct fair housing complaint investigations, and report on the number, basis, and resolution of fair housing complaints across participating municipalities and service-providing agencies, with particular emphasis on serving non-English speaking populations such as Asian and Latino communities and educating residents and housing providers about the expanded Dane County Fair Housing Ordinance. Key deliverables and objectives include fair housing counseling, complaint investigations, enforcement of fair housing laws, and affirmative marketing activities, with administrative costs capped at 15% of total contract value and the grant covering up to 100% of eligible project costs. The evaluation framework assesses applications across five criteria categories: Need and Priorities (20 points), Project Approach (35 points), Experience and Qualifications (15 points), Financial Information (20 points), and Past Performance (10 points), with new applicants automatically awarded 10 points in the Past Performance category. Critical deadlines include May 29, 2026, at 5:00 pm for submitting questions, June 22, 2026, at 11:59 pm for electronic proposal submission via the County's eProcurement Portal, preliminary funding recommendations expected by September/October 2026, a public hearing on final recommendations in November 2026, and County Board approval anticipated in January 2027, with funds available for reimbursement in April 2027. The contract shall be effective upon execution for the full grant term with an option for mutual renewal for four additional one-year periods.

Eligible applicants must be non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, units of local government, or related agencies, with preference given to HUD-approved agencies designated as Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (QFHO) or Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (FHO) as defined under 24 CFR 125.103. All applicants must be registered entities in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions and cannot be HUD-listed debarred or ineligible contractors. Applicants must complete the CDBG application in its entirety and provide electronic signatures; failure to do so will result in application ineligibility and disqualification from scoring consideration. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the solicitation materials; however, the 2026 Fair Housing funds were previously awarded to Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council for $10,000. The maximum funding allocation available for this project is approximately $10,000, with only one agency expected to receive an award, and the maximum request amount per application is capped at $10,000, ensuring focused funding allocation toward a single qualified provider serving the entire consortium. Funding is provided through HUD-funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) resources administered by Dane County, with eligible costs including staff, overhead, and information services directly related to fair housing activities.