FY27 DMH SS Develop Supportive Housing - CSH

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), is issuing a sole source procurement for technical expertise to develop and expand affordable Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for persons diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in compliance with the Williams and Colbert Consent Decrees and Olmstead Initiative requirements. The primary deliverables include co-convening quarterly housing forums for policy identification, developing and implementing consumer assessment processes to match housing and service needs, managing the DBHR Bridge Online Data System with daily data entry and user support, and supporting housing location teams through staff convening and training curriculum development. Additional responsibilities encompass ensuring consumer satisfaction through surveys, developing training curricula on PSH models for direct care staff and agencies, engaging developers and property managers through the CSH Supportive Housing Academy, fostering partnerships with public sector entities including Public Housing Authorities and municipal agencies across Illinois, and providing ongoing technical assistance to comprehensive program prime agencies and their delegates. The contractor must also conduct statewide outreach to property owners and managers with emphasis on high-demand geographic areas, support the Statewide Housing Coordinator on the Statewide Referral Network system, and assist with policy research on rebalancing initiatives and HUD 811 rental assistance resources. The sole source hearing is scheduled for March 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM via Webex, with written comments or requests for public hearing due by 4:00 PM on that same date; the contract is set to begin July 1, 2026, and conclude June 30, 2027.

This procurement is designated as a sole source award to the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), as the justification emphasizes that CSH is the only vendor capable of meeting the state's requirements due to its unique national expertise in supportive housing, established local presence in Chicago, existing relationships with developers and property management entities, exclusive access to and administration of the PAIR system for the Statewide Referral Network, and comprehensive institutional knowledge of Illinois housing systems and consent decree compliance. The procurement notes that transitioning to an alternative vendor would create unacceptable risk of disruption to compliance-critical housing activities and substantial delays in meeting court-mandated benchmarks. The estimated initial term value for this single-year contract is $963,120, funded entirely through state appropriations with no federal or other funding sources, representing a 4% cost of living adjustment from the previous year's contract. The pricing structure includes staffing costs broken down by position and hourly rates ranging from $265 per hour for a Managing Director to $20 per hour for an Intern, with additional allocations for consulting, data entry, consumer stipends, technology, travel, and overhead expenses. No renewal options have been specified beyond the single-year term, and the notice indicates that the public hearing will be canceled unless an interested party submits written comments or makes a written request for a public hearing by Friday, March 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM.