Right at Home Targeted Homelessness Prevention Program - Legal Services Provider

San Mateo County Human Services Agency Center on Homelessness is requesting proposals for a Legal Services Provider to implement the Right at Home Targeted Homelessness Prevention Program, with proposals due September 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., and questions are due September 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The procurement applies San Mateo County's Procurement Preference Ordinance, which awards five percent preferential points to Local Businesses or Local Non-Profits, with an additional three percent for Small Businesses/Small Non-Profits or five percent for Micro Businesses/Micro Non-Profits.

The Legal Services Provider will deliver housing-related legal consultation, eviction prevention assistance, landlord-tenant dispute resolution, and legal representation to approximately 750 households at highest risk of homelessness over a three-year program period. The provider must coordinate with a separate Network Coordinator/Fiscal Agent and two to four Supportive Service Providers and participate actively in a Randomized Controlled Trial led by the Wilson-Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame, including participation in national learning collaboratives, trainings, and continuous improvement efforts mandated by the Right at Home initiative. All contracted organizations must operationalize the Homelessness Prevention System framework's ten essential components and enter data into the Clarity HMIS with strict confidentiality safeguards.

Minimum qualifications include SAM registration, current service provision in San Mateo County, at least three years of experience providing housing-related legal services to low-income households, California-licensed attorneys on staff, and a physical office in at least one of nine Bay Area counties. Proposers must submit an all-inclusive hourly rate for legal services.

The contract term runs January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029, with one option to extend up to two years at County discretion. The anticipated award date is December 8, 2026. Evaluation occurs in two phases: Phase 1 (85 points) assesses organizational qualifications, role-specific experience, staffing readiness, data and collaboration capabilities, and budget completeness; Phase 2 awards preferential points. The three highest-scoring proposals advance to oral interviews, with final selection based on combined written and interview scores.