WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 15, 2013

WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 15, 2013 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR RATE 2 GROUP RESIDENTIAL HOUSING (GRH) INDEPENDENT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES 1/24/14 Submission Deadline has been extended to 2/21/14 Washington County Community Services Department 14949 62 nd Street North PO Box 30 Stillwater, MN 55082 www.co.washington.mn.us - 1 -

OVERVIEW Washington County s Community Services Department (CSD) has identified a need for independent supportive housing funded by Rate 2 Group Residential Housing (GRH) monies. CSD has identified 12 beds that are available for this project. This project is to arrange leases with private landlords or property management companies and is for single adults with disabilities receiving services from CSD. To give these individuals the best chance at success in the community, many will work with community agencies and CSD. This project is comprised of two components: (1) Independent Housing (Landlord) and (2) Service Coordination. Although one entity may be qualified to provide both components, CSD is also interested in models that involve a partnership between two entities. The lease will be solely between the Independent Housing Provider (i.e. Landlord) and Tenant. The GRH base rate ($877.00) will need to cover all rent, utilities and food. The Supplemental Service Rate ($482.84) will cover the service portion of this proposal. However, CSD can serve as bridge between potential tenants, landlords, and service coordination agencies, and it may assist with some one time housing related costs to Tenants and Landlords. SCHEDULE Friday, November 15, 2013 - RFP Release The RFP will be available to all interested parties via the Washington County website at: http://www.co.washington.mn.us/bids.aspx. Paper copies are available upon request. Thursday, December 5, 2013 - Public Meeting A public meeting will be held at the Washington County Cottage Grove Service Center (13000 Ravine Parkway South, Cottage Grove, MN 55016) in Room 149/150 from 2:00 pm 3:00 p.m.. Staff will outline the RFP, discuss specific expectations, and answer questions regarding this RFP. Attendance is highly recommended. Please RSVP at least one day in advance to the contact person listed below. Only two people per agency are allowed due to limited room capacity. Friday, January 24, 2014 Friday, February 21, 2014 - RFP Submissions Deadline Please submit four (4) collated copies of the proposal and an electronic copy by email. Proposals received after 5pm on January 24 th may not be considered. All proposals are due to the address below. The week of Monday, February 10, 2014 week of March 3, 2014 - Tentative Interviews for Potential Providers. More details will be given to those providers that are selected. Tuesday, February 18, 2014 week of March 17, 2014 - Contract Award Announcements CSD will issue letters of intent to those parties that it is interested in working with and entering into a contract with. Applicants will be expected to be prepared to start this program by May 1, 2014 June 1, 2014. CONTACT INFORMATION All inquiries related to this RFP should be submitted to: Sarah Tripple Washington County Community Services 14949 62nd Street North, PO Box 30 Stillwater, MN 55082-0030 651.430.6480 or Sarah.Tripple@co.washington.mn.us - 2 -

RFP CONDITIONS The issuance of this RFP constitutes an invitation to submit proposals. It is not to be considered a request for bids or as an offer to contract, but only a means by which the County can facilitate the acquisition of information related to the purchase of services. Any proposal submitted constitutes a suggestion to negotiate and not a bid. All costs of the proposal preparation and submittal shall be borne by the organization submitting a response. Proposals should be prepared as economically as possible to meet the requirements set forth in this RFP. Washington County (County) has made best efforts to limit the burden on providers. The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses and/or issue another RFP for this proposed service. The County further reserves the right to select more than one provider based upon this RFP. The contents of all proposals will be managed pursuant to Minnesota Statute section 13.591 subd. 4 and will be nonpublic information until completion of the evaluation process. Each applicant must be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Proposer(s) selected by this RFP process will be provider(s) who have the potential to become a service provider in Washington County. More than one provider may be selected with the recommendation of delayed contracting, contingent on the need for additional development. Washington County will retain the authority to authorize the expansion of services based on consumer and capacity need. Washington County will also retain the authority to approve and manage placement and/or service authorizations. If selected for a contract, service providers are assured no minimum number of clients by the County. The contents of the proposal of the successful provider may become contractual obligations, if a contract ensues. Failure of the provider to accept these obligations will result in rejection of the proposal. All proposals, once submitted, become the property of the County. They will not be returned to the provider. If a proposal contains any security information, trade secret information or labor relations information as described in Minnesota Statutes 13.37, Subd 1 that the applicant does not want disclosed to the public or used for any purpose other than the evaluation of its offer, all sections containing such information must be indicated with the following statement: The following information contained in section is non-public trade secret information. The County will make best efforts to maintain the confidentiality of these sections. The applicant will be required to assume responsibility for all services offered in the proposal whether or not produced. Further, the applicant will be the sole point of contact with the County with regard to the contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the contract. The County reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time and shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by any entity irrespective of whether a proposal was submitted or not. The provider affirms that, to the best of their knowledge, this proposal does not present a conflict of interest with any party or entity, which may be affected by the terms of a forthcoming contract. The provider agrees that, should any conflict or potential conflict of interest become known, they will immediately notify the County of the conflict or potential conflict, and will advise the County whether they will or will not resign from the other engagement or representation. Upon review of proposals, the County will send each applicant a letter of denial and/or letter of intent to further negotiate. A letter of intent to contract does not guarantee that a final contract will be entered into. The County and applicant receiving a letter of intent to negotiate will begin formal negotiations at that time, with the mutual goal of finalizing a contract. All final contract decisions are made by the Washington County Board of Commissioners. - 3 -

GENERAL CONTRACT CONDITIONS Washington County will contract only with providers that comply with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and all other federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and executive orders pertaining to unlawful discrimination. The provider and any subcontractor must agree to the following: No person shall on the grounds of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual preference and orientation, disability, marital status, public assistance status, criminal record, creed to national origin be excluded from full employment rights in, participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any and all applicable federal and state laws against discrimination. Washington County will contract only with a provider that agrees it will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County, its officers and employees against any and all liability, loss, costs, damages, and expenses with the County its officers, or employees may sustain, incur, or be required to pay arising out of the negligent or intentional acts or omissions of the Provider. No Washington County contracted provider, including but not limited to employees, agents or subcontractors shall carry or possess a firearm on county premises or while acting on behalf of Washington County. Violation of this shall be considered a substantial breach of a contract; and, in addition to any other remedy available to the county under law or equity. Violation of this provision is grounds for immediate suspension or termination of a contract. All data collected, created, received, maintained, or disseminated for any purposes by the activities of the contracted provider is governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, as amended, the Minnesota Rules implementing such Act now in force or as adopted, as well as federal regulations on data privacy. Washington County contracted providers must agree to implement and comply with applicable provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, public law 104-191). If selected for a contract, providers agree that in order to protect itself, as well as the County under the indemnification provisions set forth above, at all times providers must maintain tort liability limits as set forth in Minnesota Statute 466.04. Please note that Washington County shall be named as a certificate holder on the certificates of insurance and policies shall provide that they will not be canceled, materially changed, or not renewed without thirty days prior notice. Proof of coverage must be provided prior to the execution of the contract. Providers may not enter into any subcontract for the performance of any contract-related services without the written authorization of Washington County. Contracted providers shall agree to abide by all federal, state, or local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations now in effect or hereinafter adopted, insofar as they relate to the contracted provider s performance of the provisions of a contract. Pursuant to Minnesota Statute 16C.05, Subd. 5, the books, records, documents, and accounting procedures and practices of all County contracted providers relevant to a contract are subject to examination by the County, and either the legislative auditor or the state auditor, as appropriate. Contracted providers shall agree to maintain these records for a period of six years from the date of termination of a contract. They must also provide the County with data or materials requested for evaluation purposes. Contracted providers must respond to referral requests in a timely manner. Upon receiving all initial referral information from the County, the contracted provider must issue a response to the County within 5 working days. The County will provide any additional documentation that is requested, and a final determination must be made by the contracted provider within 10 working days of the initial submission of referral information. - 4 -

PROJECT DESCRIPTION & SCOPE OF SERVICES Washington County s Community Services Department (CSD) has identified a need for independent rental housing, arranged by leases with private landlords or property management companies, for single adults with disabilities receiving services from CSD and other community agencies. This project comprises two components: (1) Independent Housing and (2) Service Coordination. Although one entity may be qualified to provide both components, CSD is also interested in models that involve a partnership between two entities (e.g. an existing property management company with vacant units partnering with a Service provider). CSD foresees a process somewhat similar to the outline below: Tenant and Landlord enter into lease CSD identifies a potential Tenant Provider identifies and secures property with Landlord A Housing with Services Agreement is entered between the Tenant and Provider Process is repeated as needed Tenant may continue to receive some needed community and CSD services and/or lease agreement with Landlord. Tenant receives services from Service Provider. Tenant lives indefinitely in unit. Use of Group Residential Housing (GRH) Supplemental Service Rate Funds: To receive a GRH payment, a person must meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements include being aged, blind, or over age 18 and disabled according to the criteria used by the Social Security Administration, or certain criteria for Minnesota s General Assistance program. In addition, there are income and asset maximums. Counties administer the GRH program for the state and are responsible for determining eligibility. The GRH Housing Rate is a payment directly to the provider of housing on behalf of the eligible person. Funds are used to pay for rent, utilities, food, household supplies and other necessities to provide room and board to participants. Depending on their income, some recipients may be required to pay a portion of the GRH housing rate directly to their housing provider. The state pays the remainder directly to the provider. Many types of settings may enter into a GRH contract with their county, but the Supplemental Service Rate can only be paid in specific types of settings. For purposes of this proposal, all apartments will need to be registered as Housing with Services. The current GRH rate is $877.00 and the maximum Supplemental Service Rate is $482.84 as of July 1, 2013. The total is $1,359.84 per month. For specifics on GRH guidelines, see MN Statue 256I: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=256i and http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?idcservice=get_dynamic_conversion&revisionselection Method=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_002549 Service Provider Qualifications and Capabilities: Only agencies who can verify the following will be considered and may respond to this RFP: Experience working with and billing for GRH or CCDTF. Experience providing mental or chemical health services and/or independent living skills directly to any of the target populations listed. Able to provide all of the services requested within GRH. The provider may supplement from other agency sources such as private grants, billing for Medical Assistance services, etc., but the County will not contract for additional services/funding. - 5 -

Roles & Responsibilities: There are four entities involved in this project model, each with unique roles and responsibilities. 1. Community Services Department (CSD): CSD s primary role is to serve as bridge between all entities. CSD may assist with some housing related costs as needed by tenants and as negotiated with the landlord(s). CSD will refer potential Tenants to the Provider. CSD will work with the Provider and/or other human service agencies providing services to the Tenant. CSD will contract with the Provider. CSD will issue the monthly GRH payment to the Provider. 2. Tenant: Tenant will enter into and comply with a lease with the Landlord in accordance with the provisions outlined in this RFP. Tenant will enter into a Housing with Services Agreement with the Provider. This agreement is to state that the Tenant will participate in the services provided by the Service Provider. If Tenant owes a portion of the GRH, they will pay directly to the Service Provider. If at any time the Tenant and Landlord wish to enter into a different lease, such as the Landlords standardized lease agreement, they may do so. Some likely characteristics of tenants include: o Single adults in need of safe, stable housing. o Facing various barriers to housing (i.e mental health, chemical health, evictions, credit problems). o Washington County residents relocating to independent housing within the County. o Receiving Case Management services from CSD. o Accessing services in the community such as workforce assistance, mental health services (e.g. ARMHS), chemical health services, and assistance for disabilities, etc. o May or may not have steady income from work or disability benefits, must qualify for GRH. o On public assistance programs, such as Medical Assistance (MA). 3. Independent Housing Provider (hereafter Landlord ): Enter into individualized leases with Tenants meeting following minimum requirements: o Lease term is for no longer than 6 months at a time. An option for a streamlined renewal may be included to reduce the administrative burden. o Allow for early termination of the lease due to unforeseen circumstances when all entities are in agreement. o Leases must be per individual Tenant. For example, if a unit has two bedrooms, a separate lease will be required for each tenant residing in each bedroom. Provide housing units meeting the following minimum requirements: o Units may only hold one person. o Be in close proximity to public transportation, public services (e.g. supermarkets, retail stores, banks, etc.) Demonstrate a willingness to enter into leases with individuals facing some barriers to traditional leases. For example: individuals with criminal histories or previous evictions. Please note all Tenants and CSD will work with the Landlord to outline barriers and address how each barrier has been remediated with a Community Support Plan. - 6 -

4. Service Provider: Service Provider will issue payment to the Landlord on behalf of the Tenant. Enter into a contract with the County for GRH funds and comply with all relevant policies and procedures. Provider will pay for all of the utilities. Utilities must include, at minimum: electricity, gas (if needed), basic cable television, water/sewer/trash services, and basic telephone. Service Provider will provide a variety of supportive housing services that focus on the Tenant s ability to successfully maintain his/her housing. This will likely include: service coordination, advocacy, accessing community supports (food shelves) to address barriers, on-call assistance, landlord/tenant relationship building, independent living skills training, and transportation expense assistance. Provide 24 hour on-call assistance to provide referrals and mitigate problems (e.g. health care concerns, roommate disputes, etc.). This must be more than general emergency maintenance assistance. More severe issues will be referred to CSD, mobile crisis providers, law enforcement, or 911. Provide transportation access or assistance (directly provides transportation or located near public transit). Maintain a positive working relationship with CSD and other service agencies serving tenants. The Service Provider cannot be the same legal entity as the Landlord. Financial Components: The current GRH rate is $877.00 and the maximum Supplemental Service Rate is $482.84 as of July 1, 2013. The total is $1,359.84 per month. 1. Upon receipt of each monthly GRH payment ($877.00), the Provider shall promptly: a. Issue payment to the landlord on behalf of the GRH client as per the landlord s lease agreement with the client. b. Issue payment in full for the following utilities, if they are not included in the rent payment to the landlord: gas, electricity, phone, water, trash. c. Keep up to $45 for its administrative expenses out of the remaining $877.00. d. Issue a gift card to the client for food with the remainder of the GRH base rate. 2. The Provider shall use the Supplemental Service Rate ($482.84) to provide needed services throughout the month, including a 24 hour emergency plan of care. Other Components: No more than 33% of units in any single building will be available for GRH. Enter into a Housing with Services agreement with each GRH client as per MN Statute 144D.04, Subd. 2. The lease will be between the tenant and the landlord. Security Deposits: CSD may assist tenants in need of assistance financing the one-time security deposit. This will be arranged between CSD and the tenant. However, whenever CSD issues payment on behalf of a tenant to the landlord, the landlord must track this to ensure the proper amounts are returned to the CSD and/or the tenant when the unit is vacated. - 7 -

NARRATIVE Please respond to the following questions in this section in five single sided pages or less. 1. Briefly describe the history of your business/organization and its philosophy. Please attach any brochures, newsletters or other informational materials (these attachments will not be counted towards the page limit). If this proposal is a partnership (e.g. between a property management company and a community service provider), please include information about both partners. 2. Describe the housing unit(s) that would be available to CSD/Tenants under this RFP. Please include items such as: a. Name of housing complex b. Minimum/Maximum number of units c. Cost of the units d. Size of unit(s) e. Description of unit(s) and property amenities (i.e. community use facilities, activities, etc.) f. Description of local area (i.e. transportation, retail, etc.) 3. Housing related experience: Describe your experience coordinating high quality, safe, and affordable housing to Washington County residents. 4. Service related experience: Describe your experience working with the target tenant population outlined in this RFP and other related programs. 5. Outline your proposal for the Vacancy Hold Fees. Please indicate if your proposal varies based on the size of the unit. BUDGET Housing: Complete the grey areas below based on the type of unit(s) outlined in this proposal. The form can be recreated, but must contain at least the fields listed below. Monthly Lease Component Costs Efficiency/Studio Unit One (1) Bedroom Unit Housing Electric Gas Telephone Cable/Satellite TV Water/Sewer/Trash Management Fee TOTAL One Time Damage Deposit Cost *Each person will have his/her individual lease. SELECTION CRITERIA Washington County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to accept other than the lowest cost proposal. If clarifications are needed, the County shall notify the provider in writing. Upon completion of the review of the written proposal, the County shall interview any or all providers at its discretion. County staff and/or community members will review the received proposals. The selection criteria shall be: 1. Proposal shows a clear understanding of the needed housing and service. 2. Evaluation of housing and services previously delivered by the applicant. 3. The applicant s ability to meet or exceed the County s minimum specifications outlined in this RFP. 4. The applicant s cost proposal for housing and services outlined in this RFP. - 8 -

PROPOSAL CONENTS Four (4) paper copies must be mailed or delivered to the County on or before 5pm on Friday, January 24, 2014 Friday, February 21, 2014. One of these must contain original signatures. Also send one electronic copy by email to: Sarah.Tripple@co.washington.mn.us. Only a complete proposal will be considered a valid proposal. A complete proposal will contain the following information and/or documentation in the specific order listed below. 1. Cover Letter: One of the four copies of this letter should contain an original signature. 2. Provider Fact Sheet: See page 10 of this RFP. 3. Narrative: See page 8 of this RFP. 4. Budget: See page 8 of this RFP. This template must be utilized. 5. An organizational chart. 6. A copy of your current standard lease agreement. 7. An audited financial statement for the organization s most recently completed fiscal year. If the organization does not conduct an independent audit, please contact the County to discuss other suitable financial statements. 8. Proof of Insurance: Include a copy of the certificates of insurance for General Liability coverage and other applicable coverage (e.g. Professional Liability, Automobile, Employee Dishonesty, Workers Compensation, etc.). - 9 -

PROVIDER FACT SHEET Legal Name: (As registered with Secretary of State) Doing Business As (if applicable): Corporate Headquarters Address: Service Site(s) (if other than Corporate Headquarters): Telephone: Fax: Contract Contact Person: Email: Program Contact Person: Email: Billing Contact Person: Email: Corporation type: For Profit Non-Profit Public Partnership Proprietorship Federal Tax ID#: Please list all applicable licenses: - 10 -