Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority I. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Requests for Qualifications RFQ #20140224 DEV Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority ( FRHA ) hereby requests proposals from qualified firms to provide support and technical assistance services to FRHA for planning, management, finance, administration, project development, housing development and redevelopment, and other needs as FRHA may from time to time define. It is FRHA 's intent to enter into an Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) with the successful bidder for provision of these services for a period not to exceed five years. The services will be specified and undertaken on a Task Order basis. Task Orders will be defined and awarded on an as needed basis during the term of the contract. The Request for Qualifications ( RFQ ) documents will be available beginning February 24, 2014 at the Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority Administration Building, located at 601 Campbell Avenue, Franklin, VA 23851 or online at www.frhaonline.org. Respondents qualifications should be prepared in accordance with the instructions in Section V below. Questions regarding this RFQ should be directed in writing to 601 Campbell Avenue, Franklin, VA 23851 or via email to franklinrha@live.com. All questions must be received no later than Monday, March 3, 2014. Respondents qualifications must be received by FRHA in sealed envelopes at 601 Campbell Avenue, Franklin, VA. by 11:00 AM ET, Friday, March 7, 2014. Envelopes should be marked with RFQ#20140224 DEV. Qualifications will be held in confidence by FRHA and not released in any manner until after the completion of negotiations with the successful respondent. By submitting a response, each respondent is affirming his/her/its commitment to comply with: the Laws of the City of Franklin, Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America governing Fair Employment Practices, and all rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development governing Equal Employment Opportunities and Non discriminatory Practices. FRHA reserves the right to reject any or all responses and to waive any informality in the selection process. II. BACKGROUND Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority is a Virginia political subdivision, created under Title 36 of the Code of Virginia (1950), the Virginia Housing Authorities Law. The FRHA is located in Franklin, VA, approximately 50 miles west of Norfolk. It operates rental housing and provides other housing assistance to low income residents of Franklin and Southampton County. A seven (7) member Board of Commissioners appointed by the City Council of the City of Franklin governs FRHA. An Executive Director is appointed by the FRHA Board and is responsible for managing the daily operations of the agency. FRHA owns and manages 164 housing units, situated on four (4) multifamily and two (2) single family sites in Franklin. FRHA also administers a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) rental assistance program providing rent subsidy for up to 315 Section 8 vouchers. FRHA has completed a successful homeownership program and offers housing counseling and other housing related services. Page 1 of 5
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES The firm selected under this RFQ may be asked to consult on development and redevelopment activities that increase the quality of affordable housing through development of new units and redevelopment of existing units. Development will be primarily focused on residential units but may include commercial development to the extent that it is necessary to support housing. Consulting services will require expertise in the following areas: 1. Financial Analysis Firm may be asked to research, apply for and obtain financing for the planning, design, construction and development of housing. Funding resources may include, but are not limited to, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, Capital Fund Financing Program, Conventional Financing, FHA loans, Section 8 Project Based Funding, etc. 2. Market Analysis Firm may be asked to analyze existing housing stock and determine its ability to satisfy the demand for affordable housing and how to best position FRHA properties in the local housing market. Firm may also be asked to analyze housing to determine its viability in the local housing market in relation to other housing options. Requested analysis may cover current and future housing conditions and include Franklin, Southampton County and the greater Tidewater area. 3. Housing and Construction Analysis Firm may be asked to provide an assessment of existing FRHA single family or multifamily structures. Deliverables may include, but are not limited to, feasibility analysis, statement on mechanical systems, rehabilitation standards and work write ups. Analysis may include properties for acquisition and require an appraisal or price opinion. 4. Regulatory Analysis Firm may be asked to consult with FRHA on regulatory issues and make recommendations on the most efficient way to implement various housing strategies. Requests may include, but are not limited to, Homeownership Programs (Section 32), relocation of tenants under the Universal Relocation Act (URA), Voluntary or Involuntary Conversion of Public Housing Units, Demolition of Public Housing Units (Section 18) and more. Implementation of recommendations may require completion and submission of various applications related to the aforementioned requests. In addition to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), FRHA may require assistance with the Virginia Housing and Development Authority (VHDA), the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and other entities. IV. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE IQC 1. The requested services are to be performed in support of FRHA's mission, and in compliance with the requirements of HUD programs placed upon FRHA by HUD or other entities or established by FRHA. 2. All tasks shall be performed in a manner consistent with relevant federal, state, and local laws, the Code of Federal Regulations, and various HUD Handbooks and Notices, as appropriate. 3. FRHA will issue Task Orders, based upon the requirements of FRHA for its operations in order to achieve compliance with HUD requirements or to meet such other needs as deemed appropriate by FRHA. Page 2 of 5
The process for issuing a Task Order will be: a. FRHA will issue a request for a draft Task Order to the IQC firm. The Request will provide background on the perceived need, identify any applicable statutory or administrative requirements, indicate the desired services and/or products, provide guidance on known statutory issues and designate the anticipated period of performance (including any binding deadline). The Request may be indicative of, but not exclusive, as to the need, scope, and/or level of effort. The Firm will be expected to provide substantial assistance in responding to the task requirements. b. The IQC firm will review the Request and, within the specified period for response (typically no more than seven (7) days), the Firm will prepare a draft Task Order. The draft Task Order to FRHA will provide the following: i. Task Leader and Key Staff ii. Work Plan and schedule iii. Budget and schedule of payments with a not to exceed amount. d. FRHA will review the draft Task Order and approve it intact, negotiate modifications, or reject it with a request for resubmission. If FRHA rejects a proposed Task Order, it can choose to pursue completion of the work by other means. e. FRHA will issue a binding Notice to Proceed. The work will begin within fourteen (14) days unless otherwise specified in the Notice. f. All work products will be delivered in appropriate form, with a hard copy which is to be reproduced and with an electronic version (on appropriate media) which is compatible with the system used by FRHA. V. REQUIRED SUBMISSION FORMAT The proposal must be submitted in accordance with the specifications of this Request for Qualifications and include all of the items listed below. The proposal shall include a Table of Contents and be bound and presented in tabbed sections as described below. No requirement and/or specification should be construed as an attempt on the part of FRHA to limit competition. Sections to be included are: 1. A letter of interest on your firm s letterhead referencing the RFP subject to which the firm is responding. The letter should state the respondent s understanding of the range of services to be performed as stated in the General Specifications; a statement that any and all addenda were received; a statement indicating why the firm believes it to be the most qualified to perform the work; a statement that the firm has not been debarred; and a statement that the proposal is a firm and irrevocable offer for 60 days. A representative of your firm authorized to make such statement and offers must sign this letter. 2. A narrative description of the project team and its demonstrated ability in performing the services detailed in the Scope of Work. For at least one (1) of the four (4) items, firm should show positive results that derived from the completion of services with clients similar to FRHA. Lastly, please include the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least two Page 3 of 5
(2) clients for references in which you performed work similar in nature within the past five (5) years. 3. Provide an hourly rate for consulting services by the project team and any other additional costs that may apply. Specifically state any travel costs or extra fees that are not covered in the hourly rate. Information is to be provided in a separate sealed envelope marked Cost Proposal. NOTE: The proposed cost will be considered in addition to the above technical and experience factors in determining the most advantageous proposal. 4. Statement of Section 3 business status as defined in the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. State whether firm is 1) a Section 3 business, 2) is not a Section 3 business, or 3) is not a Section 3 business but has made significant effort to further HUD s Section 3 goals. If the last option is selected, provide an explanation of the firm s ongoing efforts. (i.e. donations to PHA programs, outsourcing, etc.) 5. Additional information will be requested during the selection process. The entire proposal should not exceed 10 pages, excluding the table of contents, tabs and dividers. (Note: Five (5) sheets of paper with information printed on both sides is considered to be 10 pages. Other information thought to be relevant, but not applicable to the categories below, may be provided but only as an appendix or addendum to the requested items. Please do not submit unrelated promotional material or information that is of a repetitive nature. The proposal should be concise and to the point. VI. EVALUATION FACTORS Proposals from interested organizations or individuals will be evaluated on the following factors: Item Evaluation Criteria 1. A letter of interest on your firm s letterhead referencing the RFP subject to which the firm is responding. 2. A narrative description of the project team s demonstrated ability in performing the services detailed in the Scope of Work. Financial Analysis (15 points) Market Analysis (15 points) Housing Analysis (15 points) Regulatory Analysis (15 points) 3. Provide an hourly rate for consulting services and any other additional costs that may apply. 4. Statement of Section 3 business status as defined in the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. NOTE: Firms not qualifying as a Section 3 Business may still receive points for efforts in support of HUD s Section 3 goals. Point Value Mandatory 60 25 15 Page 4 of 5
VII. SELECTION PROCESS FRHA intends to negotiate with the top ranked firm(s) after an evaluation of the factors listed above. A final payment plan will be negotiated with the number one ranked firm. If an agreement cannot be reached, FRHA will then negotiate with the number two ranked firm, etc. FRHA reserves the right to conduct negotiations with one or more respondents and to enter into a contract with more than one firm if, in the sole opinion of the FRHA, that method will provide the greatest benefit to the FRHA. VIII. CONTRACT TERM AND SPECIFICATIONS The term of the contract shall be one year from the date of the contract with an option of annual renewals, not to exceed four (4) years. The work to be performed under the contract is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 1701u (Section 3). The purpose of Section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance or HUD assisted projects covered by Section 3 shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be directed to low and very low income persons, particularly persons who are recipients of HUD assistance for housing. The parties to the contract agree to comply with HUD's regulations in 24 C.F.R Part 135, which implement Section 3. As evidenced by their execution of the contract, the parties to the contract certify that they are under no contractual or other impediment that would prevent them from complying with the Part 135 regulations. The respondent may not transfer or assign any portion of the contract without prior written approval from the FRHA. Firm must have insurance with an A rated carrier showing a $1,000,000 professional liability. At execution of contract, firm shall provide a Certificate of Insurance naming FRHA as an additional insured as our interests appears with 60 days notice of cancellation. IX. RFQ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FRHA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted, to award portions of this contract in whole or in part, to not award contract, and to waive any informalities in the submission of proposals. FRHA does not discriminate against faith based organizations or any person on the basis or race, color, genetic information, sex, religion, national origin, age, familial status, or handicap. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact FRHA at 757 562 0384. Page 5 of 5