Anchorage municipal staff told the Housing and Neighborhood Development Commission that the city has released a request for proposals (RFP) for a year‑round congregate shelter model and will issue a non‑congregate RFP later this month.

The congregate solicitation asks for a scattered‑site approach with a baseline capacity to serve about 200 people year‑round and the ability to surge to roughly 400 during colder months. The planned non‑congregate solicitation will seek up to 100 beds, staff said.

Why it matters: commission members and staff framed the RFPs as a shift from large, short‑term winter shelters to smaller, service‑focused sites designed to improve linkages to housing and behavioral health supports. Staff said the solicitations aim to reduce neighborhood impacts of mass shelters by distributing sites across the city and encouraging operators that can bill for services to help offset operating costs.

Staff presentation and vendor requirements

Staff member Corina (staff member, government) said the congregate RFP allows bidders to respond in one of three ways: as a service provider with an identified location, location‑only or as a combined operator and site owner. "The RFP allows for a bidder to solicit, to to submit a solicitation in 1 of 3 buckets," Corina said. She added the city is seeking a "service rich model" that embeds connections to case management and behavioral health rather than only life‑safety operations.

Health department staff Tia (health department staff, government) said proposals will be subject to the municipality's shelter licensing process, and licensing will require community engagement and compliance with zoning where applicable. "Whoever is proposing will need to enter into the licensing process," Tia said, adding that licensing requirements are intended to include good‑neighbor expectations.

On financing and sustainability, staff told the commission they expect the city will look for operators able to bring billable services (Medicaid or other reimbursable behavioral‑health services) into the operations to help reduce municipal subsidies. Tia said that requirement reflects a need to limit the city's long‑term direct cost for shelter beds.

Community engagement and neighborhood concerns

Commissioners asked how the municipality expects to handle community reaction when an awarded operator identifies a specific site. Commissioner Dave Rittenberg (Commissioner) and others noted prior controversy when shelters appeared to "show up" in neighborhoods with little notice.

Corina said the RFP and licensing process are intended to push bidders and operators to engage neighbors. "A bidder can also identify a particular population so that we can really be very thoughtful about who we serve and just engaging and addressing the community," Corina said. She added the scattered‑site concept is meant to avoid concentrating services in a single neighborhood.

Operational timeline and capacity estimates

Staff said the congregate RFP was released on a Friday and that the non‑congregate RFP will follow later the same month. The city is planning its funding estimates around a 200‑bed year‑round baseline with surge to 400 in cold months; non‑congregate capacity was described as up to about 100 beds depending on negotiated pricing and available state funds.

Staff emphasized the solicitations are intended to give the city more lead time before the next winter season to secure operators and sites.

Ending

Municipal staff encouraged commissioners and community partners to share the solicitations with potential bidders. Staff announced a two‑day summit on coordinated response to homelessness (March 20–21) hosted by Southcentral Foundation's Nuka Institute to discuss coordinated entry and provider collaboration.

Votes at the meeting were limited to procedural approvals of agenda and minutes; no formal award decisions were made on the RFPs during this session.