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Hillsborough County opens pre-proposal period for Community Housing Solutions Centers under RFQ 2500249
Summary
Hillsborough County held a pre-proposal meeting on its RFQ for Community Housing Solutions Centers, outlining program goals, operational requirements, bed and room limits, per-diem rates, allowable expenses, performance metrics and submission rules; changes to the solicitation will be posted only by written addendum through the Bonfire portal.
Hillsborough County hosted a virtual pre-proposal meeting for Request for Qualifications (RFQ 2500249) on the Community Housing Solutions Center projects to explain the solicitation’s requirements, timelines and submission process to prospective contractors and subcontractors.
The RFQ seeks operators for Community Housing Solutions Centers that provide temporary emergency and bridge housing to individuals and families with minor children and aims to link participants to permanent or permanent supportive housing, Laura Rice, manager of the Homeless and Community Services Department and project manager for the RFQ, said. "The Community Housing Solutions Center will offer 2 different types of temporary housing, emergency housing, and bridge housing," Rice said.
The county emphasized that only a written addendum can change the solicitation. "Only a written addendum may change the proposal documents," Tracy Edwards, senior procurement buyer, said, and all questions must be submitted through the Bonfire portal. Edwards also noted the solicitation’s "cone of silence" and reminded prospective proposers that online proposals must be uploaded through Bonfire by 2 p.m. on June 16.
Key program and operational requirements presented include: a project period of 38 months beginning Aug. 1, 2025; low-barrier entry; a single-site cap of no more than 85 beds for individuals and no more than 100 rooms for families through multiple awards; bridge housing that must not exceed 45 days and emergency housing that must not exceed 120 days; and sites that are permanent, properly zoned structures within Hillsborough County and turnkey for operation. Rice said the Centers must be "operational 7 days a week, 24 hours a day" and provide the services listed in the RFQ.
Capacity and subcontracting rules in the solicitation require prime contractors to be able to manage 20 or more beds per day or 25 or more rooms daily; agencies with lower capacity will need to participate as subcontractors, Rice said. The RFQ lays out six monthly performance standards including occupancy, exit destinations and housing stabilization plans.
The county published per-diem rates and allowable expense provisions: a $60 per-bed, per-night rate for individuals; family daily participant rates of $75 for subcontractors and $100 for contractors; an allowable expense of $15,000 per project year for contractors and $5,000 per project year for subcontractors (both prorated for the initial short project year); and a contractor management fee of 10% of the total subcontract agreement amount up to $50,000 per subcontract annually.
Case management requirements include at least two contacts per week and support across seven domains identified in the RFQ: housing services; physical health; mental health and substance use treatment; education and employment; financial services; legal support; and social connection services.
Prospective proposers raised two procedural questions during the meeting. Bobby Davis of Cove Behavioral Health flagged a date on the rating sheet that reads June 1 for an operational timeline; Rice acknowledged the intended start date is Aug. 1, and Edwards said that will be handled by addendum if required. A request to share the presentation was answered by Edwards, who said the slides and the meeting recording will be posted for download through the Bonfire portal.
The solicitation includes a 100-point evaluation scale plus up to 15 bonus points for expanded services and participation by disadvantaged minority and women-owned business enterprises. The RFQ materials detail evaluation categories such as organizational capacity, experience, service delivery, facility readiness and site visit results.
Questions and clarifications must be submitted through Bonfire within the timeline specified in section 4.6 of the solicitation; the county will post official answers and any addenda to that portal so all proposers receive the same information. The pre-proposal meeting concluded with staff reminding attendees to submit written questions through Bonfire and to watch for posted addenda that formalize any changes discussed during the session.
