Consideration and Approval of Contract:  Consideration and approval of the Professional Services Contract for the Mobile Home Assistance for Displaced Residents Program, Contract No. 2019-62 between City of Flagstaff and Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS).

In an effort to avoid future emergency situations concerning displaced populations due to the closure of mobile home parks, a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RSOQ 2019-62) was conducted to identify housing service providers that had established programs in place to assist families and individuals in achieving housing permanency. The goal of the program is to keep displaced populations housed and prevent them from entering Flagstaff’s homeless system. Additionally, RSOQ 2019-62 called for leveraging capacity to maximize City resources and required the successful respondent to provide housing case management services.

Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS) was the single respondent to RSOQ 2019-62. The local non-profit agency provided sufficient information to adequately score on the evaluation criteria based on the parameters within scopes of work.  FSS is Northern Arizona's largest homeless shelter and has extensive experience in providing housing case management services.

***A PowerPoint presentation is attached***

The FY 2019 budget included $100,000 in one-time general fund dollars for the purpose of assisting households being displaced from the closure of mobile home parks.

As outlined in the attached City Council Report dated December 6, 2018, a total of 35 Arrowhead households received relocation assistance support during the Arrowhead Village Park closure. Of those 35 households, 14 households received assistance with city funding totaling $15,438.

With this, there is a remaining balance of $84,562 available for the Mobile Home Assistance for Displaced Residents Program.

Affordable Housing Goal
Pursue financing strategies for affordable housing to create additional rental and ownership housing opportunities.

Regional Plan: Goal NH.3. Make available a variety of housing types at different price points, to provide housing opportunity for all economic sectors. Policy NH.3.3. Increase the availability of affordable housing for very low-income persons, through innovative and effective funding mechanisms.

N/A

1. Approve the contract as recommended, allowing Flagstaff Shelter Services to administer the Mobile Home Park Assistance for Displaced Residence Program.
2. Do not approve the contract.
3. Direct staff to operate the programs internally, which would require additional staffing with administrative cost considerations.

During Council budget retreat in April of 2018, a discussion was held considering decreasing the contingency fund balance by half of one percent to provide an ongoing funding source for emergency housing relocation assistance. The goal of the ongoing program would be to leverage other funding opportunities to provide relocation assistance. In the end, this option was set aside, resulting in Council budgeting $100,000 in one-time general funds for households being displaced from the closure of mobile home parks.

Staff was directed to work with Flagstaff Shelter Services’ and Coconino County Community Services’ existing programs as an interim measure to expedite assistance to residents pending displacement from the closure of Arrowhead Village.  $15,438 of the original $100,000 allocated was used to assist the residents of Arrowhead Village. Staff was directed to create a relocation assistance program with the remaining $84,526 in funding allocated for this purpose.

On January 31, 2019, Purchasing staff posted a Request for Statements of Qualifications (RSOQ) solicitation on PlanetBids online bidding website and advertised it in the Arizona Daily Sun on February 3 and February 10, 2019.  A pre-statement meeting was held on February 19, 2019, at City Hall. On March 1, 2019, Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) were due and one (1) SOQ was received from Flagstaff Shelter Services.  A four-member evaluation committee evaluated the SOQ from Flagstaff Shelter Services and determined they were high scoring and the most qualified to provide the services solicited. 
 

1. Mobile Home Park Relocation Assistance funds will be distributed through the provider's existing housing programs or approved community partner programs and will be offered to residents being displaced due to closures of mobile home parks or other qualifying events.
2. The Provider will aim to utilize leveraged resources to maximize City investment.
3. The Provider will provide housing case management services.
4. The Provider will have access to Rapid Rehousing Funding or similar funding source with a housing permanency purpose and will aim to utilize the funding whenever appropriate.

 None.

The goal of the program would be to keep displaced populations housed and avoid households entering into Flagstaff’s homeless system. Assistance funds to be provided to tenants of mobile home parks facing eviction due to park closure, or similar events as determined by the Flagstaff City Manager, with a goal of achieving housing. Existing housing programs may include but are not limited to housing case management services and temporary financial assistance. Examples of temporary financial assistance are rapid rehousing funding, rental assistance, down payment or payment of security deposits or utilities.  
permanency.