Community Needs Assessment Services

RFP No. 0401-26 CNAS
Attachment A
SCOPE OF WORK & REQUIREMENTS
I. BACKGROUND & PURPOSE
The City of Falls Church, Virginia ("City") is an independent city in Northern Virginia located
approximately seven miles west of Washington, DC. The City encompasses roughly 2.2
square miles and has a population of about 14,500 residents based on recent Census
estimates. Despite its small size, the City functions as a full-service municipality with its
own police department, schools, library system, transportation services, and housing and
human services programs. The City works closely with regional partners, particularly
Fairfax County and Arlington County, to deliver health, housing, and social services. Rising
housing costs, demographic shifts, and regional economic pressures have increased
demand for coordinated human services and data-driven planning across several topic
areas addressed in this Scope of Work.
A. Unhoused and Homelessness-Related Needs (Required Study Area)
The City participates in the Fairfax County Continuum of Care system for
homelessness services while also supporting local programs. The City hosts the
Falls Church Homeless Shelter at 217 Gordon Road, a seasonal hypothermia
shelter that operates during winter months and provides emergency overnight
shelter, meals, case management referrals, and connections to longer-term housing
and social services. Regional resources also include facilities such as Bailey's
Shelter and Supportive Housing in the City of Falls Church area, which provides
approximately 48 shelter beds plus several medical respite beds along with
supportive services to help adults transition to stable housing.
These services are supplemented by outreach, human services coordination, and
partnerships with nonprofit providers, faith communities, and neighboring
jurisdictions. However, community stakeholders report increasing visibility of
homelessness, pressure on shelter capacity, and ongoing challenges with
affordable housing access.
Local stakeholders have expressed interest in better data on unsheltered
homelessness, service utilization patterns, and potential future shelter needs,
including considerations related to year-round shelter operations, bed capacity,
possible day-use services, and future site planning. Strengthening coordination with
Fairfax County and Arlington County, improving local data collection approaches

beyond Point-in-Time counts, and assessing future service demand are key priorities
for study.
B. Older Adult (Elderly) Needs
Older adults represent a growing share of City residents, consistent with broader
regional aging trends. The City provides services intended to support aging in place,
social engagement, health maintenance, and housing stability. The City of Falls
Church serves as a central hub for programming that includes wellness activities,
educational programming, social events, and community engagement
opportunities.
Through partnerships with Fairfax County aging services, residents may access
programs such as home-delivered meals, caregiver support services, adult day
health programs, benefits counseling, transportation assistance, and case
management. Additional City programs include tax relief for eligible older residents,
housing assistance coordination, and information and referral services. Data on the
aging population, service utilization trends, and future demand projections will help
inform long-term planning for housing, transportation, and health services.
C. Needs of Persons with Disabilities
City residents with physical, developmental, intellectual, or behavioral health
disabilities receive support through both City programs and regional partnerships,
including coordination with the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
Services may include behavioral health supports, developmental disability services,
housing assistance coordination, benefits navigation, transportation
accommodations, and accessibility planning.
The City maintains compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and
works to improve accessibility in facilities, public spaces, transportation systems,
and community programs. Continued evaluation of service accessibility, unmet
needs, housing availability for persons with disabilities, and coordination across
service providers will be an important component of the broader needs
assessment.
D. Transportation Needs
Transportation access is an important factor in housing stability, employment
access, health care utilization, and overall quality of life. Fairfax County operates the
Connector Bus system, which provides local transit connections within the City and

to regional transit hubs, including Metrorail. The City also supports pedestrian safety
initiatives, bicycle infrastructure, and coordination with regional transit providers.
Specialized transportation assistance programs help older adults and residents
with disabilities access medical appointments, social services, and daily needs.
Data related to ridership trends, accessibility barriers, service coverage, and future
mobility needs will help guide future transportation investments and service
coordination strategies.
E. Health-Related Needs
Health services for City residents are delivered primarily through partnerships with
the Fairfax/City of Falls Church/Fairfax City Health Department, regional healthcare
systems, nonprofit providers, and local human services programs. These services
include immunizations, public health outreach, behavioral health services, crisis
response coordination, substance use treatment referrals, and case management.
Housing stability, mental health, transportation access, and food security all
influence health outcomes. The City has an interest in understanding how social
determinants of health affect residents and how service coordination can improve
overall health and well-being. Data analysis in this area may include service
utilization trends, health disparities, access barriers, and regional health indicators.
F. Food Insecurity
While the City is generally considered a high-opportunity community, food
insecurity affects some households, particularly those facing high housing costs,
fixed incomes, or economic instability. The City works with regional food banks,
nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and community partners to
connect residents with food assistance.
Supports include food pantry referrals, meal programs for older adults, school-
based nutrition programs, and community food distribution initiatives.
Understanding the scale of food insecurity, populations most affected, service
utilization patterns, and geographic access to food resources will help inform future
planning and coordination efforts.
Purpose
Overall, this needs assessment is intended to provide a data-informed
understanding of community needs, service gaps, regional coordination

opportunities, and future policy considerations. The study will support strategic
planning, funding decisions, program development, and partnerships aimed at
improving housing stability, health outcomes, mobility, and overall quality of life for
City residents.
The Consultant must complete and report on the following topic:
* Unhoused and homelessness-related needs
Additional Topic Areas (Must Priced and broken-out)
The Consultant must include separate scope and pricing for each of the following
topic areas as part of the proposal:
* Older adult (elderly) needs
* Needs of persons with disabilities
* Transportation needs
* Health-related needs
* Food insecurity
While these topic areas must be studied and priced, the City may determine, at its
discretion, whether findings from one or more of these topic areas are included in
the final report.

II. METHODOLOGY
Each proposal should include an explanation on how the report will be generated that
involves the following:
Data Review and Information Gathering
The Consultant shall review and analyze available information for all topic areas
listed in Section II. This may include:
* Existing City plans, reports, and studies
* Publicly available local, state, and federal data
* Data provided by the City, where available
* Regional data from partner jurisdictions and agencies
The Consultant shall clearly explain data limits and gaps in simple terms.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
The Consultant shall conduct community engagement activities to inform the
assessment. Engagement methods may include interviews, focus groups, surveys,
or listening sessions.
Engagement may include:
* People with lived experience related to the topic areas
* Service providers and nonprofit organizations
* City staff, boards, and commissions
* Regional partners
* Faith-based and community organizations
Engagement activities shall be accessible, respectful, and inclusive.

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Consultant shall complete the Community Needs Assessment using clear methods
and plain language. The work shall include the following tasks:
Task 1: Project Start-Up and Work Plan
Following commencement of the project, within 7 days the Consultant will schedule
a meeting with the City to hold a kick-off meeting with City staff to confirm goals,
scope, and expectations and Share a written work plan that confirms what topics
will be studied, how data will be collected and reviewed, how community
engagement and input will be gathered, and any project schedule / key milestones.
Task 2: First Draft
The Consultant shall provide a draft report 60 Days from commencement that
should include:
* Clearly summarize key findings
* Identify unmet needs and service gaps
* Provide realistic and practical recommendations
* Distinguish between near-term actions and longer-term strategies
* An executive summary written in plain language
* Clear tables, charts, and visuals
* All materials shall be provided in accessible, editable electronic formats.
The first draft Community Needs Assessment shall include a section for Unhoused
and Homelessness-Related Needs that includes:
* Characteristics and needs of people experiencing homelessness
* Availability of shelter, housing, outreach, and support services
* Gaps in services and barriers to access
* Coordination with regional partners and service systems
* Data challenges and recommendations for improving local data
* Short-term and long-term strategies the City could consider
Also included in the final report shall be additional topic areas that can stand alone
if needed for with the following detail:

1. Older Adult (Elderly) Needs
* Housing, service, and accessibility needs
* Mobility and social connection challenges
* Gaps in existing supports
2. Needs of Persons with Disabilities
* Access to housing, transportation, services, and public spaces
* Barriers faced by people with disabilities
* Opportunities to improve accessibility and inclusion
3. Transportation Needs
* Access to transportation for daily needs such as work, health care,
food, and services
* Gaps in transit options and mobility supports
4. Health-Related Needs
* Access to physical, mental, and behavioral health services
* Barriers related to cost, location, or availability
5. Food Insecurity
* Extent of food insecurity in the community
* Access to affordable and nutritious food
* Gaps in food assistance and service delivery
Task 3: Public Feedback
Following delivery of the first draft, the City will coordinate up to three public
meetings to take feedback and comments that will be incorporated into the final
report.
Task 4: Final Draft
90 days from commencement of the project the consultant shall provide a final
report suitable for public release that includes any comments or feedback received
from staff or from public input.
Task 5: Presentation of Findings
Following delivery of the final report, the consultant will participate in up to 3 public
meetings to discuss key findings.