Cornell RoadTransitional Housing Operator

Washington County is requesting proposals from qualified organizations to provide transitional housing services, recovery services, and building operations at the Cornell Road transitional housing site to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Washington County. Through this procurement, the Department of Housing Services (DHS) is seeking a Transitional Housing Operator(s) (“Supplier(s)”) to contract with the County to operate transitional housing for 75 – 85 adult individuals with a focus on substance use recovery services. Proposers who have experience working with Coordinated Care Organization’s (CCOs) and leveraging or billing Medicaid for services are highly encouraged to apply. Eligible providers are invited to submit a response demonstrating their interest in and qualification for this project by August 27, 2025. The scope of this RFP includes transitional housing services, substance use recovery services, and building operations with asset management. Proposers should be a provider or team of providers with the intent and proven ability to operate a transitional housing site with substance use recovery services. The Proposer must be a qualified provider of any Supportive Housing and Services (SHS) component area in Washington County per the Tri County RFPQ qualified providers list; if the Proposer is a team of providers, at least one proposer must be a qualified provider.

To qualify, the provider or provider team shall demonstrate experience and expertise in building management, transitional housing, and substance use recovery services. The provider can apply to complete all aspects of this proposal, or they may form a partnership with other providers to meet all qualifications of this request. If applying as a provider team, partnership roles and responsibilities shall be clearly defined, and the proposal must describe the partnership and how they will achieve goals together.

Washington County has launched an ambitious strategy to build a countywide system of care to address and prevent homelessness through services and supports that lead to housing stability and equal access. This work is primarily funded through resources from the regional Supportive Housing Services (SHS) measure. To create a full continuum of services in our system, this RFP will meet the following needs:

• Homeless services providers and health system partners have identified a gap in the homeless services system for people struggling with substance use. This program aims to address a part of this gap by funding supportive recovery and transitional housing services that provide:
  • Early Recovery Focus: Serves individuals recently completing withdrawal management, graduating from residential treatment, or newly enrolled in outpatient care.
  • Team-Based Approach: Combines supportive housing, peer recovery services, and a community-based approach.
  • Relapse Prevention: Ongoing support to promote housing stability and sustained recovery.
• Creating a standard of care among all service providers that is individually responsive based in housing first principles, guided by people with lived experience, and informed by the best practices of trauma-informed and people-centered care.