Malik D. Evans
Mayor
Rochester Housing Stability
Fund
Activities
Issued: October 25, 2023
Proposals Due: December 29, 2023
City of Rochester, New York
Department of Neighborhood & Business Development
City Hall, 30 Church Street, Rm. 005-A, Rochester, NY
City of Rochester, New York
City of Rochester
Request for Proposals
Rochester Housing Stability Fund
Activities
Proposals to be received by 4:00 PM
12/29/23
Submit Proposals to:
Lia Anselm
Project Manager, Anti-Displacement Learning Network/RHSF
Associate Community Housing Planner
City of Rochester
30 Church Street, Room 005A, Rochester, NY 14614
Lia.Anselm@cityofrochester.gov
City of Rochester, New York
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
Given the vital importance of, and demonstrable need for, housing quality and stable
housing opportunities for vulnerable households City of Rochester, the City on behalf of
the Anti-Displacement Learning Network (ADLN) team seeks a Subrecipient(s) or
Grantee(s) to provide programming and services that support those goals. The City seeks
innovative proposals from qualified organizations with experience in the field, including
grassroots organizations that may not have an extensive formal structure in place, and
may even need the assistance of a fiscal sponsor for fiduciary oversight and other
administrative services. Proposals should demonstrate a Subrecipient or Grantee’s ability
to carry out their activities in a skillful and competent manner.
BACKGROUND
In 2020, the NYS Attorney General’s Office and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise),
launched the statewide ADLN to support the efforts of municipalities in New York State to reduce or
prevent the housing displacement of low-income communities through targeted strategies. The ADLN
was a partnership that provided peer learning and technical assistance to ten city and county teams
across New York State. The teams gathered information on the drivers of housing instability and
learned about best practice tools that could help to address them. The Rochester ADLN team has
comprised representatives from Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, the City-Wide
Tenant Union of Rochester, the Anthony L. Jordan Health Corporation, and the Volunteers of America
along with City staff from Housing, Budget, and Planning, and the President of City Council.
In January 2021, the City of Rochester furthered its commitment to equitable development by
accepting a grant award from the statewide ADLN. There are approximately 56,000 renter households
in Rochester and there are about 8,000 evictions filed in the city each year. Legal assistance partners
indicate that low-income renters who are women of color with children make up approximately three-
fourths of the people that they represent in cases related to eviction/housing court. Therefore, the
ADLN team identified them as a target population for its learning and assistance. Throughout 2021,
2022, and 2023 the ADLN team pursued several strategies, both short-and long-term, to combat
displacement. The award from Enterprise was used to combat COVID-19-related displacement,
launch a Property Ownership Readiness pilot program, and a rental unit repair program.
However, the primary vehicle selected to reduce displacement is a Housing Trust Fund (HTF), and
the award from the statewide ADLN was additionally used for a consultant to provide research and
recommendations on a framework for a local HTF, the Rochester Housing Stability Fund Corporation
(RHSFC) specific to Rochester’s needs. The RHSFC will be a fund designed to provide small scale
assistance for programs that reduce displacement and improve housing and financial stability for low-
income households. The fund will be overseen by a Board, which is made up of members from a wide
variety of community stakeholders: residents with lived experience with housing insecurity; advocates
and housing support providers; financial and development professionals; and government and public
housing officials. Each year the Board will determine the priorities for the next year, and review and
approve programs and services to pay for with the fund. Those programs and services will be provided
through contracts with agencies and other groups.
The team particularly focused on a HTF as an innovative and flexible vehicle dedicated to promoting
engagement as well as to fill gaps in housing opportunities and stability for people at risk of
displacement. Moving forward, the ADLN team is looking for entities to provide programs and
services for other activities developed for the Rochester Housing Stability Fund (RHSF). The
programs will stabilize housing by providing lower-income households, in particular women of color
City of Rochester, New York
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caring for children in their household, with opportunities to improve the quality of their housing and
support their personal goals related to housing stability.
The City of Rochester (“City”) received an award from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Fund established by the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”). The City engaged the
community for direct input on the use of ARPA funds to transform Rochester’s recovery from the
pandemic, and used this input to develop a blueprint for allocation of funds. At this time the funding
for the RHSF is through the City’s ARPA award, and all activities must also be approved activities for
that funding stream. All proposals must focus on one or more of these listed activities, listed below.
1. Tenant stabilization through short-term rental/financial assistance paid on their behalf that
covers unexpected financial issues that can affect an ability to pay rent or otherwise cause
housing insecurity. NOTE: The extremely successful 2021-22 COVID-related Relief Fund
was viewed as a pilot for this activity.
2. Increase applicants’ buying power through assistance for homeownership down payments
and closing costs, combined where possible with City’s Homebuyer Services programs. May
include funds specifically to assist tenants to purchase their current residence either alone or
as a cohort, an activity related to the overall Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA)
concept.
3. Reduce housing and wealth inequities through significant financial and educational
assistance for people of color, women, and city residents to become responsible local
property owners, developers, and housing providers. May be combined with other programs,
including the City’s Homebuyer Services programs. NOTE: the 2022 Property Ownership
Readiness program is a pilot for this activity, funded through a different source.
4. Agreements with legal services or non-profit service organizations for one or both of the
following:
a. Assistance to households to navigate estate/probate issues in which the original
owner has passed away without a will or with a complex title issue. Encourage
owner-occupancy and/or sales to first time buyers where appropriate.
b. Assistance to represent tenants who are interested in purchasing a residence either
individually or in a cohort, an activity related to the overall Tenant Opportunity to
Purchase (TOPA) concept.
5. Property repairs or improvements for properties within QCTs or eligible due to household
income levels. Category includes: updates to reduce utility costs; energy efficiency and
weatherization assistance unavailable through or leveraged along with other programs; small
repairs to mitigate housing insecurity that cannot be made through other programs;
assistance to targeted households who successfully purchased through the City’s
Homebuyer Services programs.
The Subrecipient or Grantee must have all of the skills, experience and necessary
equipment required to perform the proposed services, and shall have the ability to comply
with all applicable State, Local, and Federal laws, rules, and regulations as required by the
ARPA funding. Information relating to ARPA and the City’s current ARPA spending plan
can be found here: www.cityofrochester.gov/ARPA.
All assistance will be provided through sub-agreements with agencies selected through RFP process
or from previous successful programming. No individual household will be eligible for assistance
directly from the Rochester Housing Stability Fund Corporation. Beneficiaries are anticipated to be
reviewed for eligibility first by residing within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT). The second
consideration will be for households who fit appropriate income guidelines. The eligible activities are:
City of Rochester, New York
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As a part of this RFP process each Respondent must complete an ARPA funding
application, attached as Appendix A. This funding application will be made a part of,
and considered in conjunction with, all Proposals submitted pursuant to this RFP, and
serves to provide the City with the needed information to determine eligibility of
proposed uses pursuant to ARPA. The selected Subrecipient(s) or Grantee(s) will be
required to comply with the ARPA Final Rule, Treasury’s Guidance Document, and any
pertinent local, state, and federal laws, and such compliance requirements will be
identified in the final Subrecipient or Grantee Professional Services Agreement. The
successful Subrecipient or Grantee will be required to follow any additional rules and
procedures as established and implemented by the City. Once proposals are selected
and approved by City Council, the City will enter into a Professional Services Agreement
(PSA) or Contract agreement with the Subrecipient or Grantee. An example PSA
contract template is attached as Appendix B; this template only serves as an example
of a City boilerplate. It is not the final agreement that the parties will execute.
TIMELINE
Activity
RFP Release
Bidders’ Conference (Webinar)
Deadline for questions
Response for questions submitted
Proposals due
Sub-recipient or Grantee Selections
submitted to Council for approval
City Council Approval of Agreement
Agreement Start Date (estimated)
Time-
5:00 P.M.
2:00 PM
4:00 pm
8:00 am
4:00 pm
7:00 P.M.
Date
10/25/23
11/7/23
11/13/23
11/17/23
12/29/23
2/15/24
4/16/24
160/1/82/422
The dates shown above may be subject to change within the City of Rochester's sole
discretion and upon written notification as set forth herein.
COMMUNICATIONS
All communications by parties who wish to indicate an intent to submit or have submitted a
proposal in response to this RFP ("Respondents"), including any questions or requests for
clarifications, submission of the proposal, requests for status updates about the proposal
selection process and any other inquiries whatsoever concerning this RFP shall be sent, in
writing (via email is preferred), to the following City staff person ("City Contact"):
Lia Anselm, Project Manager, AntiDisplacement Learning Network/RHSF,
Associate Community Housing Planner
City of Rochester, New York
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