RFSB No. 227007 - Low Barrier Shelter

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 227007
LOW-BARRIER SHELTER
The City of Augusta is seeking proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations, governmental
agencies, or public-private partnerships ("Providers") to develop and operate a 24-hour, seven-
day-per-week, 50 to 70 bed, low-barrier homeless shelter that provides safe housing together
with comprehensive supportive services designed to move guests towards stable housing (a
"Low-Barrier Shelter").
The City's goal is to reduce unsheltered homelessness by providing immediate shelter while
connecting guests with housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, employment assistance,
and other supportive services necessary to achieve permanent housing stability.
The City is willing to partner with the selected Provider in one or more of the following ways:
* Financial operating or capital assistance;
* Assistance securing State of Maine and/or federal funding;
* Donation or lease of municipal property;
* Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding; and
* Tax Increment Financing assistance, where applicable.
* Financial assistance to the winning bidder to help prepare workable proposals to the City
and Planning Board.
The City encourages innovative proposals that maximize community partnerships while
maintaining a compassionate, safe, and accountable shelter environment.
I. BACKGROUND
Like many communities throughout Maine, Augusta has seen an increase in the number of
individuals experiencing homelessness.
The City recognizes emergency shelter alone is insufficient. Successful programs combine
shelter with intensive case management and coordinated access to housing and supportive
services.
The City desires proposals for a Low-Barrier Shelter that emphasize permanent housing while
recognizing the need to address behavioral health, substance use disorders, employment barriers,
and other challenges.
II. PROJECT GOALS
The City expects that the selected Provider will:
* Operate a safe, 50 to 70 bed, low-barrier shelter;
* Reduce unsheltered homelessness;
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* Increase permanent housing placements;
* Improve community health and safety;
* Coordinate services among local agencies;
* Reduce unnecessary emergency room utilization;
* Reduce interactions with law enforcement;
* Assist clients in obtaining income and benefits; and
* Improve quality of life for shelter guests and surrounding neighborhoods.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and/or to waive any deviation from the
requirements of this RFP or any other informality or irregularity in any proposal when in the
interest of the City. Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the scheduled time for the opening
of proposals or authorized postponement thereof. Any proposal received after the time and date
specified shall not be considered. No Provider may withdraw a proposal within 30 (30) days
after the actual date of the opening thereof. The acceptance of any proposal submitted pursuant
to this RFP shall not constitute any implied acceptance of or offer to enter into a contract with
any Provider.
III. PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL
Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the Format of Proposal attached hereto and all
required information must be provided before the proposal can be considered for award.
All proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes bearing on the outside the name of the
Provider, its address, the bid number 227007, and the name of the project for which the proposal
is being submitted, as required by the Request for Proposal. If forwarded by mail, the sealed
envelope containing the proposal and marked as directed above, must be enclosed in another
envelope addressed as specified in the RFP and preferably by "registered mail."
At the time of the opening of proposals, each Provider will be presumed to be thoroughly
familiar with the General Specifications, Proposal Specifications and Format of Proposal,
including all addenda. The failure or omission of any Provider to examine the site or to receive
any form, instrument, or document shall in no way relieve any Provider from any obligation in
respect to its proposal.
Any item of material, equipment or labor not mentioned in these specifications, but which is
required to complete the specified project, must be included in the proposal by the Provider.
IV. QUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS
The City may make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the
Provider to operate a Low-Barrier Shelter and the Provider shall furnish to the City all such
information and data for this purpose as the City may request. The City reserves the right to
reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such Provider fails to satisfy
the City that such Provider is properly qualified to carry out the specifications or operate a Low-
Barrier Shelter. Conditional proposals will not be accepted. The City may require pre-
qualification data from Providers unknown to it.
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V. ADDENDA AND INTERPRETATIONS
No interpretation of the meaning of the specifications, or other contract documents will be made
to any Provider orally. Every request for such interpretation should be in writing, addressed to
Earl Kingsbury, Community Service Department, City of Augusta, 16 Cony Street, Augusta, Maine
04330, or emailed to Earl.Kingsbury@augustamaine.gov, and to be given consideration, must be
received at least ten (10) business days (October 6) prior to the date fixed for the opening of
Proposals. Any and all such interpretations and any supplemental instructions will be in the form
of written addenda to the specifications which, if issued, will be mailed or emailed to all
prospective Providers, at the respective addresses furnished for such purposes, not later than five
(5) business days prior to the date fixed for the opening of proposals. Failure of any Provider to
receive any such addendum or interpretation shall not relieve any Provider from any obligation
under its proposal as submitted. All addenda so issued shall become part of this RFP.
VI. AWARD OR REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible Provider complying with the conditions
of the RFP, provided its proposal is reasonable and it is in the interest of the City to accept it.
The Provider to whom the award is made will be notified at the earliest possible date. The City,
however, reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any informality in
proposals received, and to accept any proposal whenever such rejection, waiver or acceptance is
in the interest of the City. The City also reserves the right to reject the proposal of a Provider
who has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time contracts of a similar nature,
or a proposal of a Provider who is not in a position to perform the contract. To better ensure fair
competition, and to permit a determination of the most qualified Provider, proposals obviously
unbalanced may be rejected by the City at its discretion.
VII. AGREEMENT/CONTRACT
The selected Provider will be required to sign a standard City contract to be provided upon award
of the Project and the award of the Project is expressly conditioned upon the execution of such
contract.
VIII. PERMITS AND LICENSES
The selected Provider shall obtain all permits and licenses necessary for the performance of the
specifications and operation of a Center shall be secured and paid by the Provider. The
successful Provider shall also comply with the rules and guidelines of the City of Augusta
Shelter Ordinance. (Attached as Addendum A)
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PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 227007
LOW BARRIER SHELTER
BID OPENING: October 20, 2026 at 2:00pm
The City is requesting proposals for the operation of a Low Barrier Shelter meeting the following
description:
I. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The Low Barrier Shelter shall operate using the following low-barrier principles.
Admission to the Low Barrier Shelter shall not require:
* Sobriety;
* Participation in religious activities;
* Employment;
* Income;
* Criminal background checks (except where required by law); or
* Identification
Individuals shall not be denied admission solely because they:
* Have untreated mental illness;
* Have substance use disorders;
* Possess limited belongings;
* Lack identification; or
* Have poor credit or rental history.
Exclusions shall be limited to individuals who:
* Make or have made immediate threats of violence to themselves, staff or other guests;
* Possess of illegal weapons;
* Engage or have a documented history of engaging in behaviors creating imminent danger
to themselves, staff or other guests; or
* Are subject to legal restrictions requiring separation from staff or guests.
II. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The Low Barrier Shelter shall operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, with exceptions only
for emergency circumstances or intermittent construction or maintenance activities.
Guests shall have daytime access to:
* Restrooms and sanitary facilities;
* Showers;
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* Laundry;
* Lockers or personal storage spaces, if provided;
* Case management and referral services (see Case Management, below);
* Medical referrals; and
* Warming and cooling space.
Guests shall have nighttime access to:
* Restrooms and sanitary facilities; and
* Sleeping areas.
III. REQUIRED SERVICES
At a minimum, the Provider shall provide the following at the Low Barrier Shelter:
Shelter Services
* Emergency overnight shelter;
* Daytime shelter;
* Intake and assessment;
* Coordinated Entry participation;
* Secure storage;
* Bedding;
* Laundry;
* Shower facilities; and
* Mail service (when possible).
Case Management (in-house or with partnering organizations)
Low Barrier Shelter staff or partnering organizations shall provide guests with the following
services, upon request:
* Individual service plans;
* Housing assessment;
* Income assessment;
* Benefit enrollment assistance;
* Employment referrals;
* Identification replacement assistance; and
* Transportation coordination.
Partnering Organization Services
Partnerships shall be established to provide guests with the following services, upon request:
Behavioral Health Medical Services
* Mental health services; * Primary care
* Crisis intervention; * Dental care
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* Medication management referrals; * Vision care
* Substance use treatment; and * Preventive health
* Recovery coaching. * Medication access
Employment Services Housing Navigation
* Workforce development * Landlord engagement
* Job readiness * Housing applications
* Resume preparation * Permanent Supportive Housing referrals
* Job placement * Housing search assistance
* Vocational rehabilitation * Security deposit assistance (if funding
available)
IV. FACILITY
The Low Barrier Shelter shall be designed and equipped to include:
* ADA accessibility
* Fire suppression
* Emergency generator
* Security cameras
* Controlled access
* Reception area
* Intake office
* Case management office
* Medical consultation room
* Laundry facilities
* Commercial kitchen or meal service area
* Dining room
* Men's sleeping area
* Women's sleeping area
* Isolation room
* Pet accommodations (preferred)
* Outdoor smoking area
V. STAFFING REQUIREMENTS
Staff should receive training in:
* Trauma-informed care
* Harm reduction
* CPR/First Aid
* Mental Health First Aid
* Crisis intervention
* Cultural competency
* De-escalation
VI. DATA COLLECTION
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The operator shall participate in HMIS and coordinated entry system and provide quarterly
reports including:
* Demographics
* Housing outcomes
* Service utilization
* Length of stay
* Returns to homelessness
* Funding expenditures
* Number of open beds
VII. COMMUNITY RELATIONS
The operator shall maintain:
* Good Neighbor Policy
* Neighborhood advisory meetings
* Complaint resolution process
* Litter control
* Exterior maintenance
* Coordination with public safety agencies
VIII. DESIRED OUTCOMES
The City seeks proposals that demonstrate the ability to:
* Reduce unsheltered homelessness.
* Reduce emergency service utilization.
* Reduce encampments.
* Increase permanent housing placements.
* Improve public health outcomes.
* Improve neighborhood quality of life.
* Increase collaboration among service providers.
* Leverage state, federal, and private funding.
FORMAT OF PROPOSAL
To facilitate the review of responses, all Providers are required to adhere to the following
requirements with regard to their proposals. The Providers shall submit one (1) bound original
signed proposal, four (4) bound proposal copies and one USB electronic copy of the proposal,
in a single PDF format. The City strongly encourages Providers to ensure that RFP submissions
are succinct and clearly organized. If the proposal is not in this format or does not include all of
the information requested, it may be deemed non-responsive.
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PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals shall include:
Organizational Information
* History
* Mission
* Experience
* Organizational chart
Experience
Describe experience operating:
* Emergency shelters
* Low-barrier shelters
* Housing First programs
* Case management and referral services
* Behavioral health partnerships
Program Narrative
Describe:
* Operating philosophy
* Shelter model
* Staffing plan
* Client flow
* Community Partnerships
* Housing strategy
* Security plan
Budget Requirements
Provide:
* Three-year operating budget
* Staffing costs
* Facility costs
* Insurance
* Utilities
* Food service (if any)
* Security
* Transportation
* Administrative expenses
* Funding sources
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* Sustainability plan
Safety and Security Plan
The proposal shall include a comprehensive security plan addressing:
* Twenty-four-hour staffing.
* Staff-to-client ratios.
* Security personnel (if applicable).
* Visitor policies.
* Weapons policy.
* Emergency evacuation procedures.
* Medical emergencies.
* Overdose response procedures.
* Naloxone availability.
* Coordination with police, EMS, and fire departments.
* Incident reporting procedures.
References
* Provide at least three municipal or governmental references.
Stacking order for proposal submission
Cover Letter
Executive Summary
Organizational Qualifications
Experience Operating Shelters
Program Narrative
Budget Requirements
Safety and Security Plan
References
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EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria and point system:
Criteria Points
Organizational Experience 20
Financial Capacity 20
Housing Outcomes Strategy 15
Program Design 15
Community Partnerships 10
Staffing Plan 10
Budget 10
Total 100
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