Tiny Home Village Operations and Services With Optional Development Role (Downloadable Application)

Pierce County is issuing this RFI to better understand the capacity of organizations or project teams to manage and operate tiny home villages and other non-congregate transitional housing and provide or coordinate supportive services for residents. The County wants to understand the populations respondents are equipped to serve, the operating and service models they could provide, the scale at which those models are feasible, anticipated costs and funding sources, and the conditions necessary for successful operation.

The County is also interested in identifying respondents that have the capacity or interest, either directly or through partnerships, to participate in site identification and development. Development capacity is not required to respond to this RFI. Respondents with development capabilities will have an opportunity to describe the development roles they could perform, including providing or identifying a site, developing County-provided property, or participating as part of a development team.

Through this RFI, the County also wants to explore whether an integrated development and operations model could create additional opportunities to establish non-congregate transitional housing and better align site development with the needs of the population, operating model, and supportive services.

Pierce County continues to experience a significant need for additional housing options for individuals experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. The County's Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness identifies the need for a range of housing interventions that address the diverse needs of people experiencing housing instability. No single housing model can effectively serve every population.

The County is interested in expanding the availability of tiny home villages and other non-congregate transitional housing and in understanding the management, operating, and supportive service models that could be used for these projects. Different populations may require different approaches to staffing, site operations, case management, behavioral health and recovery supports, reentry services, workforce development, housing navigation, and other services that support stability and transition to permanent housing.

A significant challenge to expanding non-congregate housing, however, is identifying suitable property and developing sites that are ready for occupancy. Tiny home villages and similar projects require more than the placement of housing units. Depending on the size and configuration of the project, development may require land-use and permitting work, site preparation, water, sewer and electrical infrastructure, fire and emergency access, hygiene and laundry facilities, kitchen and community space, parking, fencing, waste collection, and procurement or construction of the housing units themselves.

For that reason, the County is also interested in whether some organizations or project teams may be able to provide an integrated development and operations model. While development capacity is not required to respond to this RFI, an organization or project team capable of both developing and operating a project could create additional opportunities by identifying or securing suitable property, designing the site around the needs of the population to be served, coordinating development with the proposed operating and service model, and moving the project from concept through occupancy and ongoing operations.

The County is interested in exploring programs and projects at a variety of scales, from small sites of approximately five or ten units to larger villages of 25 or more units, up to approximately 60 units. The appropriate project size, site configuration, operating model and supportive services may vary based on population served, housing configuration, and available infrastructure. Where possible, the County is also interested in sites with reasonable access to public transportation, retail, health care, and other services that support residents' daily needs and long-term stability.