BURA RFQ 2025 HOME Underwriting and Technical Assistance

Location:	New York
Posted:	Dec 12, 2025
Due:	Jan 23, 2026
Agency:	City of Buffalo
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Attachment Preview

City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency

Chair, Christopher P. Scanlon, Honorable, Mayor

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

HOME Investment Partnerships Program Underwriting, HOME ARP Underwriting and

HOME/HOME ARP Technical Assistance Services

Schedule of Key Action Dates

1. RFQ Issue Date: Friday, December 12, 2025

2. Questions & Inquiries Due Date: December 19, 2025

Written questions must be sent via email: Yvonne C. McCray, Director of Housing

ymccray@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us No questions will be accepted by phone.

3. Notice of Intent to Respond Due Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Any organization interested in responding to this RFQ is required to submit a brief letter to the City

of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) that expresses the respondent’s intention to submit a

package for consideration. The letter must include: the legal name of the organization, address,

authorized contact person, title, contact phone number, and email address. The letter must be

addressed to the BURA contact person:

Yvonne C. McCray, Director of Housing

City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency

901 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202

ymccray@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us

4. Response Submission Date: Postmarked or delivered no later than

Friday, January 23, 2026

The sealed package must be sent by U.S. mail, be clearly labeled, and submitted to:

RFQ –HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP Underwriting and Technical

Assistance Services

City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency

Attention: Yvonne C. McCray, Director of Housing

Room 901 City Hall, Buffalo, N.Y. 14202

ymccray@ch.ci.buffalo.ny.us

5. Anticipated Program Start-Up Date: March 2, 2026

OVERVIEW

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) is seeking

submittals from qualified affordable housing underwriting consulting firms (Consultant) to provide 3rd party

HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP Underwriting and Technical Assistance

Services for the City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency.

All organizations interested in applying to provide programs and services must meet the requirements

specified in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Respondents must have qualified staff on hand for this

program and be ready to begin work on the anticipated contract start-up date of March 2, 2026. It is

anticipated that one (1) administrator will be selected to work on a prepared scope of services. Additional

activity benchmarks will be negotiated upon the award of the contracts to the selected organizations.

OBTAINING A COPY OF THE RFQ: To obtain a copy of the RFQ, organizations can visit our website

at https://www.buffalony.gov/bids.aspx or https://www.buffalourbanrenewal.com/request-for-proposal-

rfp/ . You may also contact the City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency at 851-2872 or pick-up a copy in

Room 901 or Room 315 City Hall. Any addenda issued for this RFQ will be published at the above-

referenced website and will be provided to all groups that have submitted a Notice of Intent to Respond

letter to BURA.

RIGHTS RESERVED: BURA reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses, in whole or in

part, received because of this solicitation and to waive minor irregularities. Furthermore, BURA reserves

the right to make a whole award, partial award, or no award at all.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP

Underwriting and Technical Assistance – 2025

SECTION I – INTRODUCTION

1.1 SUMMARY STATEMENT: The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (hereinafter referred

to as “BURA”) is a public benefit corporation created in part to eliminate or prevent the spread of

deterioration through residential rehabilitation and to act in the public interest on behalf of the

citizens of the City of Buffalo. BURA manages the City of Buffalo’s Community Development

Block Grant (CDBG), the CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) and

the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).

The purpose of this RFQ is to select a HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP

Underwriting and Technical Assistance Consultant.

In order to be considered for participation in the program, the administrator must:

-document by its immediate past and current activities that it has the ability to implement the

eligible activities and tasks; and

-document the experience and the capacity of the staff to implement the proposed scope of services

and expend program funds in a timely manner.

It is anticipated that this RFQ will result in the selection of one (1) Consultant who will work on

a prepared scope of services.

A fixed fee schedule will be negotiated for each project and an hourly rate negotiated for Technical

Assistance Services and the selected Consultant will be compensated for the satisfactory

performance and completion of the minimum tasks associated with the program. The program

does not guarantee a specific volume of work.

The consulting arrangement will be as needed on a per project basis.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP

Underwriting and Technical Assistance – 2025

II – GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 NOTICE TO ADMINISTRATOR: The Consultant before submitting a proposal shall become

fully informed as to the extent and character of the work required and is expected to completely

familiarize themselves with the requirements of the solicitation and specifications. No

consideration will be granted for any alleged misunderstanding of the material to be furnished or

work to be done, it being understood that the submission of a proposal is an agreement with all of

the items and conditions referred to herein.

2.2 ORAL PRESENTATIONS: BURA reserves the right to conduct individual interviews with

finalists and to request best and final offers from any or all finalists. Each Consultant may be

required to provide oral presentations to discuss their proposed management techniques, answer

questions from BURA's staff, and/or clarify their technical submittal.

2.3 NEW YORK STATE LOBBYING ACT: All Bidders are required to execute an Affirmation of

Understanding and Agreement that the Bidder will comply with the procedures and restrictions

under the New York State Lobbying Act (Act), including but not limited to permitted contacts

during the bidding and award process. Bidders must also execute a disclosure regarding any prior

findings that the Bidder violated the Act.

2.4 WITHDRAWL OF THE PROPOSAL: The proposal may be withdrawn upon written request

from the Consultant prior to the proposal closing date.

2.5 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL AND MINORITY FIRMS, WOMAN’S BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE AND LABOR SURPLUS AREA FIRMS: The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal

Agency, per HUD Regulations Section 85.36(e), requires the prime contractor (Consultant) to take

affirmative steps to select such small and minority firms, women's business enterprise and labor

surplus area firms as subcontractors.

• The grantee (BURA) and sub grantee (Consultant) will take all necessary affirmative

steps to assure that minority firms, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area

firms are used when possible.

• Affirmative steps shall include:

o Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women's business enterprises

on solicitation lists;

o Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are

solicited whenever they are potential sources;

o Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or

quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority business, and

women's business enterprises;

o Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage

participation by small and minority business, and women's business enterprises;

o Using the services and assistance of the Small Business Administration, and the

Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce; and

o Requiring the prime contractor, if subcontracts are to be let, to take the affirmative

steps listed in paragraphs (e)(2) (i) through (v) of this section.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP

Underwriting and Technical Assistance – 2025

2.6 SUBCONTRACTING: Any person undertaking a part of the work under the terms of the

Contract, by virtue of any agreement with the Consultant, must receive approval of the City of

Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency prior to any such undertaking. In the event the Consultant desires

to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Consultant shall furnish with their

proposal the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors.

Subcontractors shall conform, in all respects to the provisions specified for the Consultant. The

Consultant shall, however, remain fully liable and responsible for the work done by their

subcontractors. The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency may terminate the Contract if the

subcontracting is done without BURA’s prior approval.

2.7 RESIDENCY GOAL: The selected Consultant agrees that (i) in the hiring of any contractor,

subcontractor, or a person acting on behalf of the contractor or subcontractor, preference shall first

be given to qualified local contractors who have resided in the City of Buffalo for at least six (6)

consecutive months immediately prior to the commencement of their employment for the

performance of work and (ii) any contractor or subcontractor will work towards ensuring a

minimum residency goal of 25% of workforce to include qualified residents in the City of Buffalo.

2.8 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT: The Consultant shall be responsible for the

professional quality and technical accuracy of their advice and other services furnished by them.

The Consultant will perform services with the degree of skill, which is normally exercised by

recognized professionals with respect to services of a similar nature. Neither BURA's review,

approval or acceptance of, nor payment for, any of the services required under the Contract shall

be construed to operate as a waiver of any rights under the Contract or of any cause of action arising

out of the performance of this Contract, and the Consultant shall be and remain liable to BURA in

accordance with applicable law for all damages to BURA caused by the Consultant 's negligent

performance of any of the services furnished under the contract. The rights of BURA provided for

under the contract are in addition to any rights and remedies provided by law.

2.9 FORMATION OF AGREEMENT WITH SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANT: The Agreement

to be negotiated as a result of this RFQ shall be by and between the Consultant and the homeowner’s

and shall contain but shall not be limited to provisions included in this RFQ. By submitting a

proposal in response to the RFQ, the Consultant accepts the terms and conditions set forth herein,

as well as any additional terms and conditions required for adherence to federal regulations, sound

fiscal management principles and the policies of the City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency.

2.10 WORKPLACE DIVERSITY: The City of Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency is committed to

achieving excellence in workplace diversity that encompasses the equity and social justice

principles of the local, state and federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws and the City of

Buffalo’s policies that promote participation by minority and women owned business enterprises.

The City encourages our partners to adopt business methods and models that foster and strive for

diversity within their workplaces as a matter of course.

In managing and valuing diversity, the City recognizes that it is the key component of effective

people management as well as it is the key to significant organizational benefits such as enhancing

productivity of all staff, enhanced equality of opportunity, recruitment and selection from a wider

pool of talents, improved service and client satisfaction and a positive community image. It gives

effect to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. The City encourages our partners to

achieve a workforce that reflects the profile of the broader community and capitalizes on this

City’s vibrant diversity of people.

2.11 LIVING WAGE ORDINANCE: The Consultant shall comply with the Living Wage Ordinance

of the City of Buffalo (Buffalo City Code §96-19), if applicable. The ordinance applies to contracts

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: HOME Investment Partnerships Program and HOME ARP

Underwriting and Technical Assistance – 2025

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid Title:	BURA RFQ 2025 HOME Underwriting and Technical Assistance
Category:	BURA - Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency
Status:	Open

BURA RFQ 2025 HOME Underwriting and Technical Assistance

Attachment Preview

See also