Establishment and Operation of Interim Housing for Families

Through this Request for Information (RFI), the County of San Mateo (the County) Human Services Agency (HSA) Center on Homelessness (COH) seeks information from organizations that may be interested in establishing and/or operating an additional family interim housing program within San Mateo County Information gathered will assist the County in planning for expanded family interim housing capacity and a potential future solicitation for establishment and operation of one additional family interim housing program. This RFI is issued for information-gathering purposes only. No funds or contracts can or will be awarded through this RFI.

This RFI is part of a market research effort to assess provider interest and capacity to add one family interim housing program in San Mateo County.

The County is particularly interested in understanding:

• Whether qualified organizations are interested in operating a new family interim housing program;
• Whether qualified organizations are interested in procuring, leasing, acquiring, rehabilitating, developing, and/or constructing a facility for that purpose, including whether any already have a potential site in mind;
• Whether organizations would prefer to perform both the facility and operating roles, or perform one and partner with another organization;
• What supports, partnerships, or County involvement may be needed to make a project feasible.

Information gathered through this process may inform program design, procurement strategy, service expectations, and a potential future Request for Proposals (RFP) or other solicitation.

This RFI provides background on the County’s existing family shelter system, the need for additional family shelter capacity, and considerations for adding another family shelter program. Responses to this RFI are for informational and planning purposes only and do not obligate respondents to participate in any future procurement or take any other action.

The County, through HSA’s COH, coordinates the homeless crisis response system. The system is designed to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move toward stable housing. COH works countywide and collaborates with community-based organizations, public agencies, housing providers, and other stakeholders to strengthen the local homelessness response system.

Family interim housing services are intended for households with children who are experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis and have no safe alternative housing options. In San Mateo County, these programs function as short-term, housing-focused interventions designed to provide a safe, decent, and family-appropriate place to stay while families stabilize, address immediate crises, and move as quickly as possible toward permanent housing.

The County has not identified a specific region or facility for a new interim housing site. The County is seeking information from community-based organizations, shelter operators, housing and service providers, and other qualified entities with experience developing, establishing, and/or operating shelters or interim housing for families experiencing homelessness. The County is particularly interested in learning about provider capacity and considerations related to facility procurement and the provision of services relevant to adding another family shelter program to the County’s current system.