G--HOUSING LOCATOR CONTRACT- VA GREATER LOS ANGELES

The Government intends to procure commercial item services under (FAR Part 12 and FAR 15) for VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The NAICS code is 624229, Size Standard is $15 Million. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a Contractor to assist with the provision of housing placement and retention services through the HUD-VASH program located at the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLAHS). THIS REQUIREMENT IS FOR HOUSING PLACEMENT SERVICES AND MANAGEMENT DUTIES ONLY. NO CASE MANAGEMENT IS INVOLVED. Duties include: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Contractor services shall be furnished to eligible beneficiaries for whom such care is specifically authorized by the referring VA. Responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to: 1. Contractor shall assist Veterans with obtaining housing in Los Angeles County based on Veteran preference and housing availability. In Year 1, housing placement services will be provided to approximately 850 VETERANS. 2. Contractor shall work with Veterans and their families with a wide range of backgrounds and bio psychosocial challenges and vulnerabilities including, but not limited to, severe mental illness, chronic and current substance abuse, and serious medical problems. 3. Contractor shall provide a "warm handoff" to GLA HUD/VASH Case Manager and/or Peer Support after housing is located and secured so the GLA team can accompany the Veteran to the Housing Authority meetings. 4. Contractor shall participate in and coordinate with the VA supportive service teams regarding updates and changes in Veterans' housing plans to foster a collaborative relationship with the VA and Contractor in meeting Veterans' needs. Case conferencing may be done in person or by telephonic conference calls as determined by the VA COR. 5. Contractor shall respond to communication from Veterans, landlords, and property management companies within one (1) business day. 6. Contractor shall enter service notes, housing status updates, and other pertinent data into VA CPRS. 7. Veterans receiving housing placement services shall be housed, on average, within 60 days as indicated by the date of voucher issuance until the Veteran has signed a lease. 8. Contractor shall facilitate collaboration among VA-funded housing programs in order to increase the amount of housing resources available to homeless and formerly homeless Veterans in Los Angeles County. This collaboration work will increase housing resources for all 5500+ Veterans who receive HUD-VASH vouchers in Los Angeles County. 9. Contractor should be available to work with a Veteran previously housed who lost housing for any reason and follow the same guidelines to re-house Veteran within 60 days. CONTRACTOR HOUSING PLACEMENT DUTIES 1. Provide housing placement services to approximately 850 Veterans in Year 1. Veterans may be new to HUD-VASH or in need of re-housing services in order to relocate to new housing units that better meet their needs and/or to maintain permanent housing status. 2. Develop with the Veteran and VA supportive service team a 60-day Individual Housing Plan to be written and signed by all parties within 1-2 weeks of referral from the supportive service team, which will be initiated when the Veteran obtains all documentation needed for the public housing authority voucher application. 3. Participate in supportive service team meetings as agreed to with the COR, at minimum on a monthly basis, in order to coordinate care provided directly to the Veteran. 4. Contractor shall assist Veterans in completing PHA and other related housing paperwork (e.g. voucher applications, rental applications, etc.) and then complete a "warm handoff" to GLA HUD/VASH Case Manager and/or Peer Support who will accompany Veteran to Public Housing Authority meeting. Contractor shall work with GLA HUD/VASH and/or Peer Support to ensure Veteran will be able to get to voucher session. and the contractor shall document the efforts made to accommodate Veteran's attendance through staff notes. 5. Provide hands-on assistance to enable the Veteran to find appropriate housing including, but not limited to, helping Veterans search safe, decent, and stable housing units including use of on-line resources; coordinating with the services team and/or directly providing transportation for the Veteran to view housing options; and, coordinating housing quality inspections with the PHA, Veteran and landlord. 6. Assist the Veteran with establishing a household by completing utility applications and requesting low income service (e.g., electricity, gas, water, etc.), and with accessing move-in assistance such as security and utility deposits, furniture, and household goods that are available through community resources. 7. Identify and foster relationships with potential landlords. Advocate with potential landlords on behalf of the Veteran to secure a lease and advise any potential landlords that the Contractor and VA shall be providing assistance and case management services to the Veteran once they are housed. Contractor shall ensure that the Veteran has completed the VA release of permitted information so communication between the landlord, Contractor, and VA can occur as needed. CONTRACTOR HOUSING MANAGEMENT DUTIES 1. Track and notify the Veteran and supportive service team of l PHA certification and inspection. Contractor shall obtain results of PHA inspection and facilitate remediation among tenant, landlord, and PHA if needed. 2. Establish and manage a hotline for landlords to call when problems occur, notify the supportive service team for appropriate follow-up, and track the resolution to ensure ongoing positive relationships with landlords. Track and notify Veterans and supportive service teams about their status on waiting lists for section 8 and other subsidized housing. CONTRACTOR HOUSING RESOURCE COORDINATION DUTIES 1. Refine and manage a google-based housing resource database created by the LA Veteran Housing Collaborative. Ensure that the database contains updated and useable information on specific properties, property management companies, and private landlords who are amenable to leasing housing units to homeless and formerly homeless Veterans. This database shall be shared with all VA-funded housing programs serving Los Angeles County (i.e. HUD-VASH contractors, GPD grantees, and SSVF grantees) and increase access to housing resources for all HUD-VASH vouchers in LA County (approximately 4,400 in Year 1). VA retains rights to the housing resource database during and after the duration of this contract. 2. Establish standards and provide training for how participating programs access, enter, and manage the housing resources contained within the housing resource database. The Contractor shall obtain input from participating programs prior to setting these standards and creating the housing resource database. 3. Work with supportive service teams and PHAs to track relevant data, and identify and implement process improvements that increase housing placement and retention rates. 4. Offer education on tenancy rights and responsibilities to Veterans and supportive service staff. The contract(s) shall be for a base year with the Government's option to exercise four (4) one (1) year option periods. This solicitation shall be unrestricted. The solicitation will be available for issue on or about May 11, 2015 with offers due on or about June 8, 2015. Please submit all questions to Chelsea Black at contact@example.gov prior to May 20, 2015.