RFI - NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACQUISITION AND REHABILITATION

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, through its Housing and Community Development Services division, is soliciting proposals under Notice of Funding Availability BPM013246 to support the acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable multi-family housing units serving households at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Funding is primarily sourced from Community Development Block Grant funds, with potential use of HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds, including those administered through Community Housing Development Organizations. New construction is explicitly prohibited, and projects must focus exclusively on acquiring existing properties or rehabilitating existing housing stock. For-profit entities are barred from pursuing acquisition-only projects, while all developments must comply with federal regulations under Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations and state and local fair housing and nondiscrimination laws, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Projects must impose a 55-year affordability restriction and are subject to ongoing monitoring and physical inspections by HCDS throughout this period, including an initial compliance monitoring fee of $4,000 at occupancy and annual fees that increase by one percent each year. Environmental standards require compliance with ASTM E-1527-21 for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, with Phase II and III assessments necessary if recognized environmental conditions are identified, including remediation plans. Sustainability mandates include onsite renewable energy generation producing at least 50 percent of annual electricity needs, low-water native landscaping, and avoidance of toxic materials in construction products. Applicants must submit a complete NOFA Application Workbook in two formats—one electronic copy via secured cloud storage and one physical copy on a USB drive—to both the designated email and postal address by the July 10, 2026 deadline; submissions via fax, CD, or web links are rejected. All applicants must certify under penalty of perjury the accuracy of their submissions and confirm exclusion from debarment lists including SAM.gov and the OIG Exclusions database. Contractors must comply with Davis-Bacon labor standards, use WH-347 payroll forms, adhere to Buy America requirements under 2 CFR Part 184, and secure performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of contract value. Insurance must be primary and non-contributory, and evidence of coverage must be maintained for five years post-completion. Financial feasibility and alignment with county housing priorities are key evaluation criteria, with funding allocations subject to HCDS discretion, even if different from initially requested sources. Single Audits are required for entities expending $1 million or more annually in federal awards, and participation