d/b/a Brattleboro Housing Authority

Low income housing supporting independence, creating opportunities.

Request for Proposals

July 22, 2017

Consistent with the Brattleboro Housing Partnership’s (BHP’s) 5-year Plan and Section 8 Administrative Policies, Chapter 17, BHP is pleased to announce this Request for Proposals for Section 8 Project-Based Voucher assistance.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

Only proposals meeting the following criterion will be considered for voucher assistance under this proposal.

a.)  Any rehabilitated or newly constructed units that have received

Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocation since January 1, 2009

b.)  The rental assistance will be for a permanent supported housing program, giving preference to serving the chronically homeless

The Number of new voucher units that will be targeted to this initiative: 4

Timelines: Advertising will occur, once a week for three consecutive weeks, commencing the week of July 16, 2017. BHP’s Request for Proposals will be available on BHP’s website at brattleborohousing.org beginning July 24, 2017. Proposals shall be due at the BHP by the close of business on August 18, 2017. Awards will be made no later than August 25, 2017.

Proposal Submission Requirements: All proposals must be submitted to Brattleboro Housing Patnerships located at 224 Melrose St. Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 before the close of business (4:30 p.m.) on the published deadline. They can also be electronically submitted via email to: . Proposals must be complete with all information and documentation provided. Incomplete proposals or proposals that are inconsistent with the funding priorities established in this RFP or that are inconsistent with program regulations and statutory requirements will be rejected.


PROPOSAL CONTENT

To be considered complete, proposals MUST contain ALL of the following information:

1. Project Narrative: A narrative of how the proposed housing project meets the funding priorities of this RFP and the ranking criteria of this RFP;

2. Project Description: A description of the housing to be provided (i.e. existing, new construction or rehabilitation) including square footage per unit, bedroom count, bathroom count, sketches of the proposed new construction or rehabilitation, unit plans, listing of amenities and services, estimated date of completion. For rehabilitation, the description must describe the property as is and also describe the proposed rehabilitation;

3. Proposed Contract Rents for each unit type, including list of utilities, services and equipment which will be included in the rent, and those which will not be included. For those utilities not included in the rent, an estimated monthly cost for each unit type for the first year of occupancy;

4. Relocation: Information concerning any necessary relocation of current occupants and a certification from the owner stating that any relocation will be done in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Act;

5. The identity of the Owner, developer, architect, management agent, officers and principal members, shareholders, investors and other parties with substantial interest and prior HUD program participation and a disclosure of possible conflict of interest of any of the parties that would be in violation of the Agreement or the Contract, and qualifications and experience of the principal participants;

6. The Owner’s plan for managing and maintaining the units;

7. If necessary, evidence of financing or lender interest;

8. Disclosure of other governmental assistance to be utilized within the proposed project;

9. The proposed contract term.

The following additional information will be requested of applications that are conditionally approved:

1. Evidence of site control, and for new construction identification and description of the proposed site, site plan and the neighborhood;

2. Evidence of compliance with local permits and zoning requirements;

3. Documentation that the rents being proposed are reasonable and comparable to rents being charged for similar housing, with similar amenities in the same area as the proposed project.

PROPOSAL SELECTION/RANKING CRITERIA:

Proposals, that are consistent with requirements of the Request for Proposals will be ranked and scored in accordance with the criteria set forth below.

I. Owner/Manager Capability # of Points

a. Owner/manager has demonstrated expertise in 10

development

b. Owner/manager has demonstrated expertise in 10

property management

II. Commitment to providing Long-term affordable housing

a. Owner agrees to keep all project-based units 10

in the project affordable for the term of the

Housing Assistance Payments Contract (HAP), plus

5 years (This will be a binding commitment, in

the form of a housing subsidy covenant, which

the owner agrees to keep the Section 8 assisted

units affordable to families with incomes at or

below 80% of the county median income for

an additional 5 years beyond the HAP Contract)

III.  Applicant has demonstrated a Need for the housing 20

Being Proposed.

IV.  Applicant has demonstrated a commitment to serving 30

very low income families and agrees to serve families

referred from the BHA Section 8 Project Based Waiting List.

V. Consistency with Consolidated Plan

Applicant has demonstrated that the proposed 10

housing is consistent with the priorities established

in the State of Vermont HUD Consolidated Plan and any

applicable community plan.

TOTAL POINTS 90

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Reference should be made to the program regulations (24 CFR 983) for a complete explanation.

A. How the Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Works: (1) The PBV program is administered by a PHA that already administers the tenant-based voucher program under an annual contributions contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the PBV program, the assistance is attached to the structure. (2) BHP enters into a Housing Assistance Payments Contract with an owner for units in existing or in newly constructed or rehabilitated housing. (3) In the case of newly constructed housing or rehabilitated housing, the housing is developed under an Agreement between the Owner and BHP. In the Agreement, the Owner agrees to enter into a Housing Assistance Payments contract when the construction or rehabilitation is finished. (4) During the term of the HAP contract, the BHP makes housing assistance payments to the owner for units leased and occupied by eligible families.

B. Rent - BHP and the owner shall negotiate the rent charged for each unit type with project-based assistance, subject to the same rent reasonableness test that applies in the regular voucher program. The maximum rent is the same as the maximum voucher payment standard: 100% of the HUD determined fair market rent.

Vouchers can be used in units financed with Low Income Housing Tax Credits; however, special rules apply. If a tax credit development is located outside of a qualified census tract (i.e. outside of areas where more than half of the households have incomes below 60% of the area median income), the rent generally can not be greater than the tax credit rent minus any utility allowance.

Annual rent increases may be approved by BHP so long as the increased rents do not exceed program maximums (i.e. 100% of fair market rent) and so long as the increased rent is reasonable.

C. Vacancy Payments - As an incentive for owners to enter into a project-based contract, the BHA will consider vacancy payments to owners for up to 60 days, as stated in the HAP contract.

D. Income Mixing - No more than 25% of the units in any one building within the project may receive project-based voucher assistance unless the units are made available to elderly, disabled families or families receiving supportive services (‘exempted units’). There is no provision regarding the income of other tenants.

E. Resident Choice and Continued Assistance - Families occupying units with project-based voucher assistance may have the right to move after one year with Section 8 tenant-based voucher availability. Families that move from project-based units are replaced by families referred by BHP from its waiting list.

F. Contract Term and Extensions - The initial term of the contract will be up to ten years, subject to the availability of adequate annual appropriations. The initial contract may be extended, for a period determined by BHP, to achieve long-term affordability or to expand housing opportunities.

G. Unit Inspection and Housing Quality Standards - Units assisted with project-based

assistance must meet or exceed housing quality standards (HQS) established by HUD (42 U.S.C. 1437f (o)(13).

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Reference(s): See Code of Federal Regulations, Part 983. The statutory basis for project-based housing is codified at 42 U.S.C 1437f (o) (13) under the heading “PHA project-based assistance.” Further information can be found at HUD’s website at www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/project .cfm

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