Specifications include, but are not limited to: Allegheny County, through its Department of Human Services (DHS), is soliciting Proposals from one or more Proposers to establish and operate a Tenancy Sustaining Support Services Program(s) (hereinafter referred to the Program) to provide support services to individuals and families who have recently moved into housing after experiencing homelessness. Services offered through the Program should include, but not be limited to, education, coaching and referral to additional services for tenants, communication coordination and conflict resolution/management for tenants and landlords. DHS is engaged in an array of efforts to increase the availability of deeply affordable housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Program(s) being procured through this RFP will provide individualized but low-intensity housing-focused support services to help these individuals and families remain stably housed. Individuals receiving these services will hereinafter be referred to as Participants. Programs will be expected to effectively engage with both tenants and landlords in support of maintaining housing stability for Participants. The Program is intended to provide lowintensity support focused on core housing stability issues. The Program will not provide rental assistance but will provide tenancy-sustaining supports for up to one year for each Participant. The specific supports provided will be guided by the needs of each Participant. In practice, this means that the degree of engagement with individual Participant will vary, based on their needs, but no Participant is expected to receive the level of intensive one-on-one case management provided in RRH or PSH programs. As such, Proposers will be expected to effectively establish processes and mechanism so that tenants and landlords know they are available and how to connect with them, ensuring that when needs arise, Proposers are accessible, available and responsive. To this end, we anticipate that Proposers will maintain regular communication with both tenants and landlords. Communication may take the form of group outreach to all Participants, such as automated text messaging, hosting regular educational workshops (e.g., a forum on the rights and responsibilities of tenants), developing and distributing accessible materials for tenants and landlords, as well as other group and individual methods of continued engagement.
