Specifications include, but are not limited to: The City of Manchester hereby requests proposals from qualified organizations to provide staffing services for a women’s shelter. The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with sufficient information to prepare and submit proposals that respond to this request. The shelter services would be a partnership between the City of Manchester and the awardee, with the City providing the building and a fixed amount of federal funds. Services provided by the awardee must be adequate to fully manage a sixteen-bed emergency shelter for adults identifying as women who are actively experiencing homelessness in Manchester. The services offered at the shelter must include: (1) a safe, welcoming, and structured environment with 24- hour supervision; (2) the resources needed for the activities of daily living, including the provision of food, toiletries, linens, storage, and other necessities; and (3) connections and necessary transportation to on and off site services that would help guests exit homelessness, including support for substance abuse, trauma/mental health, income, and housing. Although the successful applicant would have leeway to manage the day-to-day affairs of the shelter, the applicant would be the City’s agent, and ultimate decision-making authority for all aspects of the shelter would rest with the City. Staff of the shelter would report to the City’s director of homelessness initiatives. The shelter services must be provided at the location of 15 Brook Street, Manchester, NH. The building on the site contains approximately 6,500 gross square feet and includes 10 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and additional multi-purpose rooms. The building is owned by the State of New Hampshire. It most recently housed a women’s shelter operated by the YWCA. Tours of the building will be available to interested applicants.
