Our Annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for 2023 is now posted, identifying the anticipated Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that the KCRHA is likely to release to procure the services that help address homelessness, including street outreach, safe parking, non-congregate shelters and potentially the operations of permanent supportive housing.
This annual preview allows service providers to prepare for upcoming opportunities.
System Re-Procurement
As part of implementation of the Five Year Plan, the latter half of 2023 will focus on “system re-procurement” to reevaluate and redesign contracts in order to improve outcomes at individual service providers and better coordinate our homelessness response system .
Procurement isn’t just the sum of expenditures; procurement is also a tool for creating an intentionally diverse network of providers to address and solve issues in ways that meet the diverse needs of the communities served.
When KCRHA started in 2021, we took over management of a portfolio of about 330 City of Seattle and King County-held homelessness services contracts with 55 service provider organizations. We combined that portfolio to about 220 contracts starting in 2022. Now, in 2023, we are redesigning contracts to unify, coordinate, and improve the homelessness response system.
To conduct this complex undertaking, KCRHA is:
- Examining current contracts, program outcomes, and alignment with the Five Year Plan;
- Reviewing funding type restrictions across the 12 different kinds of funding that support homeless response programs and services;
- Reviewing funding source restrictions under the RHA’s Master Services Agreements with the City and County, which may specify a particular type of program for their funding;
- Accounting for non-renewing one-time funding sources from City and County, such as federal pandemic relief funding; and
- Preparing to launch a robust community engagement process to further inform the re-procurement strategy.
Because the goal is to improve operations of the whole system, we intend to conduct re-procurement on a system level rather than program by program. For example, programs that serve Youth and Young Adults should be understood as interconnected elements of a system response, rather than stand-alone programs. For single adults, an example would be to ensure connections between outreach programs and shelter bed availability.
KCRHA is also redesigning performance metrics to focus on outcomes rather than program usage, drafting new guidance for programs, and implementing an equity-based process.
Please take a moment to review the Annual NOFA, and we will continue to work closely with our community and our service provider partners as system re-procurement moves forward.
If you would like to join our mailing list for upcoming engagements, email us at RFP@KCRHA.org. If you are interested in serving on an upcoming funding application review panel, please complete this RFP Rater Request Form.
Status of Current and Past Funding Opportunities
| Program | Amount | Status |
| Permanent Housing & Support Services for Right of Way Initiative | $12.6M in state funds | CLOSED March 24, 2023, proposals in review |
| Geographic-Based Outreach in Seattle | $3.9M to be split across geographic areas | CLOSED March 21, 2023, proposals in review |
| Peer Life Coaches for Youth and Young Adults | $93,898 in federal funds | CLOSED April 3, 2023, proposals in review |
| Rental Assistance Fiscal Agent | 10% of indirect costs | Full amount awarded to Housing Connector |
| Severe Weather Response, emergency shelter staffing | $200,118 | Full amount awarded December 21, 2022 to The Salvation Army for Jan-Dec 2023 |
| Seattle RV Safe Parking Lot | $1.9M | Full amount awarded June 6, 2022 to LIHI, opening delayed because location not yet identified |
| Seattle Non-Congregate Shelter | $471,550 | Awarded March 16, 2022 to Catholic Community Services |
| Seattle Non-Congregate Shelter | $1.5M | Awarded March 16, 2022 to Chief Seattle Club |
| Seattle Non-Congregate Shelter | $1.9M | Awarded March 16, 2022 to PDA |
