This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Nevada, Iowa. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

Story County, Iowa ("County") seeks proposals and cost estimates for planning consulting services ("Consulting Services") from March 14, 2023, through June 30, 2025, for the implementation of the Housing Action Plan with services including, but not limited to: staff support; planning; and other services as determined by Story County or as described in this Request for Proposal ("RFP"). The consultant selected from the RFP will be engaged after competitive evaluation based on the "Selection Criteria" set forth in this request. This request invites consultants to submit proposals for accomplishment of the items of work specified below under Scope of Work. Proposals should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the guidelines and requirements set forth in this request. The envelope must be clearly marked "SEALED RFP". The name of the firm and contact person must be listed on the outside of the envelope. Any restrictions on the use of data within proposals must be clearly stated in the proposal itself. Non-disclosure cannot be guaranteed after the selection stage of this procurement due to public record laws. Scope of Work Attached to this RFP is the adopted Housing Action Plan completed by Story County, Iowa. The Housing Action Plan was developed to define strategies and approaches to meet the overall goals of identifying affordable housing needs and developing housing solutions, and was preceded by the Story County Housing Study (2021). The Story County Housing Study reviewed data available on Story County's (including all communities except the City of Ames) housing needs and the available housing stock to identify gaps. Goals, Strategies, and Tools listed are not in any kind of priority order. (As the City of Ames was not included in the Story County Housing Study, these Goals/Strategies, and Tools listed are not applicable to the City of Ames.) The scope of work to be performed by the Consultant will include, but is not limited to the following listed tools from the Housing Action Plan (attached). These tools are identified in that Plan to be "Consultant-led", however will require strong ongoing working relationship with Story County staff and other partners. Tools are listed in accordance with the associated timeframe from the Housing Action Plan. Those timeframes include: o Immediate/Short Term: consider/implement within 1-3 years from adoption of the plan. o Medium Term: consider/implement within 5 years from adoption of the plan. o Long Term: consider/implement within 10 years from adoption of the plan. As part of the proposal, Consultant will present a prioritized approach to address the outlined tools from the Plan and explain this "priority-setting" process for organizing and assigning work efforts. Immediate/Short Term Timeframes o Tool 1.a-d Infrastructure cost-sharing. Explore the creation of partnerships and programming that allow local jurisdictions as well as non-profits and other third parties to partner with developers/builders for the cost-share of infrastructure installation costs associated with affordable housing construction. o Tool 1.a-e Land assembly. Identify a "Demonstration Pilot Project", working with developmentoriented local landowners to solidify a legacy project that serves as a demonstration and best practice model. o Tool 1.a-f Land Assembly. Develop an inventory of Public-Owned Lands, identifying surplus, unused, or underused public lands or sites for reuse as housing. o Tool 1.a-g Develop Community Speculative Home Program for jurisdictions with shovel ready sites/infill sites (communities act as the applicant in partnership with developer/builder). o Tool 1.a-h Upon identification of available sites, pre-purchase Homes for Iowa houses for placement on sites. Development of eligibility requirements for purchase of the properties as well as individual and community financial contributions must be determined as part of the overall process. o Tool 1.a-i Land Assembly. Infill Opportunities, identifying vacant lots within communities, prepare a redevelopment plan for clustered sites to guide developers and builders. o Tool 3.a-a Create and act on new policies around incentives and financing mechanisms to target missing product types. o Tool 3.b-a Evaluation of potential reuse space in downtown and commercial buildings and spaces (this includes the potential funding mechanisms available to jurisdictions to support such efforts.) o Tool 3.b-b Identify partnerships to develop a Resource Guide to assist communities in the potential opportunities and how to evaluate properties, including examples and case studies. o Tool 3.c-a Evaluation of zoning requirements and revisions necessary to support ADUs and provide pre-approved plan sets for ADUs. Contract with appropriate design professionals to create package plans. o Tool 3.e-a Identify strategically placed but underdeveloped properties and determine what barriers exist to developing desired housing types. o Tool 4.a-a Identify and develop partnerships with organizations that provide or support low income, workforce, and senior housing as well as other populations with unique housing needs. o Tool 4.d-a Develop a comprehensive funding strategy and guide identifying current resources available for affordable housing that addresses current and potential sources of funding and how the funds should be spent. o Tool 5.b-b Continue to provide funding for rehab programs for owner-occupied structures and help market existing programs. o Tool 5.b c Market existing energy efficiency and emergency programs throughout Story County. Review ideas for expanding the program to include offering to first-time home buyers and the senior residents. o Tool 5.b-e Review and establish a homebuyer assistance fund grant/forgivable loan program for entry-level homeownership opportunities, providing funding for down payment and closing cost assistance. Income eligibility would require households with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income , and would apply for first-time homeowners and/or those not owning a home within the last three years. o Tool 5.b-f Establish a program to preserve and maintain healthy and viable manufactured home parks. o Tool 5.b-g Establish and actively promote homebuyer education and financial literacy programs. o Tool 6.a-a Develop database of existing ordinances from communities in Story County. Using these resources, cities should establish codes that are most appropriate for their community. Development of similar ordinances across the County can create an easier building environment for developers. o Tool 6.a-b Develop a plan for adapting vacant commercial space into housing. o Tool 6.b-a Development and establish jurisdiction-specific administrative site plan approval processes applicable when housing meets jurisdictional comprehensive plan goals and targeted housing needs. o Tool 6.c-a Reduce parking requirements and/or consider adoption of parking maximums for residential uses, including for multifamily developments. Medium Timeframes o Tool 1.a-j Establish a Lending Consortium, identifying the potential roles or established organizations, including, but not limited to, the Story County Housing Corporation and Able Up Iowa. o Tool 1.a-k Review benefits and processes for Story County Housing Trust to become a certified Community Housing Development Organization , and if proven a beneficial path to pursue, go forward to seek certification. o Tool 2.a-a Create a special assessment guide/toolkit for communities and developers/builders. o Tool 2.b-a Review and consider a revolving infrastructure loan program to which communities may apply for funding to be used to front-end a portion of public improvements, repaid over a longer period through a second mortgage on the property or deferred payment until sale of the house when it becomes due. o Tool 3.a-b Evaluate the potential to provide funding for non-profit organizations to buy income-restricted units proposed to be converted to market rate housing. o Tool 3.a-c Provide funding for special needs residents to purchase housing through nonprofit partnerships. o Tool 3.a-d Evaluate opportunities to create market rate and affordable senior housing investments and developments. o Tool 3.b-c Evaluation of zoning requirements and revisions necessary to support potential reuse and adaption of spaces. o Tool 3.e-b Review the potential and consider establishing incentives for small-scale development. o Tool 3.e-c Explore the creation of Community-Specific Design Guidelines Manual to preserve existing neighborhood character. Through a Request for Information process, identify appropriate design professionals with the necessary skillsets to create manuals and identify potential costs. o Tool 3.e-d Explore the creation of community-specific property acquisition and management policies for the public sector and private entities. o Tool 3.e-e Explore the creation of a package of example site plans and products that will get approved, removing a level of risk from the developer/builder. Through a Request for Information process, identify appropriate design professionals with the necessary skillsets to create manuals and identify potential costs. o Tool 4.b-a Pre-packaged site plans and RFPs. Show what will get approved and trigger interest by potential investors. Through a Request for Information process, identify appropriate design professionals with the necessary skillsets to create packages and plans and identify potential costs. o Tool 6.d-b Evaluate lot size/setback reductions - Focus on design, not density. Communities should consider reducing minimum lot size requirement. o Tool 6.d-c Determine what incentives are needed that maximize returns on investments. Long Term Timeframes o Tool 2.b-b Develop a Speculative Financing Revolving Loan Fund, providing funding to make partial construction loans to contractors for new speculative homes. Contractors or developers can receive a loan of up to a pre-defined amount towards constructions costs at a pre-established low interest rate. o Tool 3.e-f Encourage public/private partnerships for the purchase and/or acquisition of abandoned/vacant properties for affordable housing, following procedures through established property acquisition and management policies. o Tool 4.b-b Pre-packaged site plans and RFPs. Provide technical assistance and create a mentoring network for less experienced local investors or community members interested in community projects.