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

The County Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) is the lead County agency responsible for bringing together a collaborative team of County departments and community-based organizations to focus on improving housing outcomes and reducing homelessness in Sacramento County. DHSH, in collaboration with the Department of Health Services (DHS) (herein referred to as the County), is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) and soliciting Proposals from qualified organizations to serve as the lead Flexible Housing Pool Administrator (FHP Administrator) for the County's Flexible Housing Pool (FHP). The County aims to support persons struggling with homelessness through the provision of coordinated, compassionate, and equitable services. The FHP will be a centralized vehicle to coordinate rental subsidies, housing navigation, case management/supportive services, and landlord engagement for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. At full scale and contingent on additional investments in future Fiscal Years (FYs), the County envisions that the selected FHP Administrator will serve as the central administrator for housing location and landlord engagement services; rental assistance and related rehousing payments; case management and supportive services; and tenancy supports to ensure successful transitions to housing permanency for multiple prevention and re-housing programs currently operated individually by the County and other community partners. Initially, the FHP will focus on launching the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Transitional Rent benefit and leveraging Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Housing Interventions for eligible Medi-Cal members within the behavioral health population of focus for a minimum of 250 households in the first twelve months. At full scale, this program will continue to grow, adapt, and braid additional funding resources and adjust the scope of this program to any associated additional requirements, with the intent to be the primary rehousing pathway for households experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. This RFP for FHP Services is seeking to identify a single lead operator (FHP Administrator) who can successfully utilize multiple funding streams to decrease the time it takes for households to access and maintain permanent housing, including connections to Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) where appropriate. Additionally, the selected agency must be able to successfully navigate funding eligibility and requirements, to ensure that funding is maximized and prioritized appropriately for each household's circumstances and need. The intent is to add additional funding streams as they become available, including but not limited to funding through the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCPs) for CalAIM Transitional Rent. Sacramento County will retain responsibility for MHSA/BHSA eligibility determinations, with the FHP Administrator responsible for administering approved housing interventions in coordination with Sacramento County. For more information about Flexible Housing Subsidy Pools, please see the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Technical Assistance Resource Guide. Background The biggest challenge facing the homeless system of care is lack of access to safe and affordable housing for people exiting homelessness. The County will create a robust and flexible system for working with landlords and social service providers to quickly and permanently re-house people experiencing homelessness. Recent policy and funding changes have created new opportunities to strengthen coordination between housing and health system for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In response, Sacramento County is developing an FHP to leverage these shifts and improve housing outcomes for high-need populations. One of the most significant policy shifts is the Transitional Rent benefit under CalAIM Community Supports, which provides up to six months of short-term rental assistance effective January 1, 2026. In parallel, California's voter approved Proposition 1 requires counties dedicate 30% of Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) funds to housing interventions effective July 1, 2026. Together, these changes establish both the mandate and resources needed to expand housing options for high-need populations. The FHP is Sacramento County's strategy to operationalize these shifts through an evidence-based model that consolidates rental assistance administration, landlord engagement and rehousing activities outside the traditional social service silos. Additional state initiatives, including the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) Initiative, further support the development of CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports capacity and infrastructure, including the integrated FHP described in this RFP. The County will establish the FHP as a centralized vehicle for pooling and deploying flexible housing resources across multiple funding streams and referral pathways. The FHP will braid CalAIM Community Supports, including the Transitional Rent benefit with other prevention and re-housing programs to streamline access to housing subsidies and supports for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Purpose This RFP is intended to select a single qualified entity to serve as the lead FHP Administrator for Sacramento County's Flexible Housing Pool. The County intends to award a single contract award, subject to Board of Supervisors' approval and funding availability, for an initial three-year term with the option of two one-year renewals. The selected Administrator will play a key role in implementing the FHP by: Sacramento County will contract with Medi-Cal MCPs. The Administrator will administer rental subsidies, including but not limited to, application fees; necessary move-in costs such as security deposits and/or utility deposits; timely monthly rent payments in accordance with executed lease agreements, application fees, security deposits, and unit damages. Establishing landlord relationships and engaging landlords to identify and inventory housing options to support varying household compositions and needs such as varying household sizes, income levels and housing preferences. and administering landlord incentives. The lead FHP Administrator will facilitate "matches" to housing opportunities to people in need. Coordinating with the County and service providers to match individuals to available housing units. Providing re-housing services and related supportive services to support households to successfully transition to long-term housing, provide on-going services (tenancy supports, eviction prevention, etc.), work with service providers in the community to increase the effectiveness of existing vouchers. Provide case management services for those without an existing service provider, or coordinate with other designated service providers linked to the mutual household member, to address barriers to securing and maintaining housing. Ideally the FHP Administrator would also offer the housing trio of services under Community Supports (CS) as the program expands in future years in order to maximize funding. Case management services include but are not limited to: increasing employment or income through mainstream benefits; ensuring connections to medical supports and service providers; and establishing referrals or connections to community resources which will improve the quality of life for households served through this program. Funding is anticipated from multiple sources, including but not limited to: CalAIM Transitional Rent reimbursement from Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, MHSA/BHSA, and Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity Infrastructure, Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED); and is subject to annual grantor approved allocations. The FHP Administrator will be expected to braid and maximize these and other funding streams, serve as a collaborative partner with providers, and County departments, and achieve measurable outcomes in timely housing placements, landlord participation, and long-term housing stability. Populations to be Served At full operational scale and through expansions over the course of three to five (3-5) Fiscal Years, the County anticipates that the FHP will support various populations, across multiple systems to deliver effective re-housing services, including but not limited to: Individuals enrolled in CalAIM and eligible for Housing Transition Navigation and Tenancy Sustaining Services; Individuals experiencing homelessness who have serious behavioral health conditions, including serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD); Families enrolled in social services benefit programs, such as CalWORKs Housing Support Program; Households identified through the Coordinated Access System (CAS); Individuals who are child-welfare or adult-welfare involved; Individuals who are justice involved; and/or Individuals exiting interim housing programs or institutions of care who lack a housing subsidy. First Twelve Months During the first year of the FHP, the Administrator will be required to serve a minimum of 250 households enrolled in the County's Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program. While the program may ramp up gradually, the minimum of 250 households must be reached by the end of the first twelve months. The target population is dedicated specifically to adults who are: Experiencing homelessness, based on federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards; and Have a serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD); and Are currently enrolled in the BHBH Program with a need to transition into long-term housing and/or prevent re-entries to homelessness. The Administrator will be responsible for delivering the following services, either directly or through subcontractors, subject to County approval. The proportion of services that may be subcontracted will require a determination by the County, in consultation with the FHP Administrator, to ensure a reasonable and appropriate balance between direct delivery and subcontracted provision. Landlord Recruitment and Retention Housing Navigation Case Management Services Administration of Rental Assistance Financial Management The FHP Administrator will be expected to provide these services by leveraging and braiding multiple funding sources, including CalAIM Transitional Rent (billed to MCPs by the County), Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)/Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) housing interventions, PATH CITED funding, and other sources as identified by the County. Written Questions (Non-Mandatory):October 22, 2025, 5:00pm n/a Evaluation Period:October 31, 2025, 5:01pm Optional Vendor Interviews:November 10, 2025 Notice of Intent to Award Issued:November 21, 2025 Final day to submit written protest of award:December 1, 2025 Board Consideration Award Date:December 9, 2025