New Jersey is facing a crisis in its ability to meet the demand for community housing for people with I/DD. Nearly six percent of people with I/DD live in state-run institutions. More than 3,100 people live in large group homes or facilities with seven or more people. More than 3,200 adults are on a waiting list for housing. Research shows that New Jersey lags behind the rest of the nation in the percentage of individuals with I/DD living in their own homes. ^[1]   The vast majority (75 percent) of people with I/DD live with their families; 25 percent of them are with caregivers who are age 60 or over. ^[2]

According to stakeholders a major barrier to the development and expansion of community-based housing for people with I/DD in New Jersey is the complex, confusing—and sometimes contradictory and combative—funding and regulatory environment. Parties interested in developing housing for people with I/DD often lack access to accurate information about funding mechanisms, programs, and agencies. The also lack information about state and federal rules affecting housing and low-income housing; local rules and regulations, including zoning; and promising practices in architecture, construction, and renovation. In addition, many stakeholders lack the expertise and knowledge needed to coordinate resources and overcome systemic barriers.

To address these barriers, NJCDD is seeking proposals to establish a one-stop comprehensive system navigator and technical assistance center to provide direct assistance to stakeholders seeking to develop cost-effective, affordable, accessible community-based housing for people with I/DD.  The NJCDD recognizes that most individuals with I/DD also need support services in order to live in the community, however, the focus of this RFP centers around housing itself, whether through rentals, shared housing, donated housing, new construction, renovations or other innovative approaches.

[1] https://rwjms.rutgers.edu/boggscenter/news/documents/StateoftheStatepolicybrieffinal2010.pdf
[2] http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter/publications/documents/BCSnapshotofDDinNJ_May2018F.pdf

The goal of the RFP is to facilitate and expedite the development of affordable, accessible, and appropriate community-based housing for people with I/DD in New Jersey. The NJCDD invites public and private sector stakeholders to submit proposals that would establish a “housing system navigator” resource to provide direct assistance to stakeholders as they work to develop community-based housing in New Jersey.

Stakeholders could use the housing system navigator for the information, consultation, references, guidance, and technical assistance needed to streamline and expedite efforts to develop affordable, accessible housing options. The navigator would provide direct support and assistance to consumers, parents, agency leaders, town and municipal leaders, planners, financial institutions, developers, attorney, builders, and architects. It should help them access accurate information and coordinate resources in a timely manner, leading to the establishment of new community-based housing.

Through this RFP, the NJCDD seeks to:

• Facilitate and expedite the development of new safe, affordable, accessible, appropriate, innovative housing for people with I/DD;
• Facilitate interagency coordination and collaboration, particularly between funding and regulatory agencies, to expedite and streamline the development of housing;
• Collect data and analyze data to identify:
  1. Systemic barriers, including regulatory barriers, faced by those seeking to develop new housing, as well as specific challenges and delays caused by lack of interagency coordination;
  2. Needless and/or restrictive administrative and regulatory “cost drivers” that do not improve outcomes or the provision of housing; and,
  3. Funding barriers and gaps.

The Council is seeking proposals from applicants knowledgeable about the full range of housing options for people with I/DD and housing development, including funding mechanisms, public housing, and affordable housing.  Applicants should also have the resources and demonstrated capacity to complete the proposed work.

Eligible applicants may include, but are not limited to:

• Private for-profit and not-for-profit organizations;
• Funding agencies;
• State, county, or local government entities; and
• Other organizations that may contribute to the success of the project team, including consultants, and institutions of higher education.

The organization’s credentials and the CV of the person(s) to be engaged in this work MUST be described and attached to the proposal. The Council strongly encourages proposals from two or more collaborators working together, with one acting as the lead agency.

The housing system navigator and technical assistance center must offer a range of measurable services aimed at providing direct support to stakeholders, including but not limited to:

• Direct assistance to facilitate the development of housing (i.e. call center/help line; technical assistance; regional assistance centers; mobile assistance programs.)
• A resource hub to connect stakeholders to experienced professionals, consultants, individuals and agencies with expertise in housing including attorneys, banks, developers, planners, architects, realtors, and vendors.
• Consultation and coordination of funding streams.
• Training and support to help expand housing navigation services and support at the local and regional level, and to connect stakeholders to experienced housing advocates

Other services and products might include, but are not limited to:

• A website, and other dynamic resources. (*)
• Community education programs (conferences, training programs, blogs, vlogs, social media education programs, seminars, webinars).
• Direct consultation services and/or technical assistance from experienced professionals such as attorneys, bankers, developers, planners, architects, realtors, and vendors).
• Consultation on accessibility.
• Information about floor plans and other architectural elements shown to be promising practices.
• Project management services to help stakeholders identify and coordinate resources; understand and respond to regulatory issues, local zoning issues, building and fire code issues, etc., with respect to design; assist in assembling funding; and assist with rules and regulations across and between state and local agencies and entities.

(*) NJCDD is not interested in RFPs that include print guides or other static materials.

One model for the type of project/outcomes we are seeking can be found at https://nyhrc.org/index.php

Proposals must include sequential implementation targets and deliverables, with timelines, that address the following:

• Detailed description of specific products and services to be produced and delivered, including range, scope, and geographic reach;
• The anticipated number of individuals to be impacted and the measurement tools to be used to demonstrate that;
• The number of specific housing initiatives to be supported and the measurement tools to be used to demonstrate that;
• Detailed description of the data collection process to be used to track the needs of stakeholders, including the nature of the information needed, as well as the support/consultation/technical assistance provided;
• Detailed description of the data collection process to identify systemic barriers, including regulatory barriers, faced by those seeking to develop new housing, as well as specific challenges and delays caused by lack of interagency coordination; administrative and regulatory “cost drivers”; and funding barriers and gaps.
• Detailed description of strategies and activities for outreach to key stakeholder groups (parents, architects, builders, developers, non-profit groups, consumers, town planners, banks, and funding agencies) to promote the service;
• A detailed plan for continuation and maintenance of the effort when Council funding has ceased; and
• A detailed plan to collect user-satisfaction data and measure the effectiveness of the funded project.

The applicant must submit written quarterly reports to the Council that address the progress made on the implementation targets. Contract payments are predicated upon successful completion of implementation targets and must be documented in order for payments to be issued.

The applicant(s) must provide a timeline for each of the components of this RFP.
Contract Period: October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020
Funding Amount: $100,000 – $150,000* per year.

*Funding is based on the size and scope of work, and the number of individuals impacted. The Grant Review Committee will consider the amount requested and the value as determined by the anticipated impact of activities proposed. Proposals that leverage partnerships and additional funding streams are strongly encouraged. Applicants may submit funding requests for one year of additional funding. There is no guarantee, however, that funding beyond the initial contract period will be granted.

NJCDD-Housing Grant Advisory.pdf