Request for Qualifications

The City of Albuquerque seeks to transition a portion of its housing portfolio from Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) to Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) to increase overall housing capacity and create a more diverse continuum of housing interventions. This approach will provide greater flexibility to match households with the appropriate level of housing assistance and supportive services based on their individual needs, while expanding access to housing opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. By strategically balancing PSH and RRH resources, the City of Albuquerque can better address a broader range of acuity levels within its housing voucher system and ensure that available resources are aligned with the varying levels of support households require to achieve and maintain housing stability. 

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is rental assistance and supportive services for households experiencing homelessness or at high risk of homelessness who require ongoing housing assistance. At least one member of the household must have a disability, which includes a verified physical or behavioral health disability. 

Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) is time-limited rental assistance and supportive services intended to help households maintain stable housing and transition toward greater housing independence. Under this RFQ, households transitioning from PSH to RRH may receive up to twenty-four (24) additional months, beginning on the household’s effective RRH transition date. Please note that this is subject to program eligibility and available funding.  

FY28 Program Transition Requirements 

FY2028, July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028, will serve as a transition year for existing City-funded PSH programs. DHHH anticipates that currently housed households will remain housed and that, continuity with the existing provider will be maintained through the competitive RFQ process. Qualification or prior service as a City contractor does not guarantee an award. 

Selected organizations through this process must be prepared to continue services for, or assume responsibility for, households already housed through City-funded PSH. DHHH will coordinate any transfer of households necessary to minimize disruption in rental assistance, housing, case management, and supportive services. 

During FY28, each selected Contractor shall assess its assigned PSH portfolio and transition a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of its total City-funded PSH program capacity to RRH. Households determined appropriate, as defined above, for RRH may transition sooner and are not required to remain in PSH for the full transition year. A household may remain in PSH when an individualized assessment documents that continued PSH is necessary to maintain housing stability. If the Contractor does not achieve the 25% transition requirement, it must demonstrate to DHHH's satisfaction, through documented individualized assessments and transition planning, that an insufficient number of households were appropriate for transition. 

Once the Contractor achieves an approximate allocation of 75% PSH and 25% RRH, the Contractor shall maintain that allocation, subject to participant exits, documented household needs, available funding, and DHHH approval. 

Required Service Engagement 

Selected Contractors shall provide active case management and supportive services to all enrolled households. Participants will be expected to engage in case management, periodic assessments, housing stability planning, and reasonable communication with the Contractor. Contractors must provide meaningful case management contact on a consistent and individualized basis, maintained via an individualized Housing Stability and Service Plan, review the plan at least every ninety (90) days, and document contacts, referrals, missed appointments, outreach attempts, progress, and barriers.

A single missed appointment or supportive service shall not, by itself, result in termination of housing assistance. When a participant repeatedly fails to engage, the Contractor must use progressive engagement, including at least five (5) documented outreach attempts using at least two methods of communication, efforts to 
identify and address barriers, and an enhanced engagement plan when meaningful contact has not occurred for sixty (60) consecutive days. Any termination must follow applicable law and City-approved termination and grievance procedures. 

Referral Requirements 

Existing households transferred or continued under this RFQ will not be required to obtain a new referral through Gateway or the Coordinated Entry System (CES). For new admissions and vacancies after the FY28 transition begins, at least eighty percent (80%) of City-funded supportive housing admissions shall be referred or authorized through the City of Albuquerque Gateway system or CES. Up to twenty percent (20%) of admissions may originate from the Contractor or community partners, provided the household meets program eligibility requirements and the referral is documented. A Contractor may not exceed the 20% alternative referral allowance without prior written authorization from DHHH. 

Available Funding 

For Fiscal Year 2028, DHHH anticipates allocating approximately $8 million in City General Fund funding for PSH and RRH programs under this RFQ. Final funding amounts and individual contract awards are subject to City Council appropriation, availability of funds, and final FY2028 budget allocations. DHHH reserves the right to increase or decrease individual awards based on available funding, program capacity, demonstrated need, and contract negotiations. Programs are anticipated to commence July 1, 2027. 

DHHH will use a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to prequalify organizations to administer supportive housing programs. DHHH may negotiate and enter into one or more agreements with qualified organizations based on available funding, program need, qualifications, capacity, past performance when applicable, and the City's interest in continuity of services for currently housed households. 

Required Qualifications 

1) The contractor/provider has experience successfully administering supportive housing programs (RRH and/or PSH) and/or providing supportive services to households experiencing homelessness or at high risk of homelessness; 
2) The contractor/provider has the organizational capacity to administer rental assistance and supportive services and complies with the Administrative Requirements for Social Services Contracts Awarded Under the City of Albuquerque, including adequate financial, administrative, data, and staffing systems; 
3) The contractor/provider demonstrates capacity to provide consistent case management and meets the service engagement and documentation standards described in this RFQ; 
4) The contractor/provider demonstrates capacity to assess existing PSH households and implements the required PSH-to-RRH transition while maintaining housing stability; 
5) The contractor/provider is able to operate the program with reasonable project costs, including staffing and administrative costs; and 
6) The contractor/provider provides a completed financial audit from within the last two years with no major deficiencies identified in the report. 

Administrative Requirements are available on the City of Albuquerque HHH Partner Resources website: https://www.cabq.gov/health-housing-homelessness/partner-resources/administrative-requirements 

Timeline 

Completed applications for qualifications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. MST on Friday, December 4, 2026. Applications received after the deadline, or incomplete applications, will not be considered. DHHH anticipates completing the qualification and selection process in sufficient time to negotiate and route 
agreements for services beginning July 1, 2027. 

Review Process 

An Ad Hoc Committee will review and qualify applicants as applications are received. The Committee will evaluate applicants based on the criteria listed in this RFQ and recommend qualified applicants in rank-score order. The results will establish a pool of qualified applicants from which DHHH may negotiate and enter into agreements to administer supportive housing programs. Qualification does not guarantee a contract or a specific funding amount. 

In evaluating qualifications and negotiating awards, DHHH may consider demonstrated supportive housing 
experience, organizational and fiscal capacity, proposed staffing and case-management capacity, ability to 
ensure continuity for currently housed households, ability to implement the PSH-to-RRH transition, proposed 
program capacity and cost, and documented past performance when applicable. 

Submission Process 

Interested not-for-profit and for profit organizations must: 

1) Submit a narrative that addresses the following questions. The narrative should be limited to eight (8) pages 
and use 12-point font on 1-inch margins. Please address each question in the order listed below with a clear 
heading title. 
     A. Experience with Supportive Housing: Describe the organization's experience administering RRH, PSH, 
or other supportive housing programs. Provide quantitative housing outcome data for the last three years, 
including housing retention, permanent housing exits, and RRH outcomes when applicable. Describe 
experience maintaining continuity of rental assistance and services during program or contract transitions. 
    B. Experience with Supportive Services and Service Engagement: Describe the organization's 
experience providing case management and supportive services to households experiencing homelessness 
or at risk of homelessness. Describe the organization's approach to monthly case management, 
individualized service planning, progressive engagement, documentation, and responding when participants 
repeatedly fail to engage. 
    C. PSH-to-RRH Transition Capacity: Describe how the organization would assess an existing portfolio of 
housed PSH households during FY28 and transition at least 25% of program capacity to RRH when 
appropriate. Describe the assessment process, transition planning, staffing, safeguards for households that 
continue to require PSH, and how the organization would maintain housing stability during the transition. 
    D. Organizational Capacity: Describe the staff and administrative structure that would be used to administer 
rental assistance, case management, supportive services, HMIS/data requirements, landlord coordination, 
and financial management. Describe experience complying with City Administrative Requirements and 
capacity to utilize Medicaid and third-party insurance for applicable supportive services. 
    E. Referral Coordination: Describe the organization's experience receiving and processing referrals from 
CES, Gateway, or other centralized referral systems. Describe how the organization will ensure that at least 
80% of new admissions are referred or authorized through Gateway or CES and that no more than 20% 
originate from the organization or community partners without prior DHHH approval. 
    F. Subpopulations: Describe any expertise and experience serving specific populations, such as youth, 
families, people with disabilities, people with behavioral health needs, or other populations currently served 
through City-funded supportive housing. 
    G. Program Capacity and Continuity: Indicate the number of households the organization can serve and 
the proposed staffing level. Existing City-funded PSH providers should describe their current program 
capacity and ability to continue serving currently housed households without disruption. Other applicants 
should describe their ability to assume an existing portfolio if requested by DHHH. 
    H. Budget and Cost Reasonableness: Explain the basis for the proposed annual cost, including rental 
assistance assumptions, staffing, supportive services, administrative costs, and anticipated PSH/RRH 
allocation. 

2) Complete the following annual budget estimate for costs to operate the supportive housing program. If DHHH 
contracts with the organization, a more detailed project proposal, scope, performance measures, and budget will 
be developed during contract negotiations. 

3) Submit the most recently completed financial audit. 

4) Submit documentation of not-for-profit status or for profit status. 

Budget Summary 

The budget should reflect the full annual cost of administering the proposed City-funded supportive housing 
portfolio, including the FY28 transition of approximately 25% of program capacity from PSH to RRH. 

Completed applications must be submitted in the manner identified in the published RFQ notice no later 
than 4:00 p.m. MST on Friday, December 4, 2026. Questions regarding the RFQ must be submitted in writing 
to DHHH, Homeless Programs Initiatives at [email protected].  Questions and answers, notices, forms, addenda, 
and supporting documents will be posted on the DHHH Partner Resources webpage. Applicants and selected 
Contractors shall comply with the Administrative Requirements for Social Services Contracts Awarded Under 
the City of Albuquerque and applicable Social Services Contracts Procurement Rules and Regulations. 

In order to submit, responders must be registered in the EUNA (formally Bonfire) system. Registration takes some time to complete. It is recommended responders register in advance of proposal submission. Completed proposals including all forms and attachments must be submitted using the eProcurement System at cabq.bonfirehub.com.  Please allow a minimum of 24 hours to submit your proposal. If you do not have a username and password, please register on Bonfire using this link. This is the only avenue available to submit proposals. The City will not consider proposals received after 4 p.m. MST, on Friday, December 4, 2026. For EUNA assistance, please contact [email protected]. 

DHHH reserves the right to reject any and all responses or cancel the RFQ when in the best interest of the Department. Final procurement language, dates, funding amounts, and submission instructions are subject to DHHH Procurement and Legal review.