Homelessness Strategic Plan

The City of Santa Fe, NM (City) is seeking quotes from qualified firms to create a Strategic Plan in collaboration with the Youth and Family Services Division Homelessness Team.

Background

Project Details

• Reference ID: FY26-QQ-104
• Department: Youth & Families
• Department Head: Lia Salaverry (Youth & Family Division Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-07-17T23:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Important Instructions for Electronic Submittals —

  The City of Santa Fe, NM is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Draft Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

• Scope of Work or Project Details —

  Homelessness System 3-Year Strategic Plan for City of Santa Fe 

  The description below outlines the key program elements and services the selected Contractor(s) will provide. Contractor may suggest modifications and/or additions that will, in their estimation, make the project more feasible or effective. Contractors may also propose that they will subcontract one or more elements of their project to other Contractors, provided that those partners have been identified and described in the submission. 

  The ideal partner(s) for the City in this work will have previous experience working in Homelessness. Additional experience in affordable and low income housing, strategic planning, community engagement, and data and systems knowledge, including the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and strong marketing/ design expertise is desired. 

  The requested strategic plan will create a comprehensive, strategic vision building on the City's existing framework that will guide City leadership and stakeholders for the next three years.  

   

  Key issues to address in the City’s Homelessness Plan include, but are not limited to: 

  • The purpose and goals of developing and implementing the Homelessness Plan; 

  • The mission, goals, objectives, and specific strategies/action steps of the Plan and how progress on the goals and objectives will be measured; 

  • Using multiple data sources, develop analysis of needs, use of current resources and gaps in current resources to address homelessness in target populations, including diversion, prevention, shelter, supportive housing, affordable housing; 

  • Centering lived experience of homelessness; 

  • Centering racial equity and using racial equity analyses to address systemic and programmatic disparities; 

  • Recommendations for how existing resources can be maximized, streamlined, and targeted, as well as identify any additional resources necessary and how resources from sectors beyond homeless services can be leveraged; 

  • Documenting practical and implementable strategies to improve the City's management of homelessness. 

   

  Building on the findings of Deliverable 1 and 2, the consultant shall produce and present a final written strategic 3-Year Homelessness Plan as outlined within the scope of work, formatted with graphic design for publication by June 30th, 2027. The consultant will also assist in developing presentations and presenting to the City of Santa Fe City Council (as needed). A draft of the Homelessness Plan that incorporates information required should be completed and brought to the Youth and Family Services Division for review by December 31st, 2026. 

   

  NEEDS ASSESSMENT 

  • Using the current Data available to City of Santa Fe, comparable communities and existing research and developed tools, identify gaps and areas for improvement, including areas of the continuum Santa Fe may not currently address.  All areas should examine demand versus capacity, rates of use, populations served versus need, barriers, program outcomes, effectiveness, and opportunities to scale or strengthen effectiveness.  

  • This should include the following areas of the homelessness continuum framework as it is currently designed by the City of Santa Fe:  

  • Supportive Services & Programs: 

  • • Broad analysis of capabilities and capacities of support systems and programs serving the Santa Fe area. 

  • • Focused analysis of behavioral health and related support systems and programs serving the homeless population in the Santa Fe area. Assessment of programs of greatest impact.  

  • • Identification of any capability or capacity gaps relative to demand for behavioral health services and related support systems and programs serving people experiencing homelessness. 

  • • Include the CONNECT Network in the analysis.  

  • Prevention and Diversion  

  • • Areas for assessment may include: Rental and eviction prevention programs, Financial assistance, Landlord engagement programs and mediation efforts, Discharge planning from hospitals, correctional facilities, and treatment programs 

  • Encampment Management and Outreach 

  • • Assessment of current system touch points and inflows. This includes City managed elements, such as engagement from first responders, Park Rangers, ARU, and City contracted service providers doing outreach work. 

  • • Research conducted from nation-wide sources to identify best practices for outreach and engagement with people experiencing homelessness, to support development of training curriculum for City-wide use. Assessment of City of Santa Fe and other outreach partners current activities relative to best practices. 

  • Emergency Sheltering 

  • • Evaluation of the accessibility, utilization, and effectiveness of the crisis response system. 

  • • Areas may include: Emergency shelter capacity and bed utilization, Evaluation of low-barrier vs programmatic shelter models locally, including client preferences and needs, Street outreach programs, Coordinated Entry / Coordinated Assessment processes, By-Name List and case conferencing, Waitlists and unmet demand, including for specific groups, Average length of stay in shelter, Exit pathways and outcomes from shelter to housing 

  • Transitional Housing 

  • • Evaluation of transitional housing programs and their role within the broader system. 

  • • Areas may include: Current program capacity and utilization, Populations served, Average length of stay, Housing placement outcomes, Cost effectiveness relative to other interventions 

  • Permanent and Supportive Housing  

  • • Evaluation of the system’s ability to transition individuals and families from homelessness into permanent housing.  

  • • Programs to assess include: Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Rapid Rehousing (RRH), Local housing voucher programs, Housing navigation and programs, Affordable housing resources accessible to individuals exiting homelessness 

  • Coordination and Infrastructure  

  • • Assessment of how homelessness services intersect with other key systems that influence housing stability. 

  • • Areas may include: Workforce development and employment programs, Behavioral and mental health services, Substance use treatment programs, Healthcare access, Justice system and re-entry services, Social services and public benefits access, CONNECT Network, The assessment should evaluate how coordination between these systems supports or limits housing stability outcomes. 

  • • Subpopulation Analysis - The assessment shall evaluate emergent needs, and assess how well the system serves specific populations experiencing homelessness, including: Families with children, Youth and young adults, Seniors, Medically fragile, BIPOC populations, Immigrant populations, LGBTQ+ individuals, Chronically homeless individuals, Individuals with behavioral health needs, Individuals with substance use disorders, Justice-involved populations, Other relevant subpopulations identified through data analysis 

  • • Analysis should identify disparities in access, outcomes, and service availability. 

  • Protection & Advocacy: 

  • • Map out current protection and advocacy outlets and activities. 

  • • Program Feasibility and System Improvement Opportunities - The assessment shall evaluate opportunities to improve existing programs or introduce new interventions to strengthen the local homelessness management system. 

  • • Examples may include: Development of local housing voucher programs, Expansion of permanent supportive housing, Shelter capacity expansion or redesign, Improvements to coordinated entry systems, Prevention program expansion 

  • The analysis should identify the feasibility, costs, and expected impact of potential program improvements or expansions. 

  • Analyze Santa Fe areas of the continuum in comparison to other communities of similar size and assess how best practices and lessons learned can be integrated.  

  • Methodology  -The needs assessment shall include both quantitative and qualitative research components to measure scale and impact.  

   

  Quantitative Assessment - Analysis of homelessness data in Santa Fe using available local, state, and federal datasets. 

  • This may include analysis of: 

  HMIS system data, Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, School/Mckinney-Vento, Housing Inventory Count (HIC), UniteUs data, By-Names lists, Service utilization data, Shelter utilization and capacity, Program outcomes data, local government data, Housing placement and retention data, Demographic and subpopulation trends, and socioeconomic data examining factors such as housing market conditions, evictions, employment, wage levels, poverty, job growth, health and behavioral health, criminal justice, social services and benefits data, and local supportive services (i.e. food banks) 

  • Quantification of outreach effort success, such as people experiencing homelessness entering into sheltering, accepting support services, or connection to case management as a direct result of outreach. Assessment of these measurements relative to nation-wide patterns and realistic expectations, and associated to financial investment. 

  • The quantitative analysis should evaluate: 

  System demand vs capacity, Length of time individuals remain homeless, Rates of exit to permanent housing, Returns to homelessness, Geographic distribution of services, Trends in homelessness over time

   

  Qualitative Assessment Including:

  • Provider and System Stakeholder Survey - Conduct structured interviews or surveys with at least 25 frontline staff and homelessness service providers, including: Continuum of Care (CoC) organizations, Emergency shelter providers, Outreach teams, Housing providers, Behavioral health providers, Funders, Decision Makers, Adjacent service systems 

  • The goal is to identify: Operational strengths within the current system, Service gaps and barriers, Opportunities for improved coordination, and provide input on strategies City should consider. Track and provide report-outs on engagements. 

  • Lived Experience Engagement - Conduct surveys or interviews with at least 90 individuals experiencing homelessness with a focus on improving our understanding of local challenges within the homelessness management system from a user’s perspective.  Trauma informed practices should be maintained, including providing incentives to people experiencing homelessness through gift cards or funding, and designed with the goal of understanding the user experience with the current homelessness system and possible improvements. Track and provide report-outs on engagements.

  • Literature and Policy Review - Conduct a review of existing plans, reports, and data sources relevant to homelessness and housing in Santa Fe. 

  • • This may include: 2025 ALICE data, City housing and strategic plans, Regional housing assessments, Prior homelessness studies, Continuum of Care reports, State and federal policy frameworks 

   

  STRATEGIC GOALS SETTING 

  The project will have three main elements: 

  1. Design and lead an inclusive planning process: 

  • Incorporate outcomes from the June 29th Homelessness Summit into Strategic Plan outcomes. Review and consider utility of previous incomplete planning efforts in this Strategic Plan design. 

  • Incorporate Stakeholder and Lived experience input into all aspects of the Plan.   

  2. Recommending Strategic Goals: 

  • Based on Data analysis, identify concrete goals and implementation steps for effective Homeless management in Santa Fe 

  • Recommend a project management structure for ensuring that the strategic plan is fully implemented; and the methods for accountability to the community. 

  • Outline performance metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the next three years, and additionally suggested designs for how to measure, collect and track KPIs for partner organizations.  

  3. Preparing and developing the Homelessness Plan: 

  • Articulate system-level and funding priorities and best practices. 

  • Outline clear and measurable goals that encompass: Prevention and Diversion, Encampment Management and Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Permanent Supporting Housing to Affordable Housing, Cross-System Supports and Intersections, Street outreach and progressive engagement, Cross-systems collaboration and coordination, Other strategies as identified 

  • Establish metrics that can be used to track progress and measure the impact of programming and provide a framework for ongoing performance measurement 

  • Identify funding and other resources that can be leveraged to promote progress toward goals, especially those in the housing, homelessness, health care, and private sectors. 

     

   DELIVERBABLES 

  The consultant shall produce a 3-Year Homelessness Strategic Plan that includes: 

  DELIVERABLE 1 — Comprehensive Needs Assessment Report 

  The consultant shall produce a Comprehensive Homelessness Needs Assessment Report that includes: 

  System Overview & Program Inventory Overview of the current homelessness management system, including program inventory, key service gaps, areas for expansion, and service capacity. 

  Local Landscape Analysis A local landscape analysis that assesses the current number of people experiencing homelessness and existing programs and funding which address homelessness within the jurisdiction, based on the conducted Needs Assessments. 

  Quantitative Data Analysis Outcomes of the Data Analysis. Provide relevant data to develop concrete goals and objectives based on these findings that are holistic, actionable, and measurable within a 3-Year Strategic Plan. 

  Qualitative Findings Summary of insights gathered from Qualitative Findings. 

  Gap Analysis Across the Continuum Identification of service gaps across the homelessness continuum — from prevention and outreach through emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. 

  Strategic Opportunities & System Improvement Priorities Determination of key service gaps, policy effectiveness, areas for expansion, and opportunities for new interventions or system improvement in the next three years. 

  Current Funding Inventory Identification of all funds, including state, federal, and local funds, currently being used and budgeted to be used to provide housing and homelessness-related services to persons experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness, how this funding serves subpopulations, and what intervention types are funded through these resources. 

  Resource Needs & Investment Analysis Estimated resource needs and potential funding sources. The analysis should estimate the resources and investments needed to meaningfully reduce or end homelessness in Santa Fe over the next three years, including identification of potential funding sources to close identified gaps. 

   

  DELIVERABLE 2 — Comprehensive Project Management Plan 

  Implementation Plan Develop a workplan outlining the activities to be undertaken throughout the planning process, engage with a variety of local stakeholders identified by City staff, and prepare a draft summary of findings, including any major themes, KPIs and critical issues identified in engagement sessions. 

  Goals, Objectives & Performance Metrics Recommended goals, objectives, and performance metrics for the next three years, grounded in the quantitative and qualitative findings of Deliverable 1, and designed to be holistic, actionable, and trackable across the planning period. 

  Implementation Framework Produce a written implementation plan that identifies the tasks for achieving each priority, the timeline for each, and the individuals and organizations responsible for each task, sequencing priorities, and identifying decision points across the three-year horizon — translating strategic direction into an actionable work plan for the jurisdiction.  

   

  DELIVERABLE 3 — Three-Year Strategic Plan 

  Building on the findings of Deliverable 1 and 2, the consultant shall produce and present a final written strategic 3-Year Homelessness Plan as outlined within the scope of work, formatted with graphic design for publication by June 30th, 2027. The consultant will also assist in developing presentations and presenting to the City of Santa Fe City Council (as needed). A draft of the Homelessness Plan that incorporates information required should be completed and brought to the Youth and Family Services Division for review by December 31st, 2026. The Plan includes: 

  Note on sequencing: Deliverable 1 must be substantially complete before Deliverable 3 is finalized. Deliverable 2 must be finalized when Deliverable 3 is.  

   

  Maximum Compensation 

  The City looks to the consultant to present a high-quality project narrative and cost-effective quote, with a budget of $90,000. 

• Award —

  The City reserves the right to make an award in the manner deemed most advantageous to the City and in the public interest. Specifically, the City may:

  • Award to one or more vendors;

  • Award based on quotes as submitted;

  • Award portions of one or more quotes;

  • Select items or services from multiple quotes to create a combined award;

  • Clarify or confirm elements of a quote prior to award;

  • Reject any or all quotes;

  • Cancel or re-issue all or portions of this request if it is in the City’s best interest to do so;

  • Make no award under this request for quotes.

  Award will be made to the responsible vendor(s) whose quote(s) are determined to be the most advantageous to the City, considering price, responsiveness, and compliance with the any requirements. The lowest-priced quote may not necessarily result in an award.

  Vendors shall not commence work until a Purchase Order is issued by the City.

Submission Requirements

• Respondent Submittals (without Cost) (required) —

  Upload a complete narrative explaining how you will address the Scope of Work and your organization's experience with homelessness. This narrative, along with the Budget, will be used to score and analyze your quote. 

  (Do not upload cost information in here)

• Separate Quote (required) —

  Confirm that your fee proposal is not attached in your narrative and is attached separately here. This is where you will upload your project Budget. 

• I certify that I have read, understood and agree to the terms in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of my company. (required)
• Pricing (required) —
  • Choose Option 1 when you have set line items, for example:
    • This is a quote for goods or commodities.
    • This is a public works bid, with a pricing table that can be uploaded into OpenGov Procurement from an Excel spreadsheet.
    • Seeking services for hourly rate schedules.
  • Choose Option 2 when you need vendors to provide you with the line items.