Weather Respite Operations

The County of Sacramento (County)Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) is seeking proposals from qualified providers to operate a Weather Respite Program (WRP), specifically Weather Respite Center(s) (WRC) and Cooling/Warming Center(s) during periods of inclement weather. These centers will offer a safe, climate-controlled space for vulnerable individuals whenever temperatures or other weather conditions in Sacramento County meet established activation thresholds.

Using a low‑barrier approach, the selected provider will be responsible for creating a safe, client‑centered environment that ensures easy access for individuals seeking relief from inclement weather. The provider will also be required to supply basic necessities such as meals, snacks, water, and access to showers throughout each guest’s stay. The site planned for the WRP is located at the County‑owned Watt Safe Stay facility located at 4837 Watt Ave in North Highlands and will serve up to 75 adults aged 18 and older who are experiencing homelessness. The County may identify additional or alternative sites for use by the WRP, within Sacramento County, if the planned site is unavailable and/or additional capacity is needed.

Background

During periods of inclement weather, the need for shelter and supportive services for unsheltered individuals exceeds the available resources and existing shelter capacity in our community. Since 2010, the County has funded a variety of weather respite programs using both single‑site and rotating‑site models, in partnership with nonprofit organizations and the faith‑based community. These programs have been designed to offer a safe place for the County’s most vulnerable residents during periods of inclement weather. When the Weather Respite Program (WRP) is activated, contracted providers operationalize the planned site for use within one business day, ensuring the necessary staffing, supplies and program services to receive respite guests. Weather events vary in length and can continue for several days or several weeks.

Beginning in mid‑2026, the program will transition to a permanent location at the County‑owned Watt Safe Stay facility located at 4837 Watt Ave in North Highlands. This site will accommodate up to 75 individuals nightly during inclement weather. Utilizing a low‑barrier philosophy, the WRP Program will offer a simple intake and entry process to ensure that respite services are readily accessible to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFP-DHSH-2026-PURB-RFP-0426
• Department: Homeless Services and Housing
• Department Head: Emily Halcon (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-05T00:00:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Program Design & Service Approach (30 pts) —
  • Strength, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed service model, including anticipated outcomes based on past experience and performance
    
    
  • Integration of Housing First, trauma-informed care, and harm-reduction practices
    
    
  • Approaches for case management services, including connections to community resources, mainstream benefits and referrals for shelter and housing programs and services
     
  • Quality of proposed policies/procedures and alignment with program requirements
• Organizational Experience & Capacity (25 pts) —
  • Demonstrated success operating emergency shelter and/or weather respite programs for adults experiencing homelessness 
    
    
  • Experience serving individuals with complex or high acuity needs
    
    
  • Adequacy of staffing structure, qualifications, supervision, and training plans
    
    
  • Demonstrated ability to launch and operate within required timelines
• Service Delivery Infrastructure & Compliance (20 pts) —
  • Capacity for eligibility verification, intake, case management, and service coordination
    
    
  • Demonstrated ability to use HMIS and comply with data and reporting requirements
    
    
  • Ability to leverage additional resources to support individuals during activations, including linkages to longer-term services 
    
    
  • Strength of safety, grievance, incident reporting, and participant rights processes
• Financial Capacity, Budget, & Cost-Effectiveness (15 pts) —
  • Financial stability and internal controls
  • Realistic and cost-effective budget aligned with the proposed model
  • Ability to manage cost-reimbursement contracts
  • Clear justification of staffing and program costs
  • Demonstrated ability to meet contracted timelines for reporting and claims
  • Demonstrated ability to track multiple funding sources for the same program.
• Equity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Participant Engagement (10 pts) —
  • Strategies to reduce barriers to shelter access
  • Culturally responsive and inclusive service delivery
  • Participant engagement, feedback, and grievance mechanisms
• Internal Technical Review (10 pts)

Submission Requirements

• Cover Letter (required) —

  Proposers must submit a signed cover letter that includes the following:

  • Organization Overview
  • Understanding of Project Needs
  • Commitment to timeline
  • Statement that the Proposer’s proposal meets all the RFP requirements
  • Statement that the Proposer will confirm compliance with state and federal legal requirements, as applicable
  • Statement of no conflict of interest
• Proposal Narrative (required) —

  1. Program Operations

  Proposers shall describe in detail their approach to managing and operating the Weather Respite Program during activation periods. The narrative must address how the Proposer will ensure low‑barrier access; implement a streamlined, first‑come, first‑served intake process; conduct light‑touch safety screenings; and provide essential services including meals, hydration, restrooms, showers, and onsite support. Proposers must also outline strategies for maintaining a safe, client‑centered environment, adhering to nondiscrimination requirements, and ensuring consistent use of County‑approved intake and assessment procedures. The response should clearly demonstrate the Proposer’s operational capacity, staffing plan, and experience delivering emergency or respite services in a congregate setting.

  
  
  

  2. Staffing Requirements
  
  

  The selected proposer shall:

  • Maintain adequate staffing levels to support safety, supervision, intake, service delivery, and compliance.
  • Ensure staffing meets program requirements (including 24/7 coverage where applicable).
  • Provide staff trained in trauma-informed care, Housing First practices, crisis intervention, de-escalation, and cultural humility.
  • Provide an organizational chart indicating key roles such as Program Manager, Case Managers, Housing Navigators, Site Supervisors, and Overnight staff.

  3. Service Delivery Requirements
  
  

  The selected proposer shall:

  • Conduct intakes, eligibility determinations, assessments, and service planning.
  • Provide individualized case management focused on housing stability, income growth, and self-sufficiency.
  • Offer life-skills education, employment readiness, behavioral health linkage, and tenancy-readiness services.
  • Maintain program rules that are low-barrier and do not result in discharge for behaviors associated with homelessness, mental illness, or substance use unless safety is compromised.
  • Provide conflict resolution, mediation, safety planning, and crisis response.
  • Ensure access to basic needs, transportation support, and referrals to community resources.

  4. Data, Reporting & Compliance
  
  

  The selected proposer shall:

  • Enter participant data into HMIS in compliance with local and federal standards.
  • Maintain accurate files, service notes, assessments, and documentation required by the County.
  • Submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports as requested, including occupancy, demographics, service delivery, outcomes, and financial reporting.
  • Participate in County monitoring visits, audits, and quality improvement activities.
  • Maintain policies and procedures governing intake, safety, grievances, incident reporting, and termination.
  • Provide critical incident reports within required timelines.

   

  5. Facility Operations
  
  

  Proposers shall describe how they will maintain and operate the designated Weather Respite Program area within the County‑owned Watt Safe Stay facility in a clean, safe, and service‑ready condition throughout all activation periods. Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Maintain and operate the designated Weather Respite Program area at the County‑owned Watt Safe Stay facility in a clean, safe, and service‑ready condition during all activation periods.
  • Implement daily custodial and sanitation practices appropriate for a congregate setting.
  • Ensure proper care, use, and stewardship of all County property and equipment.
  • Promptly report maintenance, safety, or repair needs to the County according to established procedures.
  • Comply with all site‑specific policies, facility rules, and County operational standards.
  • Manage the facility in a manner that upholds participant safety, preserves the integrity of the property, and maintains full functionality for Weather Respite Program operations.

   

  • The Proposer will be required to enter into a separate Facility Use Agreements (FUAs) with the County. The agreement will clearly define and allocate property maintenance and facility-related responsibilities between the selected contractor and the County. (A sample agreement has been provided in the attachments section of this RFP)
• Organization Chart (required) —

  Please upload your organization chart, including roles relevant to program operations and administration.

• Key Staff Resumes (required) —

  Provide resumes for personnel who would be responsible for program oversight and day-to-day management operations.

• References (required) —

  Proposers must submit at least three references. All references given must have had services rendered by you at the present time or within the last two years. References must be satisfactory as deemed solely by the County. References must be for services similar in scope, volume and requirements to those given in these specifications, terms and conditions.
  
  

  Information to include:

  1. Company/Agency name
  2. Contact person (name and title), must be a person directly involved with the services provided.
  3. Complete street address
  4. Telephone number
  5. Type of business and type of service provided
  6. Dates of service.

  The County may contact some or all the references provided to determine the Proposer's performance record for similar services. The County reserves the right to contact references other than those provided and to use the information gained from them in the evaluation process.

• Program Budget Proposals - Complete and Upload Exhibit C (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  Please use the attached Exhibit C to provide information for your proposed budget. Proposers must submit a complete annual budget for the proposed program, as well as an organizational operating budget (to be uploaded in the subsequent question).
  
  

  The budget must be prepared using a cash-basis accounting methodology and clearly outline the annual program costs relative to the funding sources available.

  Budgets will be evaluated for feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and accuracy. The Proposer must clearly indicate the total amount of funding requested. Please download the documents below, complete them in full, and upload as instructed.

• Current Operating Budget (required) —

  Please provide the organization’s current operating budget, including the projected budget for the proposed program. Proposers must submit a complete organizational operating budget, in addition to the program-specific budget submitted in the previous question.

• Cost Allocation Plan and Budget Summary (required) —

  Please provide a summary of the budget being submitted and a description of your cost allocation plan, the narrative should include:

  • Proposed administrative cost structure
  • Summary of startup needs (if any)
  • Explanation of how costs are reasonable and aligned with proposed scope
  • Written cost allocation methodology, which includes both direct costs, shared costs, and indirect/administrative costs.
• Nondiscrimination Clause/Statement of Compliance (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  Proposers must read the Statement of Compliance and Nondiscrimination Clause and sign the form. The Statement of Compliance form must accompany each proposal to comply with Government Code Section 12990 and California Administrative Code, Title II, Division 4, and Chapter 5. Please download the documents, complete, and upload.

• Financial Statements and Accounting System (required) —

  In this section, you will be asked to submit your latest audited financial reports completed by an independent certified public accountant. If the audit is of a parent firm, the parent firm shall be a party to the contract. Evidence of solvency and acceptable accounting practices is required. Governmental agencies are exempt from this requirement.

   

  Please complete the Financial Statements and Accounting System sections accordingly.

   

  Audited Financial Statements - Past Two Fiscal Years 
  Please provide the most recent audited financial statements from the past two fiscal years (2024 and 2023). Please include the entire financial audit report provided by your hired CPA; do not exclude any pages. If you were required to have a Single Audit, please provide the past two Single Audit reports in their entirety; do not exclude any pages.

• Past Audit Findings Statement (required) —

  Please provide past audit findings from any County, City, or nearby jurisdictions within the last 10 years.

  If there have been NO audit findings, please provide a signed statement indicating there have been no findings. Signature can be from any Executive Officer of the organization, preferably the Chief Financial Officer or equivalent.

   

  If there have been audit findings, please provide actions taken to address the findings and provide the current status.

• Current Major Funders/Contracts (required) —

  Please provide a list of current Major funders/contracts (public and private).

• Contracting Requirements —

  The selected Proposer will become a contracted vendor with the County of Sacramento. Please complete and upload all the appropriate documentation as requested in this section. The selected proposer may be asked for additional documentation once an award has been made in order to be established as a contracted vendor.

  Read Only and For Reference Attachments
  Please download the read-only exhibits and sample agreements below. In the next question, you'll be asked to complete the acknowledgement of receipt for these items. 

  Please download the read-only exhibits and sample agreements below. In the next question, you'll be asked to complete the acknowledgement of receipt for these items.

  • Good_Neighbor_Policy_Site_Info.doc
  • Charitable_Choice.docx
  • County-Owned_FUA_Template_A_April 2025.doc
  • Sample_County_Agreement_for_RFP.pdf

   

• Good Neighbor Policy and Charitable Choice Acknowledgement (required) —

  Please confirm receipt and review of the County's Good Neighbor Policy and Charitable Choice information.

• Certification of Independent Contractor Status (required) —

  "I hereby certify that the Contractor/Consultant firm employs five or more full-time employees. “Full-time”, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, means persons employed for 20 or more hours per week, and excludes temporary employees whose term of employment will be less than one (1) month. This certification satisfies the Internal Revenue Service criteria for treatment of the above-named consultant as an independent contractor, not an employee for tax withholding purposes."

• Contractor Certification of Compliance, part 1 (required) —

  WHEREAS it is in the best interest of Sacramento County that those entities with whom the County does business demonstrate financial responsibility, integrity and lawfulness, it is inequitable for those entities with whom the County does business to receive County funds while failing to pay court-ordered child, family and spousal support which shifts the support of their dependents onto the public treasury.

  Therefore, in order to assist the Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services in its efforts to collect unpaid court-ordered child, family and spousal support orders, the following certification must be provided by all entities with whom the County does business:

  Contractor/Consultant hereby certifies that either:

• Contractor Certification of Compliance, part 2 (required) —

  New Contract/Consultant shall certify that each of the following statements is true:

  a. Contractor/Consultant has fully complied with all applicable state and federal reporting requirements relating to employment reporting for its employees; and

  b. Contractor/Consultant has fully complied with all lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders and notices of assignment and will continue to maintain compliance.

  NOTE: Failure to comply with state and federal reporting requirements regarding a Contractor's employees or failure to implement lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders or notices of assignment constitutes a default under the contract; and failure to cure the default within 90 days of notice by the County shall be grounds for termination of the contract. Principal Owners can contact the Sacramento Department of Child Support Services at 1-866-901-3212, by writing to P.O. Box 269112, Sacramento, 95826-9112, or via the Customer Connect website at www.childsup.ca.gov .

   

• Iran Contracting Act Certification (required) —

  (California Public Contract Code, sections 2202-2208)

  When responding to a bid or proposal or executing a contract or renewal for a County of Sacramento contract for goods or services of $1,000,000 or more, a vendor must either:
  
  A. certify it is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by the California Department of General Services (“DGS”) pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2203(b) and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person, for 45 days or more, if that other person will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS; or
  
  B. demonstrate it has been exempted from the certification requirement for that solicitation or contract pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2203(c) or (d). 

  To comply with this requirement, please select one of the options below. Please note: California law establishes penalties for providing false certifications, including civil penalties equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the amount of the contract for which the false certification was made; contract termination; and three-year ineligibility to bid on contracts. (Public Contract Code section 2205.)
  
  OPTION #1 - CERTIFICATION
  I certify I am duly authorized to execute this certification on behalf of the vendor/financial institution, and the vendor/financial institution is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person/vendor, for 45 days or more, if that other person/vendor will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS.

  OPTION #2 - EXEMPTION
  Pursuant to Public Contract Code sections 2203(c) and (d), a public entity may permit a vendor/financial institution engaged in investment activities in Iran, on a case-by-case basis, to be eligible for, or to bid on, submit a proposal for, or enters into or renews, a contract for goods and services. If you have obtained an exemption from the certification requirement under the Iran Contracting Act, please select "EXEMPTION" below, and attach documentation demonstrating the exemption approval with your electronic submission. 

  ☐ CERTIFICATION

  ☐ EXEMPTION

  ☐ Not Applicable

• IRS Certification Letter and Business Status (required) —

  Please provide the following:

  1. IRS Certification Letter
  2. California Secretary of State business status printout

  These documents are required and will be reviewed to meet the minimum qualifications for the evaluation of the Proposal.

• Insurance Requirements (Exhibit D) (required) —

  The successful proposer shall be required to obtain and maintain insurance according to County requirements, as described in Exhibit D attached. Please sign the Proposer's Statement regarding Insurance Coverage located on the last page of this exhibit.  If a proposer currently does not have insurance in the amounts specified in Exhibit D, do not obtain increased coverage before a contract is offered by the County. After proposals are evaluated and a Provider is selected, the proposed Provider must provide an original current certificate of insurance within five working days of the notification of selection and offer of a contract. The certificate of insurance must provide proof of coverage in compliance with standard County insurance requirements as specified in the exhibit. Failure to conform to insurance requirements within this time period shall constitute grounds for termination of contract negotiations.

  Please download the attached Exhibit D, complete and upload the completed form, and provide proof of insurance for the following:

  • General liability
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Professional liability
  • RFP_Exhibit_D_Insurance_Requirements.pdf
• Child Support Ordinance Required Document (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  Proposers are required to read, complete, sign and date the "County of Sacramento Provider Certification of Compliance Form for those with Court-Ordered Child, Family and Spousal Support" exhibit and complete the "Provider Identification Form", including the Company Name, Company Address and Completed By sections.

  Please download and complete the documents below and then upload to complete this requirement.

  • Cert._of_Child-Spousal_Support_Compliance_Form (RFP)
• Debarment and Suspension Certification (Exhibit G) (required) —

  Proposers must read and sign the Debarment and Suspension Certification. This certification must accompany each proposal to comply with Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR, Part 76.100. County shall verify that Proposer is not listed on the System for Award management site at: www.sam.gov. Executive Order 12549, 7 CFR Part 3017, 45 CFR Part 76 and 44CFR Part 17.

  Proposers must read and sign the Debarment and Suspension Certification. This certification must accompany each proposal to comply with Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR, Part 76.100. County shall verify that Proposer is not listed on the System for Award management site at: www.sam.gov. Executive Order 12549, 7 CFR Part 3017, 45 CFR Part 76 and 44CFR Part 17.

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  Exhibit_G_-_Certification_Regarding_Debarment_and_Suspension (RFP)

• Five or More Employees (Exhibit H) (required) —

  Please read and sign the Five or More Employees Statement attached and upload once complete.

  Five_or_More_Employees_Letter_Statement_(RFP).docx

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Iran Contracting Act Certification (required) —

  (California Public Contract Code, sections 2202-2208)

  When responding to a bid or proposal or executing a contract or renewal for a County of Sacramento contract for goods or services of $1,000,000 or more, a vendor must either:

  1. certify it is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by the California Department of General Services (“DGS”) pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2203(b) and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person, for 45 days or more, if that other person will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS; or
  2. demonstrate it has been exempted from the certification requirement for that solicitation or contract pursuant to Public Contract Code section 2203(c) or (d).

  To comply with this requirement, please select one of the options below. Please note: California law establishes penalties for providing false certifications, including civil penalties equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the amount of the contract for which the false certification was made; contract termination; and three-year ineligibility to bid on contracts. (Public Contract Code section 2205.)

  OPTION #1 - CERTIFICATION

  I certify I am duly authorized to execute this certification on behalf of the vendor/financial institution, and the vendor/financial institution is not on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS and is not a financial institution extending twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) or more in credit to another person/vendor, for 45 days or more, if that other person/vendor will use the credit to provide goods or services in the energy sector in Iran and is identified on the current list of persons engaged in investment activities in Iran created by DGS.

  OPTION #2 – EXEMPTION

  Pursuant to Public Contract Code sections 2203(c) and (d), a public entity may permit a vendor/financial institution engaged in investment activities in Iran, on a case-by-case basis, to be eligible for, or to bid on, submit a proposal for, or enters into or renews, a contract for goods and services. If you have obtained an exemption from the certification requirement under the Iran Contracting Act, please select "EXEMPTION" below, and attach documentation demonstrating the exemption approval with your electronic submission.

• SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI) (required) —

  Provide your SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI). If your firm does not have a UEI, go to: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration to obtain one. 

• Confidential sections of proposal (if applicable) —

  The County will treat all information submitted in a proposal as available for public inspection once the County has awarded a contract. If you believe that you have a legally justifiable basis under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et. seq.) for protecting the confidentiality of any information contained within your proposal, you must identify any such information, together with the legal basis of your claim in your proposal, and present such information in this section as part of your proposal response package. The final determination of whether the County will assert a proposer's claim of confidentiality shall be at the sole discretion of the County. Click "file upload" below to upload any proposal documents you consider to be confidential documents.

• Proposed Contract Exceptions —

  If proposing any exceptions to the County's Sample Contract, upload a redlined revision of the Sample Contract attached to this solicitation here. Any submissions are for negotiation purposes only.
  
  

  If no exceptions are proposed, please skip this question.

  Sample_County_Agreement_for_RFP

• Signatory Contact Information (required) —

  Provide the full contact name, title, and e-mail of the signatory for your firm. Provide contact information for the contract manager for your firm in order to distribute contract documents, including other recipients requiring a copy, if awarded.

  Signatory: name, title, email

  Contract manager/admin: name, phone, email

• IRS Form W-9 (required) —

  Signed and dated within the past 12 months

• PaymentWorks Contact (required) —

  Please provide the name and e-mail for a finance point-of-contact for your firm that will receive an invitation to complete the vendor registration process on the County's PaymentWorks portal.

  To clarify, if you are set-up with other agencies using PaymentWorks, that information is not available to the County, so you must complete this process for the County.

• Evaluation criteria weights (required) —

  Do you want to show evaluation criteria scores/weights in the solicitation? This question refers to the points or weights given to each criterion, not the actual scores that the evaluation panel assigns during evaluation.

• Electronic pricing table (required) —

  Are Proposers responding to an electronic pricing table?

  Select "yes" if you are providing a pricing table or template as part of your solicitation.

  Select "no" if you are asking Proposers to submit their own hourly rate sheet.

• Will the contract amount exceed $1,000,000.00? (required) —

  If "yes" Proposers will be required to complete the Iran Contracting Act Certification.

• Will federal funds be used for this agreement? (required)
• Contracting entity (required) —

  Is this a County or SCWA solicitation? 

Questions & Answers