Youth Transitional Housing Program

The Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) is seeking to contract with one organization to operate a Transitional Housing Program for Transitional-Age Youth (TAY), for a minimum of fourteen (14) youth aged 18-24, who are experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County.

Background

The 2024 Sacramento Point-In-Time Homelessness Count (PIT) indicated that 6.6% of the people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County are transitional-age youth, between the ages of 18 and 24. As with other homeless populations, the number reported may be a underrepresentation, as it does not include those youth who are marginally or unstably (doubled-up or “couch surfing”) housed on the night of the count. While this figure has not drastically changed over the previous years, the consequences faced by youth experiencing homelessness are vast and far reaching. Youth are at greater risk of being victimized, sexually exploited, and struggle to secure housing, complete formal education and gain employment. 

Through this Request for Proposal (RFP), Sacramento County is seeking a qualified provider to operate a transitional housing program in Sacramento County to serve a minimum of fourteen (14) youth nightly, who are experiencing homelessness. Proposers are encouraged to thoughtfully design a program dedicated to this population with consideration to service needs and to procure or identify an appropriate site for the proposed programming. While a singular site is preferred, the use of one or more transitional housing sites to meet the program objectives.

Project Details

• Reference ID: DHSH-2026-PURB-RFP-0414
• Department: Homeless Services and Housing
• Department Head: Emily Halcon (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z

Addenda

• Official Notice #1: Disregard Notice (released 2026-04-17T16:26:58.498Z) —

  This post was created in error. 

• Addendum #1 (released 2026-04-22T22:06:49.290Z) —

  Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum.

Evaluation Criteria

• Program Design & Service Approach (30 pts) —
  • Strength, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed service model for the program
  • Integration of Housing First, trauma-informed care, and youth-centered practices
  • Approaches for supporting education, employment, life skills, and long-term stability
  • Quality of proposed policies/procedures and alignment with program requirements
• Organizational Experience & Capacity (20 pts) —
  • Demonstrated success operating shelter, transitional housing, or youth-serving programs 
  • Experience serving youth or similarly vulnerable populations 
  • 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
  • Strength of safety, grievance, incident reporting, and participant rights processes
• Budget & Cost-Effectiveness (15 pts) —
  • Realistic and cost-effective budget aligned with the proposed model 
  • Clear justification of staffing and program costs
• Letter of Recommendation (5 pts) —
  • One Letter of Recommendation from an existing or previous funders or public agencies.
• Equity, Cultural Responsiveness and Participant Engagement (10 pts) —
  • Strategies to ensure culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate services 
  • Plans to engage participant voice, build trust, and support self-determination  
  • Approaches to reducing barriers and ensuring equitable program access

Submission Requirements

• General Rules and Disclosures —

  The County is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at Sign Up (opengov.com). Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Draft Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

  1. Submission Instructions and Deadline
     Proposals must be received no later than May 5, 2026 by 5:00pm PST electronically via OpenGov. Failure to submit a complete Proposal on time may be grounds for rejection of the RFP; however, the County reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to accept Proposals, or amendments to Proposals, after the deadline.
     
     
  2. Communication and Questions
     Questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in the project Q&A section in OpenGov Procurement by 5pm on April 21, 2026.
     
     
  3. Modifications via Addenda
     The County reserves the right to modify this RFP at any time prior to the deadline. The County will modify the RFP only by written addenda. RFP responses should be based on this RFP document and any formal written addenda. Proposers should not rely on oral statements. Addenda will be posted in OpenGov Procurement. It is the responsibility of each prospective Proposer to assure receipt of all addenda.
     
     
  4. County's Reservation of Rights
     The County reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, suspend, and/or modify this RFP for any reason and at any time with no liability to any prospective Proposer for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with the RFP or otherwise. 
     
     
  5. Editing or Cancelling a Submitted RFP
     Proposers may edit or cancel their response to this RFP in OpenGov Procurement up until the RFP submission deadline.
     
     
  6. No Return of Submissions
     Upon submission, Proposals will not be returned.
     
     
  7. Public Records and Confidentiality
     The County will treat all information submitted in a Proposal as available for public inspection once negotiations with the selected party have been completed. If copies of Proposals are included with Board materials, the County will make Proposals available for public inspection once a recommendation for award has been made.
     
     If a Proposer believes protected data is included in its Proposal, the Proposer shall clearly identify the data and provide the legal basis in support of the asserted classification. Proposer must present such information separately as part of its Proposal OR type in bold red letters the term "CONFIDENTIAL" on that specific part or page of the Proposal which Proposer believes to be confidential. Classification of data as trade secret data will be determined pursuant to applicable law, and, accordingly, merely labeling data as "trade secret" does not necessarily make the data protected under any applicable law.
     
     

  In order for the County to assert the confidentiality of any such information in the event a California Public Record Act request is received, the Proposer must request, execute and submit a County-prepared written agreement to defend and indemnify the County for liability, costs and expenses incurred in asserting such confidentiality as part of the RFP. 
  
  The final determination of whether the County will assert a Proposer's claim of confidentiality shall be at the sole discretion of the County. Any information determined to be non-confidential shall be considered public record. If the County determines that your information does not meet the criteria for confidentiality, you will be notified of the County's intent to release the public record pursuant to any California Public Records Act request.
  
  The Proposer agrees, as a condition of submitting its Proposal, that the County will not, as between the parties, be liable or accountable for any loss or damage, which may result from a breach of confidentiality related to this RFP. The Proposer agrees to indemnify and hold the County, its officials, agents, and employees harmless from all claims arising out of, resulting from, or in any manner attributable to any violation of any provision of the California Public Records Act, including legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred to enforce this provision.
  
  

  Proposer's Responsibility for Costs
  The County shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by Proposer in connection with this RFP. Proposer shall bear all costs associated with Proposal preparation, submission, and attendance at interviews, or any other activity associated with this RFP or otherwise. 
  
  

  The County discourages lengthy and costly submittals. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically and provide a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.
  
  

  Use of Submitted Concepts
  To the extent permitted by law, the County reserves the right to use any or all ideas, concepts, or other information provided in any Proposals. Selection or rejection of the Proposal does not affect this right.
  
  

  Anti-Collusion Statement
  If the County determines that collusion has occurred among Proposers, none of the Proposals of the participants involved in the collusion shall be considered. The County's determination shall be final.
  
  

  Conflict of Interest Disclosure
  The Proposer affirms that to the best of its knowledge the submission of its Proposal, or any resulting contract, does not present an actual or perceived conflict of interest. The Proposer agrees that should any actual or perceived conflict of interest become known, it will immediately notify the County and will advise whether it will or will not avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the conflict of interest.
  
  The County may make reasonable efforts to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize a conflict of interest by a Proposer. To avoid a conflict of interest by a Proposer, the County may utilize methods including disqualifying a Proposer from eligibility for a contract award or cancelling the contract if the conflict is discovered after a contract has been issued. The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, waive any conflict of interest.

• Proposal Narrative (without Cost Proposal) (required) —

  Proposers must submit clear, complete, and verifiable documentation for each qualification area listed below. Failure to meet all Minimum Qualifications or provide required documentation may result in disqualification from further consideration.

  Please provide your narrative containing the following information.

  1. Program Design & Service Approach

  • Strength, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed service model
  • Integration of Housing First, trauma-informed care, and youth-centered practices
  • Approaches for supporting education, employment, life skills, and long-term stability
  • Quality of proposed policies/procedures and alignment with program requirements

  2. Organizational Experience & Capacity

  • Demonstrated success operating shelter, transitional housing, or youth-serving programs
  • Experience serving youth or similarly vulnerable populations
  • Adequacy of staffing structure, qualifications, supervision, and training plans
  • Demonstrated ability to launch and operate within required timelines

  3. Service Delivery Infrastructure & Compliance

  • Capacity for eligibility verification, intake, case management, and service coordination
  • Demonstrated ability to use HMIS and comply with data and reporting requirements
  • Strength of safety, grievance, incident reporting, and participant rights processes

  4.  Budget & Cost-Effectiveness

  • Realistic and cost-effective budget aligned with the proposed model
  • Clear justification of staffing and program costs

  5. Letter of Recommendation 

  • One letter of recommendation from existing or previous funders or public agencies.

  6. Equity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Participant Engagement 

  • Strategies to ensure culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate services
  • Plans to engage youth voice, build trust, and support self-determination
  • Approaches to reducing barriers and ensuring equitable program access
   
• Cover Letter (required) —

  Proposers must submit a signed cover letter which 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
• Organizational Chart (required) —

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

• Key Staff Resumes (required) —

  Please upload resumes for personnel that would be responsible for program oversight and day-to-day management of the shelters.

• Letter of Recommendation (required) —

  Proposers must submit one Letter of Recommendation from existing or previous funders, community partner, or public agency. The letter should address the agency's capacity, performance history, and ability to successfully operate a Transitional Housing Program. 

   

• Proposed Program Budget (required) —

  Please use the attached Exhibit C to complete your proposed budget for the Youth Transitional Housing Program. The budget must be prepared on a cash basis accounting methodology. 

  Evaluators will evaluate the feasibility, cost effectiveness and accuracy of the budget. The Proposer must indicate total amount requested. Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. (The administrative and overhead line items listed are examples. Proposers can adjust to meet the needs of their program proposal.)

   

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Current Operating Budget (required) —

  Please provide the organization's current operating budget (including projected budget for the proposed programs). Proposers must submit a complete organizational operating budget, as well as a complete budget for the proposed program (submitted in the previous question).

• Cost Allocation 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 start-up 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.
• Financial Statements and Accounting System —

  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 party to the contract. Evidence of solvency and acceptable accounting practices is required. Governmental agencies are exempt from this requirement.

  These documents are required and will be reviewed to meet the minimum qualifications for evaluation of the Proposal. Please complete the Financial Assessment sections accordingly.

• Audited Financial Statements - Past Two Fiscal Years (required) —

  Please provide the most recent audited financial statements from 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 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 Attachments —

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

• 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 Contractor/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 Contractor/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/Consultant'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 PO Box 269112, Sacramento, CA 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. 

• IRS Certification Letter and Busniess 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 evaluation of the Proposal.

• Insurance Requirements (Exhibit B) (required) —

  The successful proposer shall be required to obtain and maintain insurance according to County requirements, described in Exhibit B 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 B, 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 B, complete and upload the completed form and provide proof of insurance for the following:

  • General liability
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Professional liability

  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:
  
  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 millon 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 SOQ and present such information in this section as part of your Proposal response package. The final determination of whether the County will assert a Responder'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.

• 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.

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• 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.

• 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. 

• Signatory Contact Information (required) —

  Provide the full contact's 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.

• What type of solicitation is this? (required)
• If you have selected RFP or RFQual, would you like the evaluation scoring criteria to be made public? (required)
• Electronic Pricing Table (required) —

  Would you like to have bidders respond to an electronic pricing table?

  Choose this if:

  1. This is a quote for a finite set of goods or commodities
  2. This is a public works bid, but you want the bidder to list their total project cost here.
  3. Seeking services for hourly rate schedules
• Will federal funds be used for this agreement? (required)
• Will this agreement exceed $1,000,000.00? (required) —

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

Questions & Answers