FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services is soliciting proposals from area nonprofits to operate a new Homeless Services Center, which will provide services not currently offered in Allen County.
The vision of the Homeless Services Center is to offer comprehensive, low-barrier services for people experiencing homelessness that address immediate needs and pathways to permanent housing. Two specific programs are planned.
“Our community doesn’t offer all the services needed to address the complex issue of homelessness, and there is no organization equipped to fill these gaps alone,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “That’s why the City of Fort Wayne is stepping up to lead an innovative partnership of the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to offer results-oriented and compassionate services that prioritize safety and paths to permanent housing.”
The City released the following:
The first is a 24-hour-a-day, seven days a week low-barrier shelter that will serve primarily unsheltered men and women with access to food, showers, laundry facilities, phone service, secure storage for personal belongings and more. The second is safe parking, which will offer designated parking spaces for people living in their vehicles.
The location of the Homeless Services Center is undetermined, but City leaders are exploring options to purchase an existing building and renovate it to accommodate the center. Plans are for the City to own the facility and for a nonprofit partner to operate the services. There is no timeline for the purchase of a building but staff are actively researching possibilities. The request for proposals is being issued now in order to give area nonprofits sufficient time to prepare proposals so a potential operator can be identified at the same time a building is located and renovated.
All proposals should explain how operators will do the following:
Operate a shelter that removes barriers to entry such as sobriety, income or criminal history (within legal constraints) and avoids punitive bans when possible.
Enroll clients or update records in the coordinated entry assessment system so information can be shared with other service providers and accurate records can be used to monitor individual and system-wide progress.
Limit disturbances to surrounding neighborhoods.
Prioritize housing and development of a stability plan for all clients.
Ensure safety for clients, staff, volunteers and the community with clear security policies and protocols.
Funding for the purchase and renovation of a building is still undetermined but possible sources include federal housing dollars. Funding to support operations will need to come from a variety of sources, including public and private support. The full request for proposals can be viewed online HERE
The deadline to submit proposals is December 5 at 5 p.m. A technical assistance session that offers an opportunity for organizations to ask questions about submitting a proposal is scheduled for October 21 at 2 p.m. at Citizens Square, Suite 320. Questions about the RFP may be addressed to ohns@cityoffortwayne.org.
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