RFQ - Boardman Housing Initiative - Seeking Manager for Funding Process

The City of Boardman has been investigating the need for housing and how to find solutions for several decades. Recently, a housing initiative has begun, and the city has learned the following:

• Limited housing options restrict local employers, making both hiring and retention difficult.
• There are significant and varied barriers that limit middle income housing production.
• A concerted and strategic effort must be initiated to resolve the housing shortage and end this crisis.

As part of the response the City of Boardman, working with local and regional employers, seeks to establish a revolving fund and is seeking support to manage the projects that would be funded. The goals that have been established for the management of this fund are as follows:

• Support projects that target and reduce housing barriers.
• Facilitate middle housing production.
• Encourage innovative techniques for Boardman to deploy, which will allow the city to become an example for how housing stock can be developed in the region and beyond.

Identified Services:

The City of Boardman has identified the following work products that will allow for successful outcomes of this project. The response to the Request for Qualifications will address each of these items: 

1. Guidance and leadership for the established housing committee by
   1. Establishing goals and protocols for the use of funds.
   2. Assist in establishing guidance for standardized government policy.
   3. Review other models of best practices for how the housing fund should be implemented.
2. Work with stakeholders to choose projects to overcome barriers, then inform and obtain support from the committee members.
3. Work with housing professionals to review and create middle housing projects that can be funded and be successfully permitted and developed in the City of Boardman.
4. Provide external capacity for the committee and city staff, which will help to manage funded projects.
5. Expand capital, obtain additional grants, and help build additional partnerships.

Qualifications

As part of the submittal the proposer needs to respond to the following qualifications.

 Demonstrated experience advising fund creation and management.

• Demonstrated experience identifying barriers to housing production.
• Demonstrated experience introducing innovations to jurisdictions with limited capacity.
• Demonstrated experience working with housing innovators- who prioritize middle housing.
• Familiarity with Boardman’s housing needs, challenges and political landscape.

A response to this Request for Proposal would include a Scope of Work that addresses the Identified Services above and includes a table summarizing work tasks, information on the team of individuals that would be assigned this work and how their experience meets the needs of this project, and a proposed budget. The deadline for submission of a Statement of Qualifications is April 2, 2025, by the close of business. Submission can be accomplished by email to the contact identified below. The city intends to select the candidate best fitting the qualifications by April 11, 2025, and secure approval for the contract by the City Council on May 6. The anticipated start date for the project would be on or about May 15, 2025.

Questions concerning this Request for Qualifications shall be directed to Brandon Hammond. Answers to those questions will be provided to all proposers.

Response shall be submitted to:

Brandon Hammond

City Manager

City of Boardman

hammondb [at] cityofboardman.com (hammondb[at]cityofboardman[dot]com)