I. General Information

The Town is a rapidly growing community at the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. In the past few decades, Morrisville has transformed from a small, rural town into a diverse residential community with a July 2018 population estimated at 28,599 residents. Further, Morrisville's regional location and proximity to Research Triangle Park have supported major investment and an expanding employment base.

Housing prices in the Town have continued to rise with the Median Listing Price for a single-family home in October 2018 reaching more than $359,000. In addition, rental rates continue to rise with an average rent during that same period of $1,269, per month, which is an 8.18% increase from last year, according to rentjungle.com. As the cost of housing continues to rise, individuals living and working in Morrisville are faced with the issue of increasingly more limited access and availability to affordable housing.

II. Background

Morrisville is located in Wake County, which has an adopted Affordable Housing Plan. This Plan articulated the need for affordable housing on a Countywide basis due to: (a) rapid population growth generating upward pressure on the cost of housing; (b) household income increases lagging behind the rate of increasing housing costs; (c) affordable housing development not keeping pace with demand or need; (d) the loss of naturally occurring and subsidized affordable housing developments; and (e) current unmet housing needs that are likely to expand over time. While Morrisville does not mirror Wake County in terms of race and median household income, the Town faces the same competitive housing and rental market that makes affordable housing options difficult to find. The Wake County Affordable Housing Plan can be viewed at: http://www.wakegov.com/humanservices/housing/Pages/Housing-Plan.aspx.

Town Documents

The Town adopted the McCrimmon Transit Small Area Plan in June 2013. Providing workforce housing is one of the four project goals identified in the Plan. The McCrimmon Transit Small Area Plan is available at: https://user-cjghrlw.cld.bz/McCrimmon-Transit-Small-Area-Plan-2013.

In 2017, the Town conducted a National Citizens Survey of residents through the National Research Center; the report found that Town residents were less likely to be under housing cost stress to those communities in comparison. (The results are available on the Town's website at: https://www.townofmorrisville.org/residents/national-citizen-survey.) Yet, 14.2% of the households in Town have income up to $34,999[1], and 24.3% of primary jobs in Morrisville pay between $15,000 and $40,000 a year.

The Connect Morrisville Strategic Plan, adopted in 2018, defines intermediate and long-term goals, objectives and outcome measures that will help Town Council and staff focus on development and quality of life efforts. The addition of affordable housing units in Morrisville supports "Goal 2: Thriving and Livable Neighborhoods" by contributing to the well-being of the elderly and children, and "Goal 6: Economic Prosperity" by attracting and retaining employees. More information about the Strategic Plan is available at: http://www.townofmorrisville.org/StrategicPlan.

The Town is also currently updating the 2009 Land Use Plan. During the initial outreach process, the consultant provided both in person and online opportunities for community input. The affordability of housing within Morrisville was an important point of discussion emphasized by residents and other stakeholders. Many individuals expressed some concern that housing in Morrisville does not offer more options to the existing workforce. A copy of the Morrisville Land Use Plan Update Trends & Influences Summary Memorandum is available online at: http://www.hlplanning.com/portals/morrisville/documents/.

III. Scope of Services

The Town of Morrisville Affordable Housing Plan should include the following information and analysis. Alternative services and deliverables may be proposed on evidence of the need to meet the purpose of the RFQ. RFQs that do not include all these will not be considered.

Task 1: Timeline:

• Provide an estimated timeline and work schedule. The timeline must be efficient and move briskly.

Task 2: Stakeholder Feedback:

• Review and utilize recent community input provided as part of the Land Use Plan.
• Gather feedback from stakeholders providing services to vulnerable populations in the Town.
• Engage and receive feedback from the Town Council and Planning and Zoning Board.

Task 3: Housing Needs Assessment:

• Identify the people of Morrisville (e.g., demographics, race and ethnicity, and economics) now and in the future.
• Identify the housing in Morrisville (e.g., housing stock and occupancy, housing market, and housing costs and affordability) now and in the future.
• Identify vulnerable populations in Morrisville (e.g., veterans, people with disabilities, older adults).
• Identify barriers that affect housing affordability and/or the development of new affordable housing units.
• Provide in depth analysis of affordable housing needs now and in the future for each of the populations noted in the bullets above.
• Present analysis and findings to community stakeholders, including Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Board.
• Make data gathered available for community outreach purposes.

Task 4: Morrisville-Specific Recommendations:

• Identify regulatory implementation policies and strategies that address housing gaps identified in the Housing Needs Assessment. Any recommended regulatory policy or strategies must be consistent with the framework set forth by the North Carolina General Assembly.
• Identify non-regulatory implementation policies and strategies that address housing gaps identified in the Housing Needs Assessment.
• Include both traditional and non-traditional funding opportunities and partnerships that support recommendations in this task.
• Include both rental and ownership opportunity recommendations.
• Include relevant linkages to the Wake County Affordable House Plan.

Each task shall be combined and form the basis for a comprehensive report, titled "Town of Morrisville Affordable Housing Plan," that clearly defines the Plan's horizon and policy implementation timelines (e.g., 5 year, 7 year, etc.). The Plan will be subjected to a two- or three-stage review process. Town staff will review the draft and advise the consultant of needed changes — this stage may consist of up to three review cycles. When the changes have been finalized, the consultant will be advised to produce a draft for presentation to Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Board. This stage can be converted to a two-stage process. Following the presentation, up to two additional review cycles may be necessary to incorporate any recommended changes.

Media and file formats: Reports shall be delivered to the Town in a current version of Microsoft Word and figures shall be delivered to the Town in their native format(s). Reports distributed to stakeholders or placed on the internet for public access will be in Adobe PDF format. Presentations shall be produced and delivered in Microsoft PowerPoint and public versions will be delivered in Adobe PDF format. Images and figures used for public outreach shall be produced by the consultant.

Reports are to be dated and identified as either draft or adopted, as appropriate. Submittal of final reports shall be accompanied by the files, in their native format, that were used to generate graphics displayed in the reports.

IV. Content and Format of Proposal Package

Firms submitting qualifications shall have no association with elected or appointed officials that could be considered a conflict of interest. Any such relationship will subject the firm to immediate disqualification in consideration for this project. A selection committee will evaluate the submittals and may elect to select the most qualified firm based on the responses as submitted, or elect to conduct interviews with multiple firms prior to recommending a firm.

The submission shall be a maximum 25 pages front and back or 50 pages single-sided. Only digital Work Samples will be accepted. Submittals shall include the following:

Letter of Interest:

The letter of interest provided in the submission shall include the following:

• The name and address of the prime consultant and the state in which it is incorporated and chiefly located.
• The name and address of each sub-consultant and the state in which each entity is incorporated and chiefly located, if sub-consultant is part of team.
• A brief description of the proposer (prime and sub-consultants, if applicable), and its interest in performing the required professional services.
• The name, address, phone and e-mail address of the designated contact for the proposer (prime consultant).
• A statement indicating any judgments against the proposer (prime, sub-consultants, and third-party consultants) within the last five (5) years, or pending litigation, related to professional conduct or services.
• All addenda to the RFQ document (each addendum must be identified), if applicable.
• Signature of a duly authorized official of the consultant firm or other person fully authorized to act on behalf the firm or team.

Firm and Staff Qualifications:

The submission shall include a general description of the firm and its background as it relates to this project. Specific information regarding the firm and staff shall be submitted and include:

• Information regarding the firm's previous experience with similar or related projects, performed within the last 5 years, including a brief description of these projects and project staffing.
• Information demonstrating the firm and staff capabilities to perform all aspects of this particular project.
• Information regarding the expertise and experience of staff person(s) to be assigned to work on the project. It should also contain specific proposed responsibilities of the project staff person(s).
• A description and organizational chart showing the structure of the proposer's team, inter-relationships, areas of responsibility and the names and current professional licenses of key personnel assigned to the project along with their areas of responsibility. Note that no substitutions to the proposed project team of the selected firm(s) can be made without the prior written approval of the Town.
• Information on the current and projected workload of key staff to be assigned to this project, including level and magnitude of involvement.
• Three references including client name, address, contact person, telephone number, email, project start and end date as well as a project description. References should be for similar or related projects on which key staff that are proposed for this project have worked.
• The firm and staff qualification information for each sub-consultant, a description of the services the firm performed, as well as related projects and references, if sub-consultant is part of team.

Project Approach:

The submission shall include a response to each task in the Scope of Services, and identify how the requirements will be met. Each response will also include, but is not be limited to, a detailed statement of how the submitting firm intends to approach the work required.

Anticipated Schedule:

The submission shall demonstrate how the submitting firm will manage its responsibilities and work scheduled to be performed, including work of and with Town personnel.

Work Samples:

The submission shall include three recent work samples of affordable housing plans prepared for jurisdictions comparable to the Town in terms of existing housing needs and demographics.

V. Submittal Process Details

Firm selection will be based on the letter of interest, firm and staff qualifications, project approach, anticipated schedule, and work samples related to preparing affordable housing plans for compatible jurisdictions.

The Town of Morrisville reserves the right to reject any responses to this RFQ that do not comply with the content and format of proposal requirements. The Town can also conduct discussions with any or all respondents. The Town accepts no financial responsibility for any costs or expenses incurred by any entity in responding to this RFQ. All submissions may be kept by the Town and may be disclosed to third parties at the Town's discretion.

See the Town Website for submittal instructions, question and clarification process, the anticipated schedule, selection process, and evaluation criteria.

Addenda Notice:

If you have received this solicitation from a source other than the Town of Morrisville, it is the respondent's responsibility to ensure that all addenda have been received. Please visit http://www.townofmorrisville.org/businesses/bid-proposal-opportunities for the most current information.