Request for Proposals

Community Homes of Patagonia
P.O. Box 1063
Patagonia, AZ 85624

Tel. 520.394.9051

Website: www.chopatagonia.org

Email: info@chopatagonia.org

Issued June 1, 2020

Proposals due by July 31, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. AZ Time

DELIVER TO:

Community Homes of Patagonia
P.O. Box 1063
Patagonia, AZ 85624

PURPOSE

Community Homes of Patagonia (CHOP) with the Town of Patagonia’s support is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to (a) conduct a comprehensive Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, (b) determine the level of demand for such housing and (3) create a document that will support CHOP’s application for grants and loans to develop an affordable housing project.

CHOP is a 501 C (3) that was incorporated in 2006. To date, its activities have been focused on maintaining and improving existing housing stock and determining the feasibility of developing affordable housing in the area based on the Community Land Trust model. The CHOP Board now hopes to create more affordable housing opportunities in the Patagonia area and is seeking the assistance of a qualified contractor to document both the need and demand for such housing and to assist the board in developing plans for realizing this goal. 

The Housing Needs Assessment will provide an in-depth analysis of the current as well as the future needs and demand for affordable housing options reported incrementally in relation to multiple levels of the Area Median Income (AMI). The analysis should use both quantitative and qualitative data sources. The planning document will identify quantifiable recommendations to bridge the identified gaps between currently available affordable housing units and the documented need.

The contractor will analyze current housing conditions within the town limits and the surrounding vicinity compassing roughly the area covered by zip code 85624. In addition to quantifying the need and demand for affordable housing, the contractor will identify creative strategies across the housing continuum that could be employed to address the current short-term and long-term affordable housing needs of the community.

This analysis will provide a rational basis for resource allocation, allowing the CHOP board to decide how CHOP should participate in creating, supporting and/or funding affordable housing projects.

BACKGROUND

The Town of Patagonia, AZ has a population of approximately 1000 full-time residents and thousands of visitors each year. Patagonia does not plan for expansive growth but the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity estimates the population may grow to 1075 in the next five years.  The greater Patagonia area has many full time and part time residents that consider themselves a part of the town but live outside the town in Santa Cruz County. The 2009 Patagonia General Plan contains a lot of germane information and is being included by reference in the RFP. It has been re-adopted in 2019 and is currently being updated.

Renowned for its Sky Islands surroundings, Patagonia has become a national and international destination for outdoor recreation, birding and the natural environment, arts and culture, and health and wellness. The area’s natural attractions and the town’s unique character have led to an influx of retired, semi-retired and seasonal residents. This has resulted in a lack of affordable housing units for locals, a condition made worse by the growing tourism business as local property owners have increasingly turned their homes into B&Bs and short-term lodging units, thus increasing their market value when they sell. The affordable housing picture is further complicated by the local employment market which does not offer a lot of high paying jobs. While the salaries available in Patagonia would enable some to afford a home in Tucson, they are inadequate for many to do so in Patagonia. A large unknown to the community and its economy will be the effects of local and regionally proposed mines.

With a local area annual median income for a four-person household of approximately $39,750, homes in the area are unattainable for much of the local workforce. Renting does not appear to be a more viable option. While there is a lack of comprehensive data on rental pricing, a review of rental listings shows very little product available.  High land prices and high construction costs due to Patagonia’s remote location make the creation of affordable housing units increasingly difficult.

STUDY AREA

The primary study area is the Town of Patagonia and its immediate environs.  Population, cost of living and other data is lacking for the town and greater Patagonia area.  Most population growth appears to be occurring in the surrounding county areas as evidenced by the relatively flat population growth inside the town’s limits.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

CHOP lacks the expertise to specify a detailed scope of services. Rather, it leaves that task to the bidding contractor who will develop a scope of services necessary to reach the objectives listed below. The scope of services shall be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate that the contractor will undertake a robust information gathering phase that will lead to a high level of confidence in the conclusions drawn. The contractor shall specify the types and sources of data to be collected, the relevance of such data to one or more of the objectives, and if surveys are to be employed, how the surveys will be designed and implemented to ensure that results will be valid and reliable.

OBJECTIVES

1. Through the collection and analysis of available data, surveys of key informants and other techniques, document the unmet need for affordable housing in the study area.
2. Assuming an unmet need is documented, determine the demand for both rented and purchased affordable housing units and the types and sizes of units preferred by those in need, e.g., single family, semi-detached, town home, number of bedrooms and baths.
3. Develop recommendations to address the gap between the number of affordable housing units available and the number needed to serve those likely to purchase or rent newly-available units. Note: In arriving at recommendations, the contractor will specifically address whether the Community Land Trust model could be successfully employed in Patagonia.  
4. Develop and submit a written comprehensive report of findings that will support CHOP’s applications for funding and technical assistance to carry out an affordable housing project.

RESOURCE DOCUMENTS

The following documents provide data that may be useful to prospective proposers.

• 2009 Patagonia General Plan (https://patagonia-az.gov/general-plan/)
• 2007 Drachman Institute Affordable Housing Study Patagonia AZ (see attachment)
• 2009 Drachman Institute Affordable Housing Study Patagonia 2009 Update Information (see attachment)
• 2016 Santa Cruz County Comprehensive Plan (https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7400/Santa-Cruz-County-2016-Comprehensive-Plan)

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Five (5) copies of the respondent’s proposal, and one (1) digital .pdf copy, must be received by CHOP by 5:00 p.m., AZ Time on July 31, 2020, addressed as follows: Community Homes of Patagonia, P.O. Box 1063, Patagonia, AZ 85624, (520) 394-9051

The Proposal must contain, but is not limited to the following information in the format outlined below:

Letter of Introduction. Describe your firm’s areas of expertise and other information that helps to characterize the firm. Describe your overall understanding of the project. Provide the name, title, address, and telephone number of the primary contact. The letter must be signed by the firm’s authorized representative.

Project Manager’s Experience. Identify the project manager who will be responsible for this project. List the project manager’s relevant experience and similar work including references.

Personnel. If there is a project team, include name and office location of key personnel. Describe key personnel’s proposed roles and responsibilities on this project, and relevant related experience. List key projects the project team has worked on in the past 5 years that are of similar type and magnitude to this RFP.

Project Approach / Scope. Develop and describe the tasks that must be accomplished to complete the project and a narrative description of how the firm proposes to execute the tasks. Describe how the firm will be able to collect or verify field data in a timely fashion. Describe particular challenges which you foresee this project presenting and your approach for addressing these challenges. Describe your approach to public involvement and innovation.

Examples of Similar Work. Include a list of similar projects the contractor has completed, the date of completion, the client, the client’s contact person, address and phone number or email address.

Resumes of Key Staff. Submit resumes of individuals who will play a significant professional role in completing the project.

Proposed Work Schedule. The contractor will specify, at minimum, when the work will commence and a proposed completion date, each of which shall be approved by the CHOP board.

Price. CHOP has tentatively earmarked $10,000 for this project. This is not a hard and fast figure to which the contractor must adhere. CHOP believes it is more important that the RFP yield a product it can rely on to make the key decisions about whether and how it should undertake an affordable housing project.

The contractor’s bid price should recognize that CHOP is a nonprofit entity whose limited financial resources have largely been donated by a generous community and that the more funds devoted to this information gathering phase of program development, the less will be available to support the actual construction of an affordable housing project.

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

There are 10 total pages in this Request for Proposals including Attachment A. It is the respondent’s responsibility to ensure that all pages are received. If any pages are missing, immediately request a copy of the missing page(s) by e-mailing Robert Brandt, info@chopatagonia.org.

Any and all explanations desired by a respondent regarding the meaning or interpretation of this Request for Proposals or any part thereof may be requested in writing via email to info@chopatagonia.org.

PRE-SUBMISSION CONFERENCE

A pre-submission conference will be available to interested vendors using the Zoom platform at 10:00 a.m. AZ time on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, the link for which is included here as Attachment A and in the cover email that accompanies the issuance of this RFP. Pre-registration for the conference is highly recommended but not required. To register for the conference, send an email to info@chopatagonia.org.

LATE PROPOSALS AND MODIFICATIONS

Proposals received after 5:00 p.m., July 31, 2020 will not be considered. Modifications of timely submissions will be considered on a case by case basis.

INTENT OF CHOP

The objective of this RFP is to provide sufficient information to enable qualified respondents to submit written proposals. This RFP is not a contractual offer or commitment to purchase services. Contents of this RFP and respondent’s proposal will be used for establishment of final contractual obligation. It is to be understood that this RFP and the respondent’s submittal may be attached or included by reference in an agreement between CHOP and successful respondent. Proposals shall be valid for a period of not less than 60 days post-submission.

BASIS FOR SELECTION

This Request for Proposals will be evaluated utilizing the criteria listed below.

Relevant Experience
What experience with similar projects does the team have?
What similar projects has the project manager led?
What performance data are available to demonstrate project success?

Compliance with RFP Requirements
Are the minimum elements addressed?
Do additional tasks suggested by the contractor tend to improve the quality of the end product?
How well does the proposed scope assure accomplishment of the objectives?
How well is the project approach explained and justified?

Qualified Personnel
Do the qualifications of project personnel relate directly to the work entailed in this project?

SELECTION

Selected firms submitting proposals will be invited to give an oral presentation explaining their proposal. A selection team will provide a recommendation to the CHOP Board of Directors. The CHOP Board of Directors will consider approval of a contract with the selected contractor.

CHOP reserves the right to accept or reject any and all responses, in part or in whole, and to accept responses which in its sole discretion and opinion appear to be responsive, responsible, and in the best interests of CHOP. CHOP further reserves the right to waive any formalities or informalities or to amend the schedule as necessary.

CHOP will evaluate all projects on their merits regardless of the bidder’s price point but will select the proposal that it believes will result in the best return for the money invested.

Attachment A

CHOP is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Time: June 16, 2020, 10:00 AM Arizona time

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7036158002

Meeting ID: 703 615 8002

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb8if9Rxex