The Town of Needham is accepting sealed proposals from qualified vendors to provide Affordable Housing Monitoring Services. Copies of the Request for Proposals (RFP) package will be available beginning Monday, September 19, 2016 online at the Town’s web site www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx or by calling the Town Manager’s Office 781-455-7500 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, and will be available until submission deadline. Please refer to the RFP for additional information. Sealed proposals must submitted no later than 11:00 am Thursday, October 13, 2016 to Kate Fitzpatrick, Town Manager, Town of Needham, Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts 02492. LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids as determined to be in the best interests of the Town and to waive minor informalities.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
To assist the reader we have defined the following words when used in this bid package:
- Awarding Authority: Means the Town Manager of Needham Massachusetts
- Bidder: Means the person, firm or corporation submitting a bid on thesespecifications or any part thereof.
- Firm Price: Means a guarantee against price increases during the life of the contract.
- Town:MeanstheTownofNeedham,Massachusetts
- Vendor: Means the person, firm or corporation with whom the contract is made bycarrying out the provisions of these specifications and the contract.
OVERVIEW
A 350 unit development, Charles River Landing received support from the Board of Selectmen as a Local Initiative Program (LIP) project, and in December 2006 the Board of Appeals granted a Chapter 40B comprehensive permit to the applicant (at the time CFRI/Doherty Second Avenue LLC). In 2007, the Board of Selectmen, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and CFRI executed a Regulatory Agreement that was subsequently recorded with the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. Among other provisions, the Regulatory Agreement requires that at least 25 percent (88) of the apartments will be low or moderate income units. To verify that the affordable housing requirements are being met, the comprehensive permit mandates the project owner (now UDR) to fund a monitoring services agreement and seeks proposals from qualified firms to perform that function.
The Town is seeking sealed proposals for the performance of annual monitoring services to verify compliance with affordable housing restrictions.
The project was subject to comprehensive affordability monitoring in 2014 and 2015. The Town’s monitoring agent reported that 65 hours were required for monitoring in 2014 and 45 hours were required in 2015.
The selected bidder will be responsible for the following tasks:
- Coordinate all technical and logistic aspects of the audit.
- Supply the Town with a report of findings and/or deficiencies, as well as allrelated information leading up to and including resolution of each finding.
- Conduct affordability monitoring services in accordance with the Project’sregulatory agreement.
- Provide a report to the Town documenting the project’s compliance with low andmoderate income and affordable rent requirements.
- Working with property management office and/or its agent, review tenantapplications and income certification and recertification to ensure that the correct household limits were used and that the monthly rents were consistent with amounts that DHCD has approved for the project.
- Work with property management office and/or its agent to identify missing documentation and resolve any inconsistencies.
- Work with DHCD to resolve any questions that may arise and to determine whether a waiver may be required.
The Town is asking bidders to propose a work plan for all stages of the audit: planning, audit processes and reporting and follow up. The awarded bidder must be prepared to complete the first annual audit within 6 months of the contract award, and then yearly thereafter.