The Town of Amherst encourages the involvement of minority business enterprises and women's business enterprises in the fulfillment of this Scope of Services.
In accordance with state procurement regulations the Town of Amherst is requesting proposals for the following:
I. Purchase Description
There is compelling evidence accumulated from many sources – the Amherst Emergency Homelessness Task Force, the Amherst Survival Center, Not Bread Alone and data from the Pioneer Valley Regional Effort to end homelessness – that there are homeless individuals and families who call Amherst ‘home”. The Emergency Homelessness Task Force spent a year identifying the need for emergency shelter. The Task Force concluded that there is a significant population of homeless individuals and families in need of permanent housing. Responding to this study, the Amherst Select Board appointed a permanent Committee, the Committee on Homelessness, to develop both a short-term and long-term strategies for housing homeless individuals and families.
All Roads Lead Home, the Pioneer Valley’s Plan to End Homelessness, recognizes that housing alone is necessary but not sufficient to house homeless individuals. “People who are homeless or at risk of homelessness come from every community, but they are unable to access services they need in some communities.” The conclusion is that varied, flexible social services must be part of any successful strategy to provide permanent and stable housing for homeless individuals.
The Town is seeking an agency interested in developing housing for homeless individuals. As an incentive, the Town is requesting proposals from interested agencies to complete a feasibility study that identifies the most effective options for housing homeless individuals and families that will include supportive services. It is hoped that the agency responding to this proposals will use this information to a first step in developing housing for homeless individuals. The development of housing for homeless individuals will be a private effort by a not-for-profit agency with relevant experience as described below.
Please see link below for complete Request for Proposal.