FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021
City of Kingston
Issues RFP for Tiny Homes Community
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is
pleased to announce that the City
of Kingston has issued a Request for Proposals for the creation and maintenance
of a tiny homes community, which would house up to 30 homeless or low-income
individuals in 15 units within the first year of inception.
In the RFP, the City of Kingston is
seeking a qualified consultant or organization that specializes in providing
shelter and support services for the homeless to establish an emergency tiny
homes community in the City of Kingston. The purpose of the project is to
provide safe, non-congregate housing for homeless residents, and/or those at
risk of homelessness, while preventing their displacement from the community.
The selected consultant will oversee the
development and management of the project with the long-term goal of creating a
permanent tiny homes community under the umbrella of an existing non-profit
organization or as a new independent non-profit. The concept is modeled after
the Second
Wind community in Newfield, NY.
The proposed tiny homes community would
also offer on-site case management services, security, and site
maintenance/sanitation. Toilet and shower facilities would be in a shared
common building. Rental rates, if charged, will be in line with affordability
based on the Department of Social Services housing allowance.
In late 2019, Enterprise Community Partners,
a national non-profit whose mission is to address America’s affordable housing
crisis, selected the City of Kingston
and nine other New York State municipalities for participation in a 10-month
Anti-Displacement Learning Network (ADLN) program. Each municipality was asked
to create an ADLN Volunteer Team to examine existing conditions, structures,
and programs in their communities. The team were also charged with identifying
one or more new strategies that could be implemented to prevent displacement of
residents at risk of eviction and/or homelessness.
Throughout 2020, the ADLN Volunteer Team
convened regularly with Enterprise staff, housing experts, and the other teams
from across the State for a series of workshops designed to guide strategy
identification. Among the strategies that members of the volunteer team have
pinpointed is the creation of a tiny homes community that will provide safe,
emergency housing and support services.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the
City of Kingston to try an out-of-the box concept to help our most vulnerable
population,” said Mayor Noble. “We are grateful for the funding from Enterprise
to help us identify and work towards a unique solution for our community. We
are excited to see the applicants we receive to help us realize this ambitious
goal.”
The RFP can be found on the New York State
Contract Reporter at www.nyscr.ny.gov or via email.
Questions regarding the RFP should be sent to Ruth Ann Devitt-Frank, Grants
Manager, [email protected]
or 845-334-3961. Proposals are due at City Hall no later than Thursday, March
25, 2021 at 2:00pm.
More information about this and other
anti-displacement strategies can be found at EngageKingston.com.