RFP for IDHS PSH- September 2025

Introduction

All Chicago Making Homelessness History is currently seeking applications for partners to operate Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs. All Chicago is managing funding from the Illinois Department of Human Services for this program. The selected provider partners will have the opportunity to serve as PSH program operators beginning as soon as possible. 

All Chicago prevents and ends homelessness through:  

• Emergency Financial Assistance: We provide critical financial assistance to people experiencing an emergency that could lead to homelessness or other crises.  

• Community Partnerships: We convene key stakeholders and drive collaboration to lead Chicago’s city-wide response to ending homelessness.  

• Data Analytics: We manage a city-wide database to collect and analyze data on people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness and the services they receive.  

• Training and Research: We provide our partners with trainings, tools, information and research to address homelessness more effectively. 

All Chicago strives to adopt Active Contract Management (ACM) principles into our approach to working with our Peer Support Specialist Program partners. ACM is a set of strategies that apply high-frequency use of data and purposeful management of agency service provider interactions to improve outcomes from contracted services.  
 

The Permanent Support Housing Model

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is permanent housing that provides long-term tenant-based, site-based rental assistance, and supportive services to households with disabilities experiencing homelessness. Per a requirement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Chicago CoC established community standards of which PSH projects are required to follow. Community standards establish standards for determining and prioritizing which households will receive PSH assistance. 

It is important to note the requirement of the use of Coordinated Entry and allow all four categories of homelessness to be served. 

Minimum Qualifications for Partnership

A prospective peer support partner must have the following qualifications:   

• Non-profit, faith-based, private, and/or public entity licensed to operate in the State of Illinois  

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience serving households experiencing homelessness  

• Capacity to start fully staffed upon contract start date, adhering to all program Policies & Procedures  

• Agency or agency satellite site located within Chicago. 

Note: All Chicago may choose not to select a potential partner based on knowledge of previous audits or high-risk indicators gained through its roles as Chicago Continuum of Care Collaborative Applicant, Rapid Rehousing Program Coordinator, HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) Lead or other subcontractor relationships between All Chicago and agencies. 

Key Duties of Permanent Supportive Housing Programs

The goal of the PSH program is to provide individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness permanent housing. PSH is a critical component of the CoC system’s housing first approach, and it is designed to be not time limited. Households should receive an appropriate amount of assistance to achieve housing stability and as independent living as possible.  

Agencies implementing the PSH program must: 

• Take all referrals for the program from the Chicago Coordinated Entry System (CES). Respond to referrals sent by Coordinated Entry System (CES) staff within 1 business day and maintaining a current Need Status in HMIS.   

• Confirm eligibility and properly document homelessness and the presence of a disability using HUD CoC Program rules. For more information, refer to the HUD Exchange website. Note that the IDHS PSH guidelines specifically state that, “This program is only able to serve non-citizens who meet the definition of ‘qualified alien’ under 8 USC 1641.” 

• Adhere to the PSH rules and regulations for the CoC Program and follow the IDHS guidelines provided in Exhibit E: Appendix. If there is conflicting guidance between the CoC Program and IDHS guidelines, consult with All Chicago before proceeding. 

• Provide all clients with housing location, application, and placement services, including: 

• Conducting housing search and placement. 

• Coordination of application and move process with property management/landlord and program participants. 

• Ensuring coordination of services with outreach and engagement, emergency shelter, and interim shelter program staff to jointly support eligible clients applying for and getting into housing. 

• Conducting Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections to ensure the unit meets standards.  

• Ensure units meet rent reasonableness and fair market rent requirements per IDHS guidelines. 

• Provide housing stability case management by meeting with the client, conducting service planning to ensure clients identify barriers to maintaining permanent housing.  

• Serve as mediator between the landlord and tenants as necessary. 

• Adhere to the Core Values of the CoC as outlined in the Community Standards: This includes housing first approach, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and use of culturally competent, non-discriminatory, developmentally appropriate practices.  

• Obtain client and landlord feedback and ensure it is incorporated into service delivery. 

• Administer financial assistance for clients, including payment for security deposits and rents.  

• Ensure sufficient and adequate supervision is provided at all times for contracted case managers to ensure effective delivery of housing case management services.  

• Attend all required meetings with All Chicago 

Performance Outcome Measures

• The following performance measures will be monitored using data from HMIS. All data entry in HMIS must align with the CoC’s HMIS Data Quality Plan. We expect agencies to run a report on the first business day of the month for the preceding month (e.g., run a report on December 4 for the month of November) to check for data errors. All data corrections must be completed before submitting the required report to All Chicago by the 10th of the month.  Performance measures that are required to be tracked are: 

• Number of persons served (by household type) 

• Number of persons served who moved into housing (by household type) 

• Number of households served (by household type) 

• Number of households who moved into housing (by household type) 

• Physical and mental health conditions at start (by household type) 

• Living situation (prior to program entry, by household type) 

• Cash income – ranges by start and annual assessment/exit status 

• Client cash income change - income source - by start and exit 

• Length of participation for leavers and stayers 

• Length of time between project start date and housing move-in date (by household type) 

• Exit destination (by household type) 

Performance expectations are as follows: 

• 100% of households will be tracked in HMIS or a comparable database 

• 100% of households entering program will meet HUD’s definition of homelessness  

• 80% of households will have a move-in date within 30 days of start date 

• 70% of households will assume a lease or maintain other permanent, stable housing upon exit 

• 66% of households will maintain or increase income from program entry at exit 

• 70% of households enroll in and/or maintain health insurance from program entry to exit 
   

Contract Timeline

Contracts awarded through this RFA (Request for Applications) will be dependent on All Chicago’s continued contract with IDHS. If selected as a partner with All Chicago, a single agency contract will extend from October 1st, 2025 – June 30th, 2026 which is the end of the State of Illinois Fiscal Year. While IDHS and All Chicago cannot guarantee the funding will continue beyond June 30th, 2026, we believe it is the intention that the grant be renewed. If that happens, selected agencies will have the possibility of renewing their contract to continue to provide services. If contracts cannot be renewed for any reason, All Chicago will work with RRH providers to transfer clients elsewhere in the homeless system within Chicago. 

Request for Applications Timeline

Interested agencies have three weeks to respond to this RFP, with a deadline of October 6th at 9:00am (CST). All Chicago will let agencies know whether they have been selected for partnership by October 17th, 2025. During the interim, All Chicago may request more information or clarification from prospective partner agencies.   

RFP Submission Procedures

RFP submissions will be submitted via Alchemer. To be considered complete, an application will include an answer to each narrative response question, remaining within indicated word count constraints, and a proposed budget as an uploaded attachment.   

 Evaluation Criteria  

For projects selected for funding, organizations will work with All Chicago to finalize a budget based on this proposal and funding availability.