RFA for State Homeless Prevention

Introduction
All Chicago Making Homelessness History (All Chicago) is seeking applications for partners to operate Homeless Prevention programming. The selected provider partners will serve as partners of the State Homeless Prevention and Emergency Fund for the July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 grant cycle. The selected partners will be required to enter into a contract with All Chicago.

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.

The Program
a. Problem Statement:

Homelessness prevention is a critical part of the overall homeless response system, serving as a proactive intervention that slows the inflow of households needing limited stabilization support. Today, the prevention landscape in Chicago is fragmented, placing an undue burden on clients to figure out which resources to pursue, how to apply, and where to get help. This can lead to duplicated effort, missed opportunities for early intervention, and an inability to access funds quickly enough to avoid eviction. To address this, All Chicago seeks to strengthen the “front door” of the prevention programming so residents can access coordinated, timely, and equitable prevention assistance before losing their housing. We will also improve triage and targeting of resources to maximize impact for households, the community, and the overall crisis response system.

b. Homeless Prevention Model

All Chicago’s homeless prevention programming model emphasizes:

Centralized access, coordination, and screening through 311 to reduce confusion and duplication.

Streamlined application support that allows clients to complete one application to be considered for multiple Homeless Prevention funding streams through one application.

Equity and early intervention, targeting resources for households most at risk of experiencing homelessness in zip codes that have the highest rates of eviction and through use of indicators.

Partnership and accountability, ensuring providers operate with shared goals, data standards, and outcome measures.

Evaluation and continuous improvement, using data to measure outcomes, assess impact, and guide adjustments to program design and resource allocation.

Selected partners will receive technical assistance, data reporting support, and opportunities to collaborate with other service providers to strengthen housing prevention outcomes across the system.

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 
Capacity to start fully staffed upon contract start date, adhering to all program Policies & Procedures 
Located on the South or West side of Chicago in or near one of the zip codes/neighborhoods listed below. If not geographically positioned nearby, open to serving households living in these areas exclusively (by phone).

Neighborhood	Zip Code
South Shore	60619, 60637, 60649
Chatham	60619, 60620
Washington Park	60609, 60615, 60621, 60637
Avalon Park	60617, 60619
West Garfield Park	60624
Great Grand Crossing	60619, 60620, 60621, 60637
West Pullman	60628, 60643
South Chicago	60617
Auburn Gresham	60620
Washington Heights	60620, 60628, 60643
Riverdale	60628, 60633, 60827
Austin	60644, 60639, 60651, 60707
Roseland	60628
West Englewood	60636
North Lawndale	60623, 60624, 60608

Scope of Work
a. Description of services to be provided

Conduct initial eligibility screening and intake for individuals and families at risk of homelessness.

Assess for both Homeless Prevention eligibility within a unified application workflow.

Provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and equitable service delivery.

Assist clients with gathering documentation, completing applications, and submitting materials for financial assistance.

Coordinate with landlords, utility providers, and other stakeholders to expedite payment and prevent eviction.

Offer short-term case management focused on housing stabilization, budgeting, and connection to community supports.

Enter and maintain accurate client and service data in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Salesforce.

Report on client outcomes, service delivery metrics, and fund utilization according to All Chicago guidelines.

Participate in All Chicago trainings and meetings.

Share insights and feedback to improve prevention processes.

Adhere to program policies and procedures.

Performance Outcome Measures

State HP funds delivered effectively and efficiently to eligible households.

At least 85% of households served referred through the Homeless Prevention Call Center (HPCC).

Households are contacted within three (3) business days of referral.

Timely case processing, including:

An average referral-to-decision timeline of 40 days or fewer.

Resolution of “On Hold” applications within 30 days of initial review.

At least 90% of awarded financial assistance spent within the contract period.

Accurate and thorough documentation of eligibility criteria.

High-quality case management support, including:

Screening for LIHEAP, SNAP, and other benefits as appropriate.

90-day follow-up after State HP approval.

Notification to households who are denied funding, including reason for denial and their right to appeal.

Accurate and complete HMIS documentation, including:

100% enrollment for all households served.

Complete data elements for all funded households.

Updated Need Status for all referred households.

Completed HMIS consent forms for all enrolled households

Timely submission of reporting to All Chicago.

Core Expectations for All Chicago Subrecipients [if on behalf of All Chicago]

Meet participant performance outcomes
Continuously work towards improvement of participant performance outcomes

Continuously work to enhance equity of services

Fulfill all program requirements

Fulfill all administrative requirements

Effectively communicate with All Chicago, including needs and problems

Request for Applications Timeline

Interested agencies have 3 months to respond to this RFA, with a deadline of April 15th by 5pm. All Chicago will let agencies know whether they have been selected for partnership by May 1st. During any time in the interim, All Chicago may reach out to request additional information or clarification from prospective partner agencies.

RFP Submission Procedures

RFA submissions will be submitted via Alchemer. To be considered complete, an application must include an answer to each narrative response question, remaining within indicated word count constraints, as well as provide a proposed budget.

Evaluation Criteria

Threshold Criteria	Application is submitted on time and complete, meeting applicable format requirements
Threshold Criteria	Project application demonstrates capacity to start enrolling households and providing services immediately upon start of a contract, with all staff in place and adhering to Peer Support Specialist Policies & Procedures.
Scoring Criteria	Adherence to RFP Instructions – 5 points Organization's Experience and Knowledge – 10 points  Homeless Service Expertise – 15 points Project Proposal – 20 points
	Reporting & Data Expertise – 10 points  Data Driven Improvement – 5 points
	Community Partnerships – 10 points  Diversity, Inclusivity, Including People with Lived Experience-15 HR Hiring Practices – 5 points Audit Process – 5 Points Program Expenditure Monitoring- 10 pts
	Budget & FTE – 10 points  TOTAL SCORING POINTS: 120 Points

This is a PDF of the application questions listed below for reference only: https://allchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Prevention-Providers-RFP-Application-Questions.pdf
Please complete and submit all responses directly within the survey. Do not fill out or upload the PDF.

1. Organization Name *This question is required.

2. Contact Person Name *This question is required.

3. Contact Person Title *This question is required.

4. Contact Person Phone *This question is required.

5. Contact Person Email *This question is required.

6. Organization Address *This question is required.

7. Federal Tax ID Number *This question is required.

8. Federal DUNS Number *This question is required.

9. Provide the start and end date of your agency's fiscal year. *This question is required.

10.

Homeless Services Expertise and Collaborative Partnerships:

Describe the organization's experience, commitment, and approach to serving people experiencing homelessness and connecting them to resources through this project, including through collaboration and partnerships with other organizations. (300 words maximum)

*This question is required.

11.

Describe your experience working with people experiencing eviction?

*This question is required.

12. Project Proposal
Location and schedule of where and when services will be provided. *This question is required.

13. Describe how the organization is positioned to meet each of the criteria of the model(s) for which you are applying. *This question is required.

14.

What is the anticipated caseload ratio, i.e. number of households per case manager?

*This question is required.

15. Describe the organization’s experience with or knowledge of homeless prevention programming. (200 words maximum) *This question is required.

16. If applicable, please describe the organization’s experience serving survivors of gender-based violence, including ensuring the safety and confidentiality of survivors during the assessment process. (200 words maximum) *This question is required.

17.

Reporting & Data Expertise (200 words maximum)

1) Describe your agency’s processes that are in place to ensure accurate and complete file upkeep and documentation.
2) Describe the organization's experience, skills, and processes in data entry and reporting, including experience with HMIS, iCarol, or another database. We will also use previous Data Quality Reports, if applicable, to evaluate this item.

(We will also use previous Data Quality Reports, if applicable, to evaluate this item.)

*This question is required.

18.

Describe how your agency has used data to identify areas for improvement and share a specific time a programmatic/organizational change was made based on data collected. (200 words maximum)

*This question is required.

19.

Diversity and Inclusion

How does your agency reflect and engage the diverse people and experiences of the communities it serves?

*This question is required.

20.

Describe how your agency is (or is working to become) inclusive in your internal operations and external work with partners and the community.

*This question is required.

21. Please describe if and how your agency incorporates input from people of lived experience in agency operations. *This question is required.

22.

Please describe whether and how your agency reviews data with an equity lens. (200 words maximum)

*This question is required.

23.

HR Hiring Practices
Describe your HR hiring practices and how you will fill essential positions in a timely manner. (200 words maximum)

*This question is required.

24.

Auditing Process
Describe your auditing process, including how your agency conducts an audit and how this award will be included. (200 words maximum)

*This question is required.

25.

Program Expenditure Monitoring
Please describe how your agency monitors program expenditures and ensures appropriate fiscal controls are in place. (300 words max)

*This question is required.

26.

Budget & FTE (update with SHP budget template)

Complete this budget template and upload with your application: https://allchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SHP-Budget-Template-26-27.xlsx

*This question is required.

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For projects selected for funding, organizations will work with All Chicago to develop a budget based on this proposal and funding availability. All Chicago reserves the right to use information gathered during its monitoring processes, and/or the CoC's Local Evaluation Process, as part of its decision-making process to select partners.

RFA for State Homeless Prevention

All Chicago Request for Application: State Homeless Prevention