Request for Qualifications: Housing Navigator

 

 

About Foundation for Louisiana 

Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) is a social justice philanthropic intermediary founded in 2005 as the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation to invest in the immediate recovery of Louisiana’s communities after Hurricane Katrina. While FFL was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, our founders recognized the need to address the longstanding inequities that have shaped life outcomes for the most marginalized of Louisianans. Our programs grew in response to these needs, and today, FFL focuses on racial justice, climate justice, criminal justice reform, economic opportunity, LGBTQ organizing, and support for Louisiana's vibrant arts and culture via a three-pronged strategy:

• Invest: FFL makes grants and loans to support organizations and movements throughout Louisiana in our key program areas. We attract and invest resources to support on-the-ground projects, many of which can’t access traditional philanthropy. Through fiscal sponsorship, we support innovative ideas responding to unmet needs throughout Louisiana.
• Build: We build power to affect change in Louisiana communities. Our TOGETHER initiative convenes community leaders and provides training in organizing, policy change, leadership, public speaking, and facilitation to tackle issues of climate change, police accountability, health disparities, housing access, and more.
• Transform: By fortifying movements, we shift systems and shape regional and national narratives. We re-imagine how our communities are governed and funded in order to redefine how residents are able to thrive in them.

Since its inception, FFL has invested $59 million in more than 60 mission-critical nonprofit organizations working across the state towards building a more just Louisiana. As a social justice philanthropic intermediary, FFL’s work unapologetically advances racial justice while moving Louisiana forward. The Foundation engages communities in both program co-design as well as its grant-making process, in order to expand opportunities and move communities towards a more just future.

Goals

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is on behalf of FFL’s fiscally sponsored project, Ironton Reconstruction and Development Committee (IRAD). Hurricane Ida devastated rural Louisiana, with damages reported to be greater than when Hurricane Katrina slammed the state in 2005. Yet, many small communities lacked the resources to begin recovery efforts, with one community in particular standing out. Ironton, LA is an unincorporated community approximately 45 minutes south of New Orleans. Ironton shares zip codes and census tracks with other communities making official demographic data challenging.  At one time, the population of Ironton was approximately 500 people. As indicated by the community and our own observations, Ironton is completely African- American. The median income is $28,534.00, which is 36% lower than the state average and 5% lower than the national average. The Ironton community has indicated about 45 homes still need assistance. Many of the residents are still displaced living with family or in state or FEMA provided trailers, more than two years after the hurricane.

Resources have minimally flowed into this small community to support its economic and community development since its founding. The community has felt neglected and ignored in their most fundamental rights to public resources and support. Residents did not receive city water until 1980 (and only after considerable national media attention). The community currently has limited broadband services. These pre-existing disadvantages create considerable vulnerabilities to shocks and disaster impacts. As one of the tiny communities ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and then hit again by Hurricane Isaac in 2012, this community has seen these vulnerabilities exacerbated in a regressive cycle each disaster. More homes become uninhabitable or unsafe, and the few businesses (and services) that existed closed and never re-opened. Ironton lost its only grocery store a few years after Hurricane Katrina.

Considering the considerable neglect and increasing challenges that Ironton faces, community members coalesced to take charge of their own recovery.   These community members decided to start their own 501(c)(3) as a platform from which to take on recovery projects, attract and mobilize funding and resources, and advocate for both public and private investments. This nonprofit, Ironton Reconstruction and Development Committee (IRAD) obtained an initial 501(c)(3) status in September of 2022. To date they have developed a strategic plan, fundraising plan, and annual budget and have raised more than $1 million to support housing recovery efforts.

IRAD and FFL seek a housing consultant to increase capacity building support to IRAD as an emerging organization. The consultant will assist IRAD and serve as a “housing navigator” for the Ironton families wishing to return and rebuild their homes and the redevelopment of the Ironton neighborhood.  IRAD is working with Foundation for Louisiana staff, Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Rural LISC), and various consultants and volunteers at this stage of its development (known as the IRAD Team).  The IRAD Team will assist and advise the Housing Consultant to complete the scope of work.

Role and Responsibilities

The consultant’s responsibilities will include the following:

1. Engage 38 Ironton neighborhood families with assistance and coaching to the Ironton families working to rebuild their homes. There are several agencies and charities (United Way, Endeavors, Habitat, FEMA, State of Louisiana, etc.) working on disaster relief.  IRAD seeks to organize the first group of families who wish to rebuild and the housing consultant will assist the families with connecting to the right opportunities to rebuild their homes and rebuild Ironton. This includes several sub-tasks:

• Gathering data on land inventory and owner’s desire to return.
• Developing a tracking system/spreadsheet or other database to collect and track families’ needs and progress towards return.
  Networking with and counseling the families who wish to return to determine a clear process to secure adequate funding to rebuild as they work with Endeavors, United Way and others.
• Assisting Ironton families with budgeting to determine rebuilding costs, determining funding sources, and identifying funding gaps.
• Assisting the IRAD team in seeking and securing adequate funding to rebuild. As housing projects arise, the IRAD team would work with the housing consultant to pursue government and private funding sources to assist.

2. Attend regular check-ins with the IRAD Team to discuss overall status.

3. Networking and Communications:Represent IRAD at housing related community meetings, including the local long-term recovery committee.  Coordinate with other local organizations responsible for recovery. Provide short written updates on the housing part of IRAD’s workplan for reporting to the Board and to the community on progress (IRAD website and social media).

4. Provide Reporting Support: Provide ongoing narrative reports to the IRAD Board and Foundation for Louisiana.

Consultants will be engaged based on their completion of specified tasks or receipt by FFL, IRAD, and LISC of satisfactory deliverables.  Please see below expected deliverables and timeline.

Outcomes

• A working database of Ironton families’ and neighborhood needs to guide IRAD’s fundraising efforts.
• Organizing a possible first group of rebuilding families for IRAD to work with to secure financial commitments to rebuild.

Budget

The initial budget is $22,500 for this position. Applicants should propose any item breakouts besides salary (ex. Travel, Training).

Timeline

I.  Expected Deliverables and Timeline – April 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025

Description of Task(s) and/or Executed Deliverables	Expected Date of Completion
1. Assist Ironton families
a. Land inventory	April 1 to April 15, 2024
b. Family counseling	April 1 to April 30, 2024
c. Budgeting, costs analysis with IRAD Team	April 1 to July 31, 2024
d. Fund development	Ongoing
2. Attend regular check-ins with the IRAD Team to discuss overall status.	Ongoing – Bi-weekly
3. Networking and Communications	Ongoing – by the end of month
4. Provide Reporting Support	Ongoing – by the end of month
Travel	As needed

To Apply:

Required Documents

• Please submit bio/cv/resume, references, description of similar project and outcomes, past client list to fsp@foundationforlouisiana.org by March 18, 2024 with subject line: “Ironton RFP 2024.” You may direct any questions to these emails, as well. We anticipate a decision by March 31, 2024. 

Required Qualifications

• Relevant experience and qualifications with project scope.
• Experience/knowledge of housing development.
• Experience/knowledge of homeownership/housing counseling.
• Experience in case management.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in any of the above.
• A history of responsiveness, good communication skills, work with teams, and ability to facilitate stakeholder meetings.
• Ability to produce quality written materials and reports.
• Project management skills including conceptualizing how to structure project tasks, develop budgets, and track progress.
• Grant-writing and fund-raising experience.
• Proficiency in MS Office Applications, such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, Teams, Project.

Evaluation Criteria  

• Proposal Presentation – The information is presented in a clear, logical manner and is well organized.
• Responsiveness of Proposal to the Specifications set forth in this
• Value/Pricing Structure and Price
• Availability and Relevant Experience.
• Willingness to work with IRAD/FFL on IRAD Work Plan needs and provide full fee and expense back up documentation before each reimbursement request.

DEADLINE: 5 PM Monday, March 18, 2024. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. Unfortunately, we are unable to give individual extensions to this deadline.

FINAL DECISION will be made by March 31, 2024. 

Foundation for Louisiana aspires towards freedom for all Louisianans and aims to create a fully inclusive and affirming workplace for all people.  We welcome and encourage applications from people who have been involved with the criminal legal system. FFL is committed to providing staff with resources to work from home effectively.  Reasonable accommodations may be requested to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the position.

Foundation for Louisiana follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, criminal legal background, and marital status.

We encourage applications from people with disabilities and are available to discuss reasonable accommodations for any applicant who may need them.  To inquire about accommodations, please email cgaulden@foundationforlouisiana.org or call FFL at (225)383-1672.  Please refrain from making phone calls for any reason other than to request application accommodations.

This policy also applies to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, outside vendors, members and customers, service clients, use of contractors and consultants, grantees, board members, and dealings with the general public.

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