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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) Hurricane Helene – 4827-NC MULTIFAMILY LEASE AND REPAIR (MLR) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)#70FBR425-MLR-DR4827NC THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) is issue... FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) Hurricane Helene – 4827-NC MULTIFAMILY LEASE AND REPAIR (MLR) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)#70FBR425-MLR-DR4827NC THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) is issued in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 15.201(d) & (e). This RFI does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this RFI is preliminary and is subject to change if, and when, a solicitation is issued. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. If a competitive solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) website. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this RFI, or future solicitations. BACKGROUND Multifamily Lease and Repair (MLR) is a form of Direct Temporary Housing Assistance that allows The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair or make improvements to existing multifamily rental property for the purpose of providing temporary housing to eligible applicants who are displaced due to Hurricane Helene DR-4827-NC FEMA may utilize this form of temporary housing assistance for eligible applicants who are unable to use rental assistance due to lack of available resources. MLR is not intended to repair or improve individual rental properties to re-house existing tenants. PROJECT SCOPE/DELIVERABLES FEMA is seeking multifamily rental properties (two or more units) in the counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties and tribal areas of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians or multi- family rental properties that were impacted by DR-4827-NC located in counties within thirty (30) to up to sixty (60) minutes commuting distance of the affected areas in the State of North Carolina. FEMA is seeking owners of rental properties (apartment complexes primarily) that could be potentially repaired to local, state, and federal codes/standards and offered as temporary housing for FEMA applicants in a timely manner for up to 18-months from the date of declaration, unless extended. The properties should be complexes that are able to accommodate a considerable number of people in a single location. Each property must have been previously used as a multifamily housing complex and contain two or more rental units. The site must be repairable within a four-month period and cannot be located in a floodway. Within this program, there is no rental cost for the eligible applicant. The repair costs are funded by the State/FEMA and the value of these repairs are deducted from the value of the lease agreement between the State/FEMA and the property owner. PROPERTY REQUIREMENTS & PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION CRITERIA Owners of multifamily properties meeting the criteria below who are interested in participating in MLR are encouraged to respond to this RFI: The property must have been previously used as multifamily housing; The property must contain two or more units; The property must be located in an area included in a major disaster declaration or impacted by the same disaster and located within thirty (30) to up to sixty (60) minutes commuting distance of a major disaster declaration area within the State of North Carolina. Each unit must provide complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons and contain permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation; The property must be located within reasonable commuting distance to community and wrap-around services, such as accessible public transportation, schools, fire and emergency services, grocery stores, etc.; The vacant units on the property must be available to be leased to FEMA allowing FEMA’s exclusive use as temporary housing for eligible applicants for a term of no less than 18 months with the possibility of contract extension; The property owner must provide all property management services, including building maintenance; and All contractors must be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) and have a Unique Entity Identifier. Interested property owners are advised of the following terms and conditions will apply to any agreement between FEMA and owners of property selected for MLR: A provision granting FEMA exclusive use of the units and sole discretion to identify and select occupants during the term of lease agreement; A provision granting FEMA the option to extend the lease if FEMA extends the period of assistance beyond 18 months; A provision granting FEMA the option of releasing the unit to the owner and ceasing all monthly payments for the unit at any time by providing thirty days’ notice; A provision allowing FEMA to make reasonable accommodation and/or modification repairs or improvements during the term of the lease agreement without requiring FEMA to remove the improvements at the end of lease agreement; A provision incorporating a lease addendum containing FEMA’s conditions of eligibility and termination of tenancy and eviction into any lease between the property owner and the occupant; A provision agreeing to waive credit screening for eligible applicants; A provision allowing FEMA to re-assign a vacated unit when eligible applicants need temporary housing assistance, and a unit becomes available before the end of the period of assistance; Property owners must be current and in good standing with property mortgage payments and ensure mortgage standing verification is provided as well as proof of ownership. Requested Information This RFI provides an opportunity for parties who own properties that potentially qualify for participation in MLR to express interest. If you are a property owner or a property management company and are interested in this program, please provide the following information to the best of your ability: Complex name (if applicable), location of property, property owner name, and phone number or Contact information (if not property owner); Status of the property’s mortgage payments; Total number of housing units within the property; Number of vacant housing units containing a separate bathroom, kitchen, and living space, Number of vacant housing units available for FEMA exclusive use; Number of vacant housing units compliant with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and/or have features that provide accessibility for individuals with disabilities; Description of repairs and improvements required to make the housing units habitable; Description of repairs currently underway, if applicable; Projected length of time required to make the housing units habitable (from execution of the contract); Year building was constructed (if known); Years the building was used for multifamily housing; Rental rates during the last year of operation (state whether utilities were included and, if so, which ones); Pet restrictions, such as type, number, or size, and applicable pet deposits; and Number of parking spaces (including accessible and van-accessible) available for each housing unit. DEFINITIONS Applicant: An individual or household who has applied for FEMA Assistance, and because of the disaster has a disaster-caused need for temporary housing. Multifamily Lease and Repair (MLR): MLR allows for the repair or improvement of existing multi-family housing which FEMA can utilize as temporary housing for eligible applicants. MLR is not intended to repair or improve individual units to re- house existing tenants. Fair Market Rent (FMR): Housing market-wide estimates of rent values in which rental housing units are in competition. The FMR rates applied are those identified by HUD as being adequate for existing rental housing in a particular area. FEMA uses the applicable rate based upon the location of the housing unit, the number of bedrooms in the housing unit, and the fiscal year in which the major disaster declaration was issued. Fair Housing Act: Protects people from discrimination when they are renting, buying, or securing financing for any housing. The prohibitions specifically cover discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and the presence of children. Unit: A living quarter within a multi-family housing building that provides complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons and contain permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation. Occupant: An applicant, co-applicant, or any household member over the age of 18 who is listed on the Temporary Housing Agreement, as being authorized to reside in the Temporary Housing Unit (THU). Period of Assistance: Individuals and Households Program (IHP) assistance is limited to 18 months following the date of the disaster declaration. The period of assistance begins at the date of the Presidential declaration and not the date on which the disaster is designated for Individual Assistance (IA). The President may extend the period of assistance due to extraordinary circumstances that an extension would be in public interest. Through the delegation of authority, the Assistant Administrator (AA) for Recovery may, at the request of a state, territorial, and tribal government, extend the period of assistance for the IHP Financial Assistance, Direct Temporary Housing Assistance, or both. Period of Performance (POP): The POP is for 18 months after the Presidentially declared disaster September 28, 2024. Reasonable Commuting Distance: A distance which does not place an undue hardship on an applicant. It also takes into consideration the traveling time due to road conditions; e.g., mountainous regions or bridges out and the normal commuting patterns of the area. Repair: To restore a property or component of the property to a functional condition that will make the property safe and adequate for temporary housing Utilities: Services such as water, gas, electricity, heating oil, and/or propane. Utilities do not include amenity services, e.g., cable, television, internet, telephone, etc. SUBMISSION OF CAPABILITY PACKAGES INSTRUCTIONS Interested property owners shall submit a brief capabilities' statement package via email to the Points of Contact listed below. There is no page limitation on your submission. Respondents shall also provide a cover page with their property/company name, Unique Entity Identifier, CAGE Code, web address, address, point of contact, telephone number, e-mail address, size of your organization, and, if applicable, the small business socioeconomic category. This documentation should address, at a minimum, the following to demonstrate the vendor's capability to perform the requirements: The vendor's technical capability to deliver the aforementioned services within the specified timeframe; and Past experience with similar requirements along with the contract type/pricing methodology; and The vendor's ability to manage, as prime, the types and magnitude of services required. Please provide additional information you deem relevant to respond to the specifics of the RFI. The Government is not requesting any proprietary information to be submitted, nor shall it be liable for any consequential damages for proprietary information included. Any information submitted to the RFI (e.g., capability statement) is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC 552 (a). All submissions submitted will not be returned. The applicable NAICS code is 531110. The applicable PSC is X1FA. RESPONSE DEADLINE: RFI responses and comments are due as soon as possible but NLT, 5:00 PM EST, November 6, 2024 via email to the POC listed below. The email subject line shall read: RFI# Response: MLR - DR-4827-NC POINTS OF CONTACT: Ralph La Rosa, email: fema-mlr_dr4827nc@fema.dhs.gov Phone calls will not be accepted or returned. All responses received and questions answered will be considered as part of the market research for this requirement in accordance with FAR 10.001(a)(3). SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS: Small Business concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI in order to assist in determining competition determination.