Request for Proposals
City of Leavenworth Housing Action Plan
Notice is hereby given that the City of Leavenworth is seeking a qualified Consultant to prepare a Housing Action Plan, meeting all the objectives of the Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill (ES2HB) 1923. This project is funding through a Department of Commerce grant.
The detailed Request for Proposal and Attachment A may be obtained by accessing it on the City’s webpage at: www.cityofleavenworth.com or by contacting City Hall at (509) 548-5275. The City will begin a review and selection process on March 16, 2020 and continue until the selection is made. Proposals will be accepted until the position is filled.
Proposal submission deadline is Friday, March 13, 2020 by 5:00 PM
Questions regarding these services should be directed to:
Lilith Vespier, AICP
Development Services Manager
City of Leavenworth
(509) 548-5275
[email protected]
Questions & Answers as of 3/2/2020:
1 – Is there flexibility on the start date for the project? Our team would not be able to begin data collection until July/August and the action plan process in September.
There is some flexibility with the start date but no flexibility with the end date.
2 – Leavenworth had a Housing Needs Assessment completed in 2017, but the scope is asking for information typically found in a needs assessment. Are you most interested in changes in demographics and housing units since 2017? Were there any particular concerns with the 2017 study/gaps you want filled?
The Housing Action Plan required components are based on RCW 36.70A.600, HB 1923, which is broader than the Housing Needs Assessment. Additionally, the Housing Needs Assessment reviewed regional housing for the Cascade School District. This new Housing Action Plan will be focused on the City and UGA with some review of regional housing impacts.
3 – The budget does not allow for us to conduct primary research in the form of an employee or household survey and there are no secondary data sources available that specifically provide “workforce demographics.” Do you have access to primary information on your workforce?
The City does not have this data.
4 – What types of community outreach have been most effective on other similar projects?
The City has had mixed success with public engagement. Current public noticing appears to be effective, as residents will attend meetings if there is a concern about a project or code amendment.
5 – To what extent has the city been tracking development since 2017? What about the use of recent code amendments?
The city has several decades of permit logs and over the last six years has been tracking permits with excel sheets. Similarly, the city has been tracking code amendments. Those amendments intended to increase density have been tracked for the last 2-3 years.
6 – Do you have local developers active in the area that we could interview to understand the development process from their experience and local cost to construct homes?
There are several builders locally who may be interested in sharing their experiences.
7 – Is assessor data available with land parcel, development and improvement information (year built, type of unit, etc.)?
Yes.
8 – Do you have a list of tools being presented on March 26, 2020, to the public that can be shared?
The public open house will focus on missing middle concepts (see www.missingmiddlehousing.com), tiny home and tiny home community developments, and affordable housing. For Missing Middle, we are focusing on duplex, ADU, triplex, fourplex, townhouses and bungalow options.
9 – I would like to know the extent of economic analysis as part of the housing action plan. Under the project tasks, the following tasks caught our eye: “Provide household demographic, including workforce profiles, income segments, and cost-burdened data” “Prepare a multi-year implementation plan with cost analysis.” Wondering what the city’s direction would be on that particular task.
The requirements of the Housing Action Plan are based on RCW 36.70a.600, HB 1923. The household demographic information needs to be statically accurate for the City and UGA to determine housing needs and housing affordability for all income levels.
The implementation plan will address how to provide needed housing with estimated costs. If the implementation tool is a policy change or code amendment, the estimated cost to the city may include impacts (if any) to city infrastructure short and long term. If the implementation tool is more administrative, say the creation of a new affordable housing department within the City, the estimated costs to the city would include administrative costs short and long term.
10 – Are you expecting the process to focus more on policy/regulations with a small portion focused on economics, more slanted toward economics, or a little bit of both. Curious if you’re thinking the chosen firm would need to have an extensive economic development and analysis background or is a solid understanding of housing policy and regulations sufficient?
The Housing Action Plan will focus on all housing related factors including the current housing and employment trends and project future housing needs for employment. A knowledge of both housing and related economic components will be necessary for the analysis of housing trends and future needs.
11 – Does the City accept email submittals only?
The City will accept email and/or printed copies.
