New York State is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to advance the five-year goal of developing more than 6,000 units of supportive housing over five years for persons identified as homeless with special needs, conditions or other life challenges. New York State’s Housing Plan includes an investment of new supportive housing resources and services to address vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness. Therefore, the availability of and access to various supports such as trauma-informed services, employment and training opportunities, parenting education, counseling, independent living skills training, primary healthcare, substance use disorder treatment and mental health care, child care, and benefits advocacy are critical components of any project funded under this plan. The support services provided should be tailored and appropriate to the specific population to be served (e.g., safety planning for victims of domestic violence, treatment for a substance use disorder, etc.).

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) will serve as the lead procurement agency for this Request for Proposals (RFP) under the guidance of the ESSHI Interagency Workgroup. Although the OMH is the lead, proposals accepted through this RFP opportunity do not have to be for services to persons with mental illness but should address the range of needs of the populations served by the following agencies. The ESSHI Interagency Workgroup includes representatives from several State agencies including:
• Department of Health (DOH) including the AIDS Institute;
• New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR);
• Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS);
• Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS);
• Office of Mental Health (OMH);
• Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV);
• Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA); and
• Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

Funding for at least 1,200 qualifying individuals will be awarded through this seventh-round RFP.

All proposals to this RFP must be submitted through the Grants Gateway portal. No hard copy or electronic (email) submissions will be accepted.

All applicants must be Prequalified by the due date and time for this RFP.

The full RFP can be found at

Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) (ny.gov)