(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, the Department of General Services (DGS), on behalf of the Department of Human Services (DHS), released a solicitation seeking multifamily apartment buildings to master-lease as “Bridge Housing” to meet the temporary housing needs of families experiencing homelessness. For the last five years, the District has relied on motels as overflow capacity.
“We are in our second year of implementation of Homeward DC, our strategic plan to end homelessness and we have made tremendous progress. There were 17 percent fewer families in emergency shelter in January of 2017 compared to January 2016,” said DHS Director Laura Zeilinger. “This bridge housing will be a more effective and efficient means of serving families needing a temporary placement during a housing crisis while we continue to implement the strategies in our strategic plan and reduce our reliance on motel rooms.”
DHS will master lease sites for 24 to 36 months. DHS is seeking sites, which can provide one, two, or three bedroom apartment style units that are move-in ready. Sites that may require renovation, restoration or transformation of an existing space are also welcomed. Partially occupied buildings will not be accepted, but sites with multiple buildings may be considered. Offers will be considered on an ongoing basis and evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Committee.
Those interested in this opportunity should reply to the solicitation on the DGS website located at https://dgs.dc.gov/node/1235096. All questions should be sent via email to [email protected].
