The City of Janesville and Rock County HOME Consortium are seeking the services of a professional consulting firm to assist with the development of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) and the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan for the Janesville Community Development Block Grant Program and the Rock County Consortium HOME Investment Partnership Program.

The purpose of this RFP document is to explain the requirements and procedures for the submission of proposals from consultants who are interested in performing the work required.

The Cities of Beloit and Janesville each separately receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds as formula grantees. The Rock County HOME Consortium, including the Cities of Beloit and Janesville and the County of Rock, receives an annual HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) allocation which is awarded on a contract basis to the participating jurisdictions. As recipients of federal CDBG and HOME dollars, the City of Janesville and Rock County HOME Consortium are required to take steps to affirmatively further fair housing and develop a comprehensive AI to fair housing as part of the obligations they assume when accepting these funds.

The AI shall be conducted in accordance with the necessary requirements and guidelines under Federal regulations and as outlined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The analysis will be used to evaluate, monitor, address, and resolve Fair Housing Issues, as well as outline recommendations to affirmatively further fair housing initiatives. Information obtained through the development of the AI should be used to inform the priorities and plans outlined in the fair housing component of the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan.

Similarly, federal regulations (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 24, Part 91) require that any local governmental unit or consortia that receives funding under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and/or the HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) programs must complete and submit a 5 Year Consolidated Plan in addition to Annual Action Plans.

The consolidated planning process is designed to assess local affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven investment decisions. The process is intended to be collaborative and serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the CDBG and HOME Programs. The Consolidated Plan is carried out through Annual Action Plans, which provide a concise summary of the actions, activities, and the specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used each year to address the priority needs and specific goals identified by the Consolidated Plan. 3 In addition, the planning process will provide an opportunity to shape the various housing and community development programs into effective, coordinated neighborhood and community development strategies. The plan will set forth program goals, specific objectives, annual goals, and benchmarks for measuring progress.

Interested consultants will be responsible for developing a County-wide Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing and a 5 Year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan, which meets Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Consultants should review and be aware of the federal regulations related to the AI (Fair Housing Act) and the Consolidated Planning process, in 24 CFR, Part 91, including: required contents of the plan for local governments and consortia and community participation and consultation requirements found in Subparts C & E. The deadline for submitting proposals is: 4:30 p.m. CST on Monday, February 19, 2024. Please see Part H for additional submittal requirements.

To view the full RFP posting, review the RFP Packet .