The City of Chicago, through its Department of Housing (DOH), is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified teams to perform case management work related to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP.

ERAP was created by federal legislation in December 2020 in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ERAP will provide funding for cash assistance to landlords and tenants to cover rent for tenants who have been unable or will be unable to pay. The City of Chicago has received approximately $79.8 million to implement this program, approximately 75 percent of which will be distributed through the provider selected by this RFP.

It is critical that DOH be able to process applications and disburse these funds as quickly as possible in order to provide relief for tenants and landlords and stabilize the housing crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also critical that 65 percent of the funds be distributed by Sept. 30, 2021, or the City risks losing funds to other jurisdictions under federal law.

Key scope of work items for the RFP include:

• Case management and application processing for approximately 75 percent of the City’s ERAP allocation, or approximately $53.9 million in cash awards. Although average award amounts are not known, this may be approximately 7,500 applications.
  
  
• Assist tenant and landlord applicants in multiple languages over email and telephone to complete their applications on the online platform selected by the City.
  
  
• Perform document review as required by program guidelines and solicit corrected documentation where necessary.

A video of the pre-submission meeting is posted below. Additional requirements and expectations are listed in the RFP, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions is also available for review.