Geography: National

Request for Proposals (RFP) 

Overview 

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is seeking an experienced Washington, DC-based federal lobbyist to partner on Congressional engagement related to FY2027 federal appropriations impacting supportive housing. CSH continues to build Congressional relationships and seeks a lobbying partner to complement this work by expanding reach to additional offices and committees, facilitating targeted Hill engagement, and delivering timely appropriations intelligence to advance CSH’s funding priorities.

Background 

CSH is the national leader in supportive housing. For more than 30 years, we have advanced affordable housing paired with essential services, including substance use, mental health, and eviction mitigation, to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness achieve housing stability. Active in over 300 communities, CSH has supported the creation of more than 385,000 homes and generated billions in economic activity.

As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), CSH has invested over $1.2 billion in affordable and supportive housing and critical community infrastructure over the past decade. We work closely with lawmakers and community leaders to advance evidence-based, cost-effective, and non-partisan policy solutions that improve housing outcomes nationwide.

Scope of Work 

The selected lobbyist will work in close partnership with CSH’s policy team to support Congressional engagement related to FY2027 federal appropriations impacting supportive housing.

Congressional Outreach & Engagement

• Conduct targeted outreach to Members of Congress and key staff in the House and Senate, with an emphasis on appropriations committees and relevant subcommittees and key members who can influence decision makers.
• Expand CSH’s reach to additional Congressional offices and committees beyond existing relationships.
• Facilitate and coordinate meetings between CSH leadership/staff and Congressional offices.
• Support engagement with both majority and minority staff, as appropriate.

Appropriations Advocacy

• Advance CSH’s FY2027 appropriations priorities through direct Congressional engagement.
• Identify champions to support funding targets and favorable report language aligned with CSH’s goals.
• Provide guidance on appropriations timing, procedural developments, and key decision points.

Intelligence & Issue Monitoring

• Provide timely, actionable intelligence on appropriations negotiations, committee activity, and Congressional dynamics relevant to supportive housing.
• Monitor appropriations negotiations, committee activity, and Congressional dynamics to identify emerging risks, opportunities, or shifts relevant to CSH’s priorities.
• Monitor relevant hearings, markups, and legislative developments as needed.

Coordination with CSH

• Coordinate closely with CSH staff to align Congressional outreach efforts conducted by CSH and partner organizations to ensure consistent messaging and policy positions.
• Provide tactical support for CSH‑led advocacy efforts, including pressure‑testing messaging for Congressional audiences, advising on messaging for specific offices or committee staff, adapting content for oral or written delivery, and flagging potential messaging risks.

Reporting & Communication

• Share updates that synthesize relevant Congressional activity, intelligence, and engagement outcomes.
• Participate in regular check-ins with CSH staff, with cadence and format mutually agreed upon.

Desired Qualifications  

CSH seeks a federal lobbyist or lobbying firm with demonstrated experience supporting Congressional appropriations advocacy in a non-partisan, evidence-based manner. Ideal candidates will bring strong relationships, practical knowledge of the appropriations process, and the ability to work collaboratively alongside an in-house policy team.

Desired qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience engaging Congress on federal appropriations, particularly within committees and subcommittees relevant to affordable housing development, housing finance, homelessness, or human services.
• Ability to operate effectively in a non-partisan policy environment, advancing funding priorities grounded in data, cost-effectiveness, and program outcomes.
• Experience expanding access to new Congressional offices and strengthening engagement beyond an organization’s existing relationships.
• Familiarity with the federal budget and appropriations cycle, including timing, procedural dynamics, and key decision points.
• Demonstrated ability to provide practical, actionable intelligence to inform advocacy efforts.
• Clear communication style and ability to convey complex appropriations dynamics concisely and usefully.

CSH welcomes responses from both firms and individual consultants with the capacity and relationships to effectively support this work.

Submission Requirements

Submissions should include the following components:

Relevant Experience and Relationships

• A brief description of experience supporting Congressional appropriations advocacy,
• Summary of relevant relationships with Members of Congress and Congressional staff, including appropriations committees and subcommittees with a particular focus on the majority, and
• Experience working in a non-partisan policy environment, particularly on housing, homelessness, or related issues

Proposed Approach

• Description of how the respondent would support CSH’s FY2027 appropriations advocacy, with an emphasis on:
  • Congressional engagement
  • Expanding reach to additional offices and committees
  • Cultivating champions for appropriations requests
• Explanation of how the respondent would work in partnership with CSH’s internal policy team

Staffing and Capacity

• Identification of the individual(s) who would lead and support this work
• Brief bios or summaries of relevant experience
• Expected level of involvement by senior staff

Reporting and Communication

• Proposed approach to communication and reporting, including:
  • Suggested cadence and format for updates
  • How time-sensitive developments would be communicated
• Reporting should be scaled to support effective coordination and decision-making without unnecessary burden

Cost Proposal

• Proposed fee structure (e.g., monthly retainer or other approach)
• Description of what is included in the proposed cost
• Any assumptions that inform the proposed pricing

Evaluation Criteria 

Responses will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Relevant Congressional and Appropriations Experience 

• Demonstrated experience supporting federal appropriations advocacy.
• Familiarity with the Congressional appropriations process, committees, and key decision points relevant to supportive housing and related programs.

Strength of Congressional Relationships

• Depth and relevance of existing relationships with Members of Congress and Congressional staff.
• Demonstrated access to and credibility with majority staff and Members of Congress.
• Ability to expand CSH’s reach to additional offices and committees beyond existing relationships.
• Ability to cultivate champions for appropriations ask.

Non‑Partisan Approach and Credibility 

• Ability to operate effectively in a non‑partisan policy environment.
• Experience advancing funding priorities grounded in evidence, program outcomes, and cost‑effectiveness.
• Alignment with CSH’s commitment to pragmatic, solutions‑oriented advocacy.

Proposed Approach and Fit

• Clarity and practicality of the proposed approach to supporting CSH’s FY2027 appropriations advocacy.
• Demonstrated understanding of the collaborative nature of the engagement, including working alongside CSH policy staff and broader advocacy network.

Communication and Responsiveness

• Ability to provide timely, actionable intelligence and concise updates.
• Clear, effective communication style that supports coordination and decision‑making.

Cost and Value

• Reasonableness of proposed costs in relation to the scope of work.
• Overall value and efficient use of resources.

Submission Instructions & Key Dates

Responses to this Request for Proposals should be submitted electronically.

• Submission Deadline: May 27, 2026
• Submission Method: Email submissions to [email protected]
• Format: PDF preferred; a single file is encouraged
• Subject Line: “CSH FY2027 Congressional Lobbying RFP – [Name of firm or individual]”

Questions regarding this RFP may be submitted to Kara Mergl at [email protected] by May 25th, 2026. Responses to questions may be shared with all respondents, as appropriate.

CSH reserves the right to request additional information, conduct interviews with selected respondents, and accept or reject any or all submissions. Issuance of this RFP does not obligate CSH to award a contract.

Please note that CSH requires subcontractors, including individuals and sole proprietors, to carry workers’ compensation insurance and general liability insurance while performing work under a CSH subcontract. CSH subcontractors cannot have existing, pending or expired debarments that preclude them from doing business with the United States government and cannot have convictions for, nor have any pending indictments for, fraud or a criminal offense in connection with a public contract or subcontract. 

Request for Proposals (RFP) 

Overview 

The goal of this initiative is to develop, test, or deploy technological innovations that improve the supportive housing environment and outcomes for tenants.  

Supportive housing partners across the country are using technology in a variety of ways, including remote health monitoring, tracking program and participant outcomes, reducing isolation, improving building efficiency, and increasing safety. Technological innovations, particularly those that incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) are seemingly everywhere, yet without dedicated resources and intentional integration efforts, the supportive housing industry risks lagging behind in adopting tools that could meaningfully improve systems, services, and tenant experiences.  

CSH seeks to provide seed funding and/or offset staffing costs to devote to technology enhancements that would accomplish one or more of the following objectives: 

• Improve the health and wellbeing of supportive housing tenants.  

Example (illustrative only): Funding staff to explore, train on, or purchase tools that expedite claims processing through AI transcription and automated coding. 

• Enhance the tenant experience in supportive housing.  

Example: Host a tenant portal for document storage that promotes continuous eligibility in Medicaid, and/or allows tenants access to service plans, case notes, or referrals to external providers. 

• Facilitate homeless system improvements.  

Example: A Continuum of Care (CoC) requesting funding for HMIS enhancements to expedite referrals to fill supportive housing vacancies; technical assistance to support data governance policy changes that enhance technology adoption; or integration of case management software systems with HMIS to reduce duplicative data entry. 

• Optimize supportive housing organizations.  

As AI enhancements offer tools to make workflows more efficient, funds could support staff time to identify what business processes could be automated and explore tools on the market to improve business practices.    

Background 

In February, CSH convened a group of partners to identify promising practices in deploying technological innovations that improve the supportive housing environment. The convening surfaced a range of current use cases and highlighted many opportunities for further exploration.  

A summary of our Convening is linked here.  

Building on this initial inquiry, CSH is now providing small grants to organizations that will help us learn more about implementing technology and  advance the field’s adoption of helpful practices or tools. Grants are open to all supportive housing partners and will be for projects that can be completed within a roughly six-month period. 

Award Details 

Up to four applicants will be selected to receive an award ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 for a six-month period of performance. Award amounts will be determined based on proposed pilot impact, needs, and available resources. 

Eligibility  

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria to be considered for funding: 

• Eligible applicants include supportive housing owners, operators, or service providers; or Continuum of Care and/or HMIS lead agencies. 

• Healthcare providers may apply only in partnership with a nonprofit organization serving people in supportive housing. 

*Innovative partnerships and cross-agency collaborations are appropriate for this pilot project. Please refer to our landscape assessment (linked in the appendix) for examples of potential collaborative partnership models. 

Reporting Requirements  

CSH requires the following reporting from selected grantees: 

• A mid-project progress report identifying implementation progress, barriers encountered, and any needed course corrections. 

• A final close-out report describing project outcomes, lessons learned, and plans for sustainability or future implementation. 

CSH will provide detailed reporting guidance prior to project initiation.  

Application Components 

Applicants must submit the following materials: 

1. Project Description: Briefly describe the following aspects of the proposed project: 

1. Project title 

2. Project objective 

3. Project activities, inputs, and resources required 

4. Team’s experience with the activities proposed  

5. Project timeline 

6. Expected outcomes 

7. Sustainability plan 

2. Bios and Organizational Chart: One document containing bios for all team members involved in the pilot project. 

3. Job Descriptions: If this pilot includes a new position, please include a detailed description of the position. 

4. Letter of Commitment: A transmittal letter, signed by a person with authority to commit the organization to the proposed activities. 

5. 501(c)3 Documentation, if applicable. 

6. Completed Budget Template: Please use this template.

7. Budget Narrative  

Submission Instructions 

Submission Deadline: May 15th, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.  

Applicants must submit full proposals to: 

• Kim Keaton – [email protected] 

• Katie Kitchin – [email protected]

If we receive multiple questions, CSH will publish a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. 

Selection Criteria 

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

a. Experience and Qualifications – 35%  

• Demonstrated expertise in your selected focus area(s) and with your chosen sub-population(s), as evidenced by past relevant experience and/or industry recognition. 

• Demonstrated expertise of key personnel.  

• Understanding of supportive housing and/or homeless systems and technology. 

b. Strength of Approach – 40%  

• Detailed scope of work, objectives, and timeline.  

• Responsiveness to challenges related to technology in the homeless, supportive housing, and/or health care sectors.  

• A well-reasoned approach to the scope of work that is likely to achieve project goals and generate actionable learning.  

• Demonstrated capacity to successfully execute the proposed approach in line with the project’s goals and monitor program outcomes.  

• Ability to sustain the innovation beyond the funding provided by CSH. 

c. Budget – 25%  

• Inclusion of a detailed budget aligned with proposed activities.  

• Budget consistent with the proposed work. 

• Reasonable and appropriate staff compensation, where applicable. 

Notification of Selection and Timeline 

• RFP Open for submissions: April 22, 2026 

• Application submission deadline: May 15, 2026 

• Awards determined & applicants notified: May 31, 2026 

• Pilot period begins: June 30, 2026 

• Pilot period concludes: January 15, 2027 

Please note that CSH requires subcontractors, including individuals and sole proprietors, to carry workers’ compensation insurance and general liability insurance while performing work under a CSH subcontract. CSH subcontractors cannot have existing, pending or expired debarments that preclude them from doing business with the United States government and cannot have convictions for, nor have any pending indictments for, fraud or a criminal offense in connection with a public contract or subcontract. 

By Katie Kitchin and Kim Keaton 

Welcome to the inaugural post of the new CSH Tech Corner Series! Through this series, we will regularly share news, product features, interviews, and case studies that highlight the impact of technology on the supportive housing field. We hope you find it useful and welcome your ideas as we continue to build out this series.  

We Held an Exploratory Convening on Technology and Supportive Housing

Technological innovations, especially those powered with Artificial Intelligence (AI), are advancing so rapidly that it can be challenging for the supportive housing field to thoughtfully evaluate, test, and adopt them. While adopting new technology can be challenging, providers can use these tools to enhance the tenant experience in supportive housing and make it easier for program staff to do their work. Implementing strong data governance policies to protect both client and staff health and personal information can increase staff confidence in using these tools. 

In response to the rapid transformation of technology, CSH recently convened a couple dozen supportive housing and homeless system partners who are leaders and/or knowledgeable about the technology and software systems used in the field. These tools include Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) and other platforms that help with housing placement, case management, and more. From these conversations, we synthesized key learnings to share with the field.  

Top Use Cases to Consider Prioritizing

• Benefits Counseling and Activation: A common barrier to tenant employment is concern about losing disability benefits, especially health insurance. Tools that automate benefits counseling and enrollment could support continuous eligibility and help tenants pursue employment goals. This is especially important as federal support for these programs declines.  

• Digital Tools and Client-Facing Portals: There is movement toward consumer-facing digital solutions, but success depends on offering low-tech options and ensuring accessibility for populations with varying digital skills. For example, some clients do not have access to digital devices, email accounts, mobile devices, or regular internet access. 

• Documentation and Workforce Productivity: Technology-enabled documentation tools can reduce administrative burden, increase productivity, and help mitigate staff burnout. The overarching goal for implementing AI should be to alleviate administrative workloads, especially documentation. However, due to capacity issues there are challenges adoption and workflow integration.  

• Text-Based Support and Telehealth Adjuncts: Providers are increasingly using automated texting services (e.g., appointment reminders, check-ins, and support), especially for crisis intervention (such as local 24/7 call-in lines or the centralized 988 hotline). However, concerns about platform privacy and security need further consideration.  

• Automated and Streamlined Consent Processes: Automating care coordination consent, through standardized Releases of Information across partner agencies, can help bridge communication and legal barriers.  

• Client Access to Accurate Information: Ensuring clients receive precise and relevant healthcare information remains a priority, with an emphasis on solutions tailored to their specific needs. There is ongoing discussion about how tenants feel regarding the use of AI for documentation, underscoring the importance of transparency and trust. Providers should also be aware of each client’s digital usage, comfort, and literacy and incorporate organization-wide guidelines for technology adoption and change management. Not all populations are technology savvy, so providers should consider solutions that align technology literacy with innovation.   

• Data Quality Tools: AI can be used to improve data quality at the point of entry by flagging duplicates, identifying overlapping enrollments, and adding context. 

• Decision Support Tools: AI can be used for tenant matching and prioritization, as well as decision support. 

• Interoperability: Interoperable digital health platforms that securely exchange information across health, justice, and housing systems will be important for improving health and housing outcomes. 

Testing and Evaluating Emerging Digital Tools 

CSH is reviewing and evaluating a range of digital tools to better understand their impact on supportive housing. These include tools that screen, assess, and prioritize tenants for housing, as well as tools that support service documentation.  

Examples include:  

HMIS platforms that offer built-in or customizable tools for supportive housing, such as Caseworthy, ClientTrack, Bitfocus’ Clarity, and WellSky Community Services.

Housing screening tools, such as the Housing Assessment Screening Tool (HAST), inspired by a New Zealand model. 

Machine learning approaches used by Utah and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania to prioritize tenants using justice, child welfare, health, and other public system usage data. 

Case notes tools and platforms, including CARA, Elios AI, and Ambient AI for notetaking 

Leasing tools, such as Padmission, which enables grant administration, referrals and lease-up, compliance, inspection, and other operational functions.  

Further reading:  

• Why Administering Housing Programs Has Become So Difficult — and What Needs to Change 
• Why Continuums of Care Should Centralize Rental Assistance Administration 

Electronic health records for claims and service provision, as well as other digital health monitoring tools. While promising, integration, user adoption, and interoperability are still big challenges. 

Ongoing support and external funding are critical for bridging these gaps.  

Opportunities to Enhance and Improve the Built Environment Through Technology 

Technology also presents opportunities to enhance the physical and operational aspects of supportive housing: 

• HUD now allows Wi-Fi as an eligible supportive services expense if requested by an owner through the 202 PRAC program, which could open the door to designating Wi-Fi as a utility in other HUD programs. 

• Most supportive housing tenants have broadband, and in some cases, health plans provide devices for clients (phones or tablets) that support telehealth use. 

• Affordable housing developers are using AI and cameras to capture reporting information required during the construction phase.   

• Asset managers increasingly rely on precise, automated reports to track the financial performance of a building, including utility consumption, insurance claims, replacement dates, etc. 

• AI-powered leasing agents are becoming more commonly used in the sector. 

Key Issues Requiring Ongoing Attention 

• Legal and Privacy Barriers: Sharing Protected Health Information (PHI) across organizations remains a significant challenge due to varying requirements and complex release-of-information processes, especially for clients with multiple service providers.   

• Staff Concerns and Job Security: Staff have expressed fears about the use of AI, including worries about its broader impact and the possibility of job displacement. 

• Data Governance: The need for clear data governance policies came up in different contexts, such as AI use and cross-system data sharing. Partners pointed to a helpful resources from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement on AI governance.  

Where Do We Go From Here? 

Participants expressed the need for local or statewide systems to commit resources and attention to promoting adoption of technology tools that would improve the supportive housing environment—for both residents and program staff.  

The convening group also requested that CSH identify and share best practices for data and AI governance with the field.  

In response to these needs, CSH is releasing a Request for Proposals to help advance adoption and learning related to technology tools in supportive housing.  

Acknowledgements 

CSH extends its thanks to the following individuals who participated in our technology convening: 

Mike Shore and Kevin McKee, Padmission	Michelle Norris, Nsights
Jennifer Wilson, ShopWorks	Gaither Stephens, Gaither Dynamics
Thomas Garda and Courtney Battle, Housing&	Sarah Scholle, Leavitt Partners
Ryan Hertz, Lighthouse	David Lewis, Caseworthy
Lars Benson, HKS Government Performance Lab	David Eberbach, Institute for Community Alliances
Jeff Ugai, Jim Sullivan and Sarah Dougherty, Bitfocus	Brian Paul and Jennifer Disbro, Adult and Child Health
Hannah Olson and Andrea Shields, National Church Residences	Joy Moses and Nicole DuBois, NAEH
Emma Beers, The Eviction Project	Adam Ruege, Community Solutions

This framework helps hiring managers, job seekers, organization leaders, and new program planners understand the different roles in supportive housing. It highlights core skills that supportive housing staff need to be successful housing and services providers. This resource is designed to help with onboarding/mentoring staff, designing roles and programs, and identifying organization-wide training needs.

Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) applauds the recent federal court rulings that have upheld the integrity of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) homelessness funding program and reaffirmed the longstanding statutory and evidence-based foundation for supportive housing. These decisions recognize what providers, communities, and people with lived experience have long known: supportive housing is a proven, effective, and essential tool for reducing homelessness and promoting stability for people with the most complex needs.

The courts’ careful consideration of both the law and the real-world impacts of abrupt policy shifts underscores the importance of stability and predictability in homelessness systems. Sudden changes to CoC funding and program rules do not occur in a vacuum. They ripple outward, putting tenants at risk, destabilizing providers, delaying payments, disrupting services, and threatening hard-won housing outcomes. The rulings acknowledge that these harms are not theoretical, but immediate and profound.

Supportive housing works because it combines affordable housing with voluntary, flexible services tailored to people’s needs. Decades of research and practice demonstrate that this model reduces returns to homelessness, improves health and behavioral health outcomes, and lowers reliance on costly emergency systems. The model also is a cornerstone of many communities’ strategies to address chronic homelessness and prevent repeated housing instability.

While these court decisions are an important step, they do not eliminate the need for continued advocacy. Congress and the Administration play a vital role in shaping homelessness policy and funding.  It is essential that they, like the courts, are fully informed by evidence and on-the-ground experience. Policymakers must understand the effectiveness of supportive housing, the risks of destabilizing existing programs, and the harmful consequences when funding systems are thrown into uncertainty.

CSH urges providers, partners, and advocates to remain engaged, to share data, elevate lived experience, and communicate clearly about what works and why. Together, we must continue to make the case that protecting and strengthening supportive housing is not only consistent with federal law but is one of the most effective ways to reduce homelessness, promote recovery and dignity, and use public resources responsibly.

We are grateful for the leadership of providers and partners across the country and remain committed to working alongside you to ensure that supportive housing remains a central, well-supported component of our national response to homelessness.

For more than 30 years, supportive housing has transformed lives. The CSH Operations Clinic helps ensure properties continue to thrive by strengthening day-to-day operations and long-term sustainability. This one-pager describes the clinic and how it helps improve performance, stabilize operations, and better support tenants.

The CSH Supportive Housing Need tool provides communities with system‑level data on supportive housing needs across populations and systems, informing policy and program design. It also provides financial modeling at the state and local levels, allowing communities to estimate the capital, services, and operating costs to make data-driven decisions that demonstrate the effectiveness and value of sustaining supportive housing.

CSH partnered with Housing Narrative Lab to research and understand supportive housing narratives. We saw a gap in supportive housing specific narrative data and sought to understand awareness and perceptions of supportive housing among broad audiences.  These research findings will help the field coordinate and rally amplifiers around messaging that resonates and persuades.

CSH estimates that there are approximately 90,000 families and youth in need of supportive housing, including 43,646 families with child welfare involvement. While lack of housing should not necessitate child welfare involvement, housing instability alongside additional challenges such as substance use or mental health needs can affect the overall placement decision. Access to permanent housing often means that families can stay together while receiving child welfare prevention services or reunify more quickly if children are in out-of-home care. Research has demonstrated that children and youth who have a reliable place to call home also spend fewer days in foster care, experience a reduction in subsequent abuse and neglect cases, reduce their risk of subsequent homelessness, and increase their school attendance.

Housing vouchers and rental assistance play a significant role in keeping families together and supporting youth in transitioning successfully into adulthood. While most housing vouchers are issued from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) , there are many states that have funded voucher and rental assistance programs for families and transition age youth. States like New Jersey, California, Washington, and Colorado have all developed and funded housing assistance to support child-welfare involved families and youth.

UPDATED March 2026

A look at how CSH deployed $202 million to advance supportive housing in 2025

In 2025, CSH’s Community Investment team deployed flexible, mission-driven capital to advance supportive housing and community-based health and service solutions nationwide. Through strategic lending and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investments, we partnered with nonprofit and mission-aligned for-profit developers to expand access to affordable housing and essential services for people most impacted by homelessness. 

2025 at a Glance

2025 Project Highlights

Looking Ahead to 2026 

As we move into 2026, CSH remains committed to expanding access to capital for emerging developers, advancing supportive housing solutions, and investing in projects that strengthen housing stability, health, and community well-being nationwide. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.