By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Baltimore City officials are looking for applicants who support and are willing to oversee the city’s vision for their newly acquired hotels. City officials aim to turn the two Downtown Baltimore hotels, Holiday Inn Express and the Sleep Inn and Suites, into permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness.
The City of Baltimore acquired the two properties and the adjacent parking lot in February for $15.2 million, using federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act. The Holiday Inn Express is located at 221 N. Gay St. and the Sleep Inn and Suites on 301 Fallsway.
Ernestina Simmons (front), director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, alongside Adrianne Todman, acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, speaks on Baltimore City’s plans for two recently acquired hotels. (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Baltimore City Office of the Mayor/ J.J. McQueen)
“When I look at these hotels behind us and beside me that were once the Holiday Inn Express and the Sleep Inn and Suites, I see an important investment in the people of our city. Tackling homelessness is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) at the unveiling of the two hotels on July 1. “It requires individualized and innovative responses to every aspect of the system and every factor that can lead a person to homelessness. These hotels provide us more capacity and another tool in the toolbox to continue that work.”
The hotels are currently being used as temporary housing for those experiencing homelessness in the city, which Ernestina Simmons, director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services (MOHS), confirmed will continue as they go through their request for proposals (RFP) process.
Simmons said 378 families have been served at these two locations, including 136 adults over the age of 50 and 40 children (zero to 17).
“When you look at why permanent supportive housing, think of every developer and nonprofit organization that wants to stand behind this work,” said Simmons. “You are meeting people where they are, you’re seeing them as they need to be seen and you’re saying ‘housing isn’t going to be your challenge today.’”
A few days after Scott and other city and national officials unveiled the two properties, the MOHS released their RFP.
According to MOHS, they are seeking proposals from non-profit, for-profit and joint ventures that plan to rehabilitate and run permanent supportive housing within the two properties. They also want the proposals to incorporate varied affordability levels of no more than 60 percent of area median income and a 55-year affordability covenant.
MOHS expects at least 100 units to be made available between the two buildings as well as onsite services ranging from mental health aid to case management services.
For those interested in submitting a proposal, the deadline is August 16 at 3 p.m.
MOHS will also host an optional virtual bidder’s conference on July 15 at 3 p.m. to help those applicants who may need technical assistance. Registration is mandatory to attend the conference. Go to homeless.baltimorecity.gov to register.
