Newark Seeks Bids for 2026-27 Homelessness Services

Newark is seeking organizations to provide emergency shelter, homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services under a newly released Emergency Solutions Grant solicitation.

The city’s Department of Health and Community Wellness, Office of Homeless Services, released the request for proposals on July 13, 2026. The procurement is aimed at Newark organizations serving principally low-income Newark residents who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Deadlines for applicants

Written questions about the solicitation are due by 5 p.m. on August 21, 2026. Electronic proposals must be submitted through the city’s electronic procurement system by 10:30 a.m. on August 31, 2026. The RFP says late proposals will not be accepted.

The RFP describes the potential agreements as one-year contracts. It is labeled for the 2026-2027 program year, but separately lists a contract term of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026. That timing inconsistency appears in the document and should be clarified by the city. The RFP also says no pre-proposal conference is scheduled.

What services could be funded

The solicitation covers three eligible categories:

Rapid rehousing: rental assistance, security deposits, housing search and placement, and case management to help people move into permanent housing.
Homelessness prevention: short- or medium-term rental assistance and eligible rental-arrears payments to help households avoid shelter entry or homelessness.
Emergency shelter services: shelter operations and limited temporary lodging, including hotel or motel stays when an appropriate shelter bed is unavailable.

The RFP does not identify selected providers or guarantee that any organization will receive funding. Newark says funding depends on the availability of duly appropriated U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Emergency Solutions Grant funds. Any resulting contracts also require Newark City Council approval.

Requirements for organizations

Applicants must provide a 100 percent match from other sources for awarded ESG funds. That requirement is not a city funding contribution and does not mean an applicant has already secured matching money.

Selected subrecipients must participate in the local Homeless Management Information System, known as HMIS or Foothold. The RFP also requires financial, insurance, organizational and compliance documents, including audited financial statements, an IRS Form 990 and proof of charitable registration.

Newark reserves the right to reject proposals, cancel the procurement, decline to execute contracts or terminate a contract if adequate funds are not available. Issuing the RFP does not commit the city to make an award.

How the solicitation fits Newark’s housing strategy

Newark’s 2025-2029 consolidated plan identifies homelessness prevention, emergency shelter and rapid rehousing as continuing priorities. The plan describes ESG as part of the city’s broader housing and homelessness response, alongside rental assistance, shelter operations, housing navigation and permanent-housing placements.

The plan says Newark prioritizes prevention through rental assistance, eviction-prevention services, utility support and housing navigation for people at risk of homelessness. It also describes rapid rehousing and shelter operations as part of the city’s effort to shorten the time people remain homeless.

Newark’s 2026 State of the City report says the city connected 1,373 residents without addresses to emergency shelters, prevented 152 evictions, rehoused 150 families and housed 165 formerly chronically homeless residents through the Path Home Housing Program. Those figures describe prior city activity, not awards under the new solicitation.

The city’s Office of Homeless Services describes Path Home as a three-year, data-driven plan developed with more than 100 partners and focused on temporary and permanent housing, employment, medical and behavioral health care and support services.

What Newark residents should watch next

The immediate milestones are the August 21 question deadline and the August 31 proposal deadline. The city’s RFP says proposals will be evaluated under its stated criteria, with any resulting contracts subject to the procurement documents, available HUD funds and City Council approval.

Until those steps are completed, residents should view the RFP as an open procurement—not a final expansion of services or a commitment to any provider. Information about access, eligibility and capacity will depend on later decisions and the operating rules of selected organizations.

Residents can also monitor Newark’s Office of Homeless Services for information about the city’s homelessness-response system. The office says its Path Home texting hotline can connect outreach providers with people experiencing homelessness in Newark; the hotline can be reached by texting PATH HOME to 855-11.

Sources

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