The Portfolio
20 total sites across 5 facility types in San José, CA
The City operates 15 active sites totaling 1,271 units and 1,492 beds, with 5 future sites that would bring the portfolio to 1,574 units and 1,868 beds. The portfolio spans five distinct facility types: modular Emergency Interim Housing pods (8 sites), hotel conversions (3 sites), motel conversions (1 site), a tent-based navigation site, and 2 RV supportive parking locations.
The largest site is Rue Ferrari EIH at 190 units/268 beds with single and double occupancy pods and en-suite restrooms. The smallest active site is Mabury EIH at 38 units. Hotel and motel conversions range from 43 rooms (Plaza Hotel) to 97 rooms (Extended Stay America). The tent-based Taylor Street Navigation Site and two RV supportive parking locations add operational complexity — each requires specialized maintenance protocols distinct from traditional building management.
This RFP emerged after years of decentralized maintenance handled by nonprofit operators through grant agreements. The City explicitly cites inconsistent timelines, variable costs, and operator turnover as drivers for this procurement. The shift to competitive bidding for dedicated property management signals a permanent change in how San José manages its interim housing infrastructure.
Complexity Flags
Top risk and difficulty items for prospective bidders
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Dual Wage Compliance Layer
Prevailing wage (DIR-registered trades) and City Living Wage Ordinance ($26.73–$27.98/hr) apply simultaneously. This dual layer compresses margins on labor-intensive services like janitorial and landscaping, and requires separate compliance tracking systems for different worker classifications.
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Contractor's Pollution Liability — $1M
Non-standard insurance requirement driven by hazardous waste handling at supportive parking sites (oil spills, vehicle fluid leaks). Most property management maintenance contracts require only CGL, Auto, and WC. Firms without existing pollution liability policies face 2–4 weeks of procurement lead time and added cost.
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1-Day Mobilization Gap
Contract execution is estimated March 30, 2026; service start is April 1. That's functionally zero transition time for a 15-site portfolio. Proposers must demonstrate a shadow mobilization plan activated at award notification (March 6) — staffing, equipment, insurance endorsements, and site assessments — not contract execution.
Bottom Line
Awarded's bid recommendation
Conditional Bid
This contract is operationally complex but represents a genuine market opportunity. There is no stable incumbent — prior nonprofit operators have been terminated or monitored. This appears to be the City's first competitive procurement for professional property management at interim housing sites, signaling a permanent shift from the grant-agreement model.
The ideal bidder is a multi-site property management firm with public-sector maintenance experience, DIR-registered trade partners, and centralized dispatch infrastructure capable of absorbing new sites without service disruption. The RFP permits multi-award, which opens the door for firms with regional or specialized capability.
Conditions on this recommendation: the bidder must confirm Pollution Liability insurance availability, verify DIR registration for all named subcontractors, and have or establish a Santa Clara County office presence to capture LBE/SBE preference points (10% of total score). Single-site firms, residential-only operators, and companies without prevailing wage compliance infrastructure should pass.
Portfolio Map
15 active sites + 5 future sites across San José, CA
Sites by Type
Modular EIH Sites
8 active sites · 786 units · 1,011 beds
Mabury (38)
Felipe (39)
Bernal (78)
Rue Ferrari (190)
Guadalupe (96)
Evans Lane (48)
Via Del Oro (135)
Cerone (162)
Hotel & Motel Conversions
4 active sites · 301 units · 353 beds
Plaza Hotel (43)
Extended Stay (97)
Arena Hotel (89)
Pacific Motor Inn (72)
RV Supportive Parking
2 active sites · 128 units · 128 beds
Santa Teresa (42)
Berryessa (86)
Tent-Based Navigation
1 active site · 56 tents
Taylor St. (56)
Future Sites
5 planned sites · 303 additional units · 376 additional beds
Cherry EIH (128)
Casa Linda (34)
Alura Inn (42)
Bristol Hotel (47)
Fontaine Inn (52)
Scoring Strategy
Evaluation criteria and weights from the RFP. Cost is significant (20%) but technical merit dominates at 45%.
The evaluation structure rewards operational depth over low pricing. Experience & Qualifications (20%) and Project Approach (15%) together carry more weight than Cost Proposal (20%). Oral interviews at 15% are triggered only for shortlisted firms, making written proposal quality the gatekeeper.
LBE/SBE preference points total 10%. Firms without a Santa Clara County office face a structural scoring ceiling — the maximum achievable written score for a non-LBE/SBE firm is 75 out of 85 written points. This is an unresolvable constraint for out-of-county bidders.
| Criterion |
Weight |
Notes |
| General Requirements |
10% |
Staffing plan, organizational capacity, compliance posture |
| Experience & Qualifications |
20% |
Highest technical weight. Comparable projects, references, public-sector experience. |
| Project Approach |
15% |
Execution plan aligned with scope and performance standards |
| Technical Capabilities |
10% |
Work order systems, PM tracking, reporting, technology |
| Cost Proposal |
20% |
Competitive, realistic pricing with prevailing/living wage alignment |
| Oral Interview |
15% |
Shortlisted firms only |
| LBE Preference |
5% |
Requires Santa Clara County office presence |
| SBE Preference |
5% |
Must qualify as LBE + ≤35 employees |
| Total |
100% |
|
Who Should Bid
Ideal bidder profile and pass signals
Ideal Bidder
Multi-site property management firm with public-sector maintenance experience, DIR-registered trade partners, 24/7 dispatch infrastructure, and documented preventive maintenance programs across 500+ units. Firms with Santa Clara County offices capture 10% of preference points automatically.
Strong Partial Bidder
The RFP permits multi-award. Firms with specialized capability in specific service areas (janitorial, landscaping, pest control, HVAC trades) can compete for partial portfolio assignments without needing full-spectrum maintenance capability.
Should Pass
Single-site operators, residential-only firms, companies without prevailing wage compliance infrastructure, and firms that cannot procure $1M Contractor's Pollution Liability coverage. Out-of-county firms face a 10-point structural scoring disadvantage on LBE/SBE preferences.
