DSHA Legal Services

Background

The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) is a public corporation within the executive branch of the State of Delaware, serving as the State’s Housing Finance Agency, Public Housing Authority, Community Development and Planning Agency, and the de facto Department of Housing. DSHA's mission is to support affordable housing development, preservation, and homeownership statewide through various federal and state programs. This RFP seeks proposals from qualified law firms with extensive experience in affordable housing, public finance, real estate transactions, and federal and state housing programs to provide legal services across multiple contract categories.

Work Details

The selected law firms will provide legal services in three main categories: 1) Housing Development/Production Counsel - managing real estate closings (minimum of 15 multifamily closings annually), drafting and negotiating loan agreements, providing compliance guidance with federal housing statutes, advising on financing arrangements, supporting underwriting processes, and representing DSHA in negotiations; 2) Public Housing Authority/Housing Management Counsel - representing DSHA in landlord/tenant litigation, advising on compliance with HUD regulations, providing legal support for RAD repositioning transactions, counseling on fair housing matters, and drafting housing assistance payment contracts; 3) Outside General Counsel - supporting DSHA’s administration with legal matters related to human resources, IT security, procurement issues, FOIA requests, constituent-related issues, and general litigation services. The firms must demonstrate capacity for complex capital stacks and regulatory requirements.

Period of Performance

The anticipated contract start date is August 1, 2026. The duration of the contract will be determined based on the needs of DSHA.

Place of Performance

Legal services will primarily be performed in Delaware as the firms must maintain an office in the state.

Bidder Requirements

Offerors must have at least one attorney admitted to practice law in Delaware, maintain a Delaware office, hold professional liability insurance of not less than $5 million aggregate, comply with applicable Public Ethics laws, and demonstrate a minimum of five years of relevant experience in the applicable contract categories.