Introduction
The Houston Land Bank (HLB) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide governmental relations, legislative advocacy, and strategic funding services for an initial term beginning upon contract execution and continuing through June 30, 2027, with the option to extend for legislative implementation, special sessions, continued appropriations, or agency work, for one or more renewal periods.
This engagement is anchored to two defined state priorities, both timed to the 90th Texas Legislature convening in January 2027. First, HLB seeks a minimum of $2 million annual state allocation to fund blight remediation, legal services for title clearance and heirship resolution, and strategic property acquisition. Second, HLB seeks enactment of a Texas brownfield tax credit, supported by a completed state-by-state policy analysis and a five-part legislative framework. The selected firm will lead the strategy to advance both.
About Houston Land Bank
HLB is a not-for-profit local government corporation incorporated in Texas and a component unit of the City of Houston. HLB acquires, manages, and returns vacant, abandoned, deteriorated, or underutilized property to productive use. Its work supports neighborhood stabilization, affordable and workforce housing, brownfield revitalization, community development, heir-property resolution, economic opportunity, and the responsible stewardship of land.
HLB is the only public land bank in Texas, the largest in the United States by property value, and the only land bank in the country created under a dedicated state statute — Chapter 379H of the Texas Local Government Code (SB 1679, 2021). HLB has secured $8.7 million in EPA grants and congressional earmarks, reactivated $100 million in property value, and supported more than 385 affordable homes. In 2025, a Harris County interlocal agreement doubled HLB’s jurisdiction to encompass all of unincorporated Harris County. HLB Fund, the organization’s 501(c)(3) affiliate, serves as the fundraising and grant-receiving vehicle. This dual structure — governmental authority paired with philanthropic flexibility — positions HLB as the natural implementation partner for the state programs this engagement will advance.
Scope of Work
HLB seeks a senior-level governmental affairs partner with appropriations, policy development, and bipartisan advocacy experience serving public entities, housing organizations, land banks, redevelopment authorities, or comparable organizations. HLB is seeking more than bill tracking. The successful proposer will combine strategic judgment, appropriations experience, policy development, bipartisan advocacy, relationship management, and disciplined execution. The scope of work includes three tracks.
Track A │ State Appropriations and Funding Strategy
The following services advance HLB’s documented request for a minimum of $2 million annual state allocation. The allocation funds three core functions: blight remediation, legal services for heirship resolution and title clearance, and strategic acquisition of tax-delinquent and vacant parcels. HLB projects that each state dollar will leverage two to six dollars in additional capital while returning idle parcels to the property tax rolls.
• Refine HLB’s existing appropriations request, fiscal narrative, and return on state investment analysis.
• Identify the strongest budget vehicle, including a direct appropriation, budget rider, exceptional item, or agency pass-through.
• Position the request with the Legislative Budget Board, Senate Finance, House Appropriations, and relevant agencies during the FY 2028–29 budget cycle.
• Identify and cultivate legislative and governmental champions, including the Harris County delegation.
• Prepare briefing documents, presentations, talking points, and one-page materials.
• Monitor budget hearings, agency requests, appropriations activity, and funding announcements.
• Identify additional state, federal, agency, and intergovernmental funding sources.
• Support the request throughout the budget, legislative, and implementation process.
Track B │ Brownfield Tax Credit Legislation and Policy Development
HLB has completed a state-by-state analysis of brownfield incentive programs in Florida, Oklahoma, Iowa, Tennessee, and Georgia, and has adopted a five-part policy framework that positions HLB as an implementation partner, administrator, or eligible recipient. The framework centers on a Texas Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credit (TX-VCTC) modeled on Florida’s program: a 50 percent transferable credit against franchise and insurance premium tax for eligible cleanup costs, a starting annual cap of $10 million to $25 million, and a 25 percent bonus for affordable housing, health care, or job-creating redevelopment. It also includes a brownfield job creation bonus of $2,500 to $5,000 per net new job, automatic eligibility for sites disposed of by Chapter 379H land banks, brownfield priority scoring in TDHCA’s Qualified Allocation Plan, and enabling authority for municipal blight tax ordinances. The selected firm will:
• Pressure-test the legal, fiscal, administrative, and political feasibility of each element of the framework.
• Translate the framework into legislative concepts, drafting instructions, and proposed bill language.
• Identify and secure bill authors, sponsors, committee pathways, agency partners, and coalition allies for the 90th Texas Legislature.
• Pursue administrative pathways in parallel with legislation, including brownfield priority scoring in TDHCA’s Qualified Allocation Plan.
• Coordinate with legislative counsel, legal counsel, fiscal experts, and agency personnel, including TDHCA and TCEQ.
• Support bill filing, referral, hearings, amendments, floor activity, conference committee, enactment, and implementation.
• Evaluate complementary financing structures, including cleanup or redevelopment grants, revolving remediation funds, and blended state and federal models.
Track C │ Governmental Relationships, Advocacy, and Reporting
The following services build the sustained governmental relationships that carry both priorities and position HLB as a trusted public-sector partner and a credible administrator of state programs.
• Map stakeholders and decision-makers across municipal, county, state, and federal government.
• Arrange targeted introductions, briefings, site visits, project tours, and educational roundtables.
• Represent HLB before relevant governmental bodies and prepare HLB representatives for testimony, hearings, and presentations.
• Build bipartisan and geographically diverse support and coordinate with coalitions, associations, local governments, housing organizations, environmental organizations, developers, and community partners.
• Align HLB priorities with City of Houston legislative and governmental priorities where appropriate.
• Monitor legislation, appropriations, regulatory activity, and governmental actions affecting land banks, housing, brownfields, vacant property, local authority, public finance, and community development.
• Provide an initial strategic work plan, regular written status reports, timely alerts, and stakeholder, legislative, funding, and action-item trackers.
• Deliver a post-session report identifying outcomes, unfinished business, implementation requirements, and recommended next actions.
The engagement will follow a pre-session, session, and post-session cadence. The selected firm will report directly to the President & CEO, coordinate with HLB staff, legal counsel, and other advisors, and demonstrate senior-level involvement, rapid response, practical written products, early risk identification, and transparent reporting. HLB may consider a prime firm supported by specialized subcontractors or strategic partners. The prime firm must identify every proposed team member, describe each role, disclose subcontracting arrangements, and remain accountable for the full engagement.
Minimum Qualifications
1. Substantial experience providing Texas governmental affairs, legislative advocacy, or public policy services.
2. Demonstrated experience securing state appropriations, budget riders, or exceptional items for public-sector clients.
3. Detailed knowledge of Texas legislative, budget, committee, agency, and implementation processes.
4. Strong bipartisan relationships with relevant policymakers and staff.
5. Experience working with municipalities, public entities, housing organizations, community-development organizations, land banks, redevelopment authorities, or similar entities.
6. Experience developing legislation, policy concepts, or governmental programs; experience advancing state tax credit or incentive legislation is strongly preferred.
7. Familiarity with affordable housing, land redevelopment, brownfields, local governmental authority, public finance, or related policy areas.
8. Ability to engage municipal, state, and federal governmental stakeholders.
9. Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-party advocacy efforts.
10. Compliance with all applicable lobbying, ethics, disclosure, and procurement requirements.
Submittal Instructions
• Proposals must be submitted electronically through this Submittable form by the proposal deadline. Late submissions will not be considered.
• Proposers must also pay the $100 non-refundable application fee via the PayPal link provided in Section 1 of this form for consideration.
• The proposal must be signed by an individual authorized to contractually bind the firm. Failure to sign the proposal will result in rejection as non-responsive.
• The proposal must give the full firm name and address of the proposer. The person signing should show title or authority to bind the firm in a contract.
• Proposals must follow the required section order, with no unnecessary promotional content.
Protest Process
Any proposer wishing to protest the procurement outcome must submit a formal written protest to the Primary Contact within five (5) business days of the Notice of Intended Selection. The protest must clearly state the grounds for the challenge and provide supporting evidence. HLB will review the protest and issue a final written decision to mitigate procurement risk and ensure integrity.
General Conditions
• HLB may reject any or all proposals, waive informalities, request clarification, conduct interviews, negotiate scope and fees, select all or part of a proposal, engage more than one firm, amend or cancel the solicitation, and verify references or representations.
• All proposal preparation and submission costs are the proposer’s responsibility.
• The selected proposer must comply with applicable procurement, ethics, lobbying, disclosure, insurance, confidentiality, public-information, records-retention, and contracting requirements.
• Issuance of this RFP does not obligate HLB to award a contract or reimburse any proposer.
• The information included with this RFP is provided solely for the convenience of proposers. While believed to be accurate, no representation or warranty of any kind is made by HLB as to accuracy or completeness. Respondents are solely responsible for conducting independent due diligence.
• In performing any services, the selected provider is an independent contractor and not an agent or employee of HLB. The provider is solely responsible for all matters relating to payment of its employees, including Social Security, withholding, wages, benefits, taxes, and regulations of any nature.
Request for Proposals issued
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Questions due regarding RFP
Friday, August 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT
Responses to questions issued
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Proposals due
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT
Evaluation, interviews, and best and final offers, if requested
September 3 through September 15, 2026
Board of Directors consideration of award
Monday, September 21, 2026
About This Solicitation
The Houston Land Bank (HLB) is the only land bank in the State of Texas, operating under Chapter 379H of the Texas Local Government Code. HLB converts vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties into productive use and generates new property tax value for the communities it serves.
HLB seeks a qualified consultant (the "Consultant") to design, structure, and stand up a catalytic community investment fund (the "Fund"). The Fund will position HLB as a financing partner and ecosystem activator for development in historically disinvested neighborhoods. It will attract and deploy capital that incentivizes catalytic, tax base-building development, expands below-market financing options for local and small builders, and strengthens the pipeline of development-ready sites and development partners across the Houston region.
Public sector partners, including tax increment reinvestment zones and other local entities, have expressed intent to align programmatic dollars with the Fund’s purposes and to serve as anchor participants. The Fund is intended to leverage these public commitments to attract philanthropic, institutional, and private capital.
Engagement Objectives
• Establish a master fund strategy with defined program lanes that can flex by project type and partner — including builder financing, due diligence and technical assistance resources for HLB, infrastructure support, mixed-use and commercial catalytic investment, and future expansion lanes.
• Structure the Fund as an independent entity with professional third-party fund management, with HLB and anchor partners serving in governance and advisory roles rather than operating roles.
• Design an investment model that produces measurable financial return to HLB and its partners alongside community impact, with clear metrics and reporting.
• Secure anchor capital commitments and build a credible capital raise pipeline across philanthropy, financial institutions, CRA-motivated lenders, CDFIs, family offices, and accredited impact investors.
• Deliver a fund that is operational by early 2027 and positioned for public announcement with committed capital in place.
Scope of Services
The engagement is organized in two funded phases plus an optional extension. Phase 1 is funded at execution. Phase 2 is contingent upon funding identified and committed during Phase 1.
Phase 1 — Assessment and Fund Framework (60 days)
• Organizational and market assessment. Evaluate HLB’s capacity, statutory authorities, existing capital relationships, and partner alignment. Assess market conditions and comparable fund models in peer markets.
• Fund Framework Document. Deliver a complete framework covering fund size and capitalization target for Fund I with a portfolio approach for successor funds, capital sources, geographic focus, investment instruments (including recoverable grants, debt, and equity), investor return structure and fee model, program lanes, impact metrics, and reporting requirements.
• Governance and legal structure recommendation. Recommend the entity structure for the Fund, including formation of an independent limited liability entity, third-party fund manager arrangement, advisory board composition for public partners, and the role of HLB’s 501(c)(3) affiliate as a philanthropic conduit. Coordinate with HLB legal counsel.
• Phase 2 funding identification. Identify and secure funding commitments sufficient to execute Phase 2, including anchor partner professional services commitments and other available sources.
• Implementation roadmap. Provide a sequenced timeline from framework approval through fund formation, capital raise, and public launch, with defined benchmarks for HLB board and partner reporting.
Phase 2 — Fund Formation and Launch (contingent upon funding)
• Entity formation and fund documents. Complete legal formation of the Fund entity and supporting structure in coordination with legal counsel. Prepare fund governance documents, management agreements, and partner participation agreements.
• Fund administration design. Establish fund management, accounting, compliance, and reporting systems, including public partner reporting requirements.
• Capital raise execution. Develop investor materials and lead engagement with philanthropic, institutional, banking, CDFI, and family office prospects. Convert anchor partner programmatic alignments into documented commitments.
• Pilot deal pipeline. Identify, vet, and package one to two catalytic pilot projects with development partners, including convening significant developers with capital partners.
• Launch preparation. Prepare the public announcement package, including committed capital summary, program descriptions, and board and stakeholder briefing materials.
Optional Extension — Fund Management and Operations
Upon successful completion of Phase 2, HLB may extend the engagement, or enter a successor agreement, for ongoing fund management and administration services for an initial term of no less than two years. Terms will be negotiated based on the approved fund structure.
Deliverables and Schedule
Contract execution
Executed professional services agreement - Late September 2026
Phase 1: Fund Framework Document and Phase 2 funding plan - Within 60 days of execution
Phase 2: Fund entity formed, fund documents executed, operations ready - Q1 2027
Public launch readiness: Announcement package with committed capital in excess of fifty percent of the initial fund goal - March 2027
Compensation and Contingency
• Phase 1: Fixed fee, not to exceed $10,000, funded from committed philanthropic funds of HLB and anticipated anchor partner contribution.
• Phase 2: Not-to-exceed amount to be established upon confirmation of Phase 2 funding, anticipated through a professional services agreement between HLB and an anchor public partner. A preliminary planning estimate of $100,000 applies, inclusive of an allowance for HLB administrative costs.
• Contingency: HLB’s obligation to proceed to Phase 2 and any extension is expressly contingent upon the identification, commitment, and receipt of funding. HLB incurs no obligation for Phase 2 services unless and until such funding is in place and authorized.
Important Submission Rules
• Proposals must be submitted electronically through this Submittable form by Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT. The Submittable timestamp determines time of receipt. Late submissions will not be considered.
• A $100 non-refundable application fee is required for consideration. Pay via the PayPal link provided in the RFP and in Section 1 of this form, then upload your payment confirmation and enter the transaction ID.
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/6AUZB55RWEUCS
• All communications regarding this solicitation must be directed to procurements@houstonlandbank.org. Written questions are due August 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT.
• Submit response materials in the order listed in Section 8 of the RFP. A single combined PDF of the complete proposal is required in addition to the individual form fields.
• Submission of a proposal creates no obligation on HLB. All phases beyond Phase 1 are contingent upon identified and committed funding.
About This Solicitation
The Houston Land Bank (HLB) is seeking proposals to provide financial services — including bookkeeping, accounting, and strategic financial consulting with fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) support — for an initial two (2) year term beginning with fiscal year 2027, with the option to extend for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. HLB is a not-for-profit local government corporation incorporated in Texas and a component unit of the City of Houston, committed to the equitable redevelopment of Houston neighborhoods and to providing affordable homes for low- and moderate-income Houstonians.
About Houston Land Bank
HLB is the only public land bank in Texas and the largest in the United States by property value. HLB has secured $8.7M in EPA grants and congressional earmarks, reactivated $100M in property value, and supported 385+ affordable homes. In 2025, a Harris County interlocal agreement doubled HLB’s jurisdiction to encompass all of unincorporated Harris County. HLB is actively exploring funding vehicles targeting capital from philanthropic, bank, and institutional investors for redeployment across the HLB footprint. HLB Fund, the organization’s 501(c)(3) affiliate, serves as the fundraising and grant-receiving vehicle and will serve as the fund management entity for lending programs and investment capital deployment. Federal congressional earmarks are being considered for the development of a revolving loan fund.
Scope of Work — Two Tracks
The selected firm must be prepared to support the financial architecture of a complex, growing organization operating at the intersection of public authority, community development finance, and emerging investment capital markets.
Track A — Strategic Financial Advisory (CFO-Level).
• Serve as fractional CFO, attending Board of Directors meetings as the organization’s senior financial advisor and presenting financial reports, forecasts, and capital recommendations to the Board and Finance Committee quarterly.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year financial model for HLB and HLB Fund, including operating budget projections, cash flow forecasting, and scenario planning tied to land disposition, grant cycles, earmark deployment, and earned-revenue development.
• Support the financial architecture and capital structure for the Gulf Coast Community Development Investment Platform — fund accounting setup, investor reporting templates, capital deployment tracking, and compliance frameworks for philanthropic, PRI, and bank capital.
• Design and maintain financial systems for HLB Fund lending programs, including loan loss reserve accounting, revolving loan fund management, and investor-grade reporting.
• Develop and implement a multi-year earned-revenue and financial sustainability strategy to reduce dependence on operating grants.
• Advise on CDFI-adjacent financial compliance readiness, positioning HLB and HLB Fund for potential future CDFI certification or comparable federal designations.
• Support the CEO with financial narratives, data, and projections for major grant applications, funder due diligence, and investor presentations.
• Provide strategic input on investment decisions, capital deployment timing, and growth projections as the platform moves from development to launch.
• Provide coaching and support to the Director of Finance, and guidance on revenue-generating opportunities and supporting systems design.
Track B — Operational Accounting & Compliance.
• Review the general ledger accounting system (QuickBooks Online) to ensure the organization’s financial reporting needs are met.
• Perform monthly reconciliations of the bank account(s) and all balance sheet accounts — including HLB Fund accounts and any new fund accounts established for lending programs — and route them for final approval.
• Assist with the end-of-month close process, including preparation of monthly financial reports and supporting schedules.
• Process vendor payables (Bill.com), routing invoices through the appropriate approval workflow for sign-off by the designated signers.
• Enter and reconcile purchase requisitions and purchase orders.
• Process invoices in a timely manner (30-day timeframe) and file accordingly.
• Assist with processing and documenting payroll and related retirement plan contributions.
• Prepare year-end 1099s for applicable vendors.
• Record transactions for property sales (HLB-owned lots to builders and CDCs); record loan originations, repayments, and capital deployments for HLB Fund lending programs; and prepare documents for incoming money transfers from the City or other sources.
• Process grant invoicing and reimbursements, tagging supporting backup with its invoice identification number on the cadence each grant requires — including federal congressional earmarks, EPA brownfield grants, and any new grants received during the term.
• Support and actively participate in the year-end external audit, preparing requested documentation, schedules, and reconciliations, and responding to auditor inquiries in a timely manner.
Engagement & Reporting
• Track A (Strategic Advisory) is estimated at ~10–15 hours per month.
• Track B (Operational Accounting) is estimated at ~15–20 hours per week during active periods, with peaks at audit preparation, board cycles, and platform development. Certain Track B tasks are performed on-site at HLB offices.
• The consultant(s) report directly to the President & CEO for Track A functions and coordinate with the Director of Finance for Track B operational functions.
Who Should Respond
• Firms with strategic financial advisory and/or fractional CFO capability serving community development finance, government-affiliated nonprofits, and/or local governments and non-profit community development organizations.
• Firms with technical bookkeeping and accounting experience emphasizing investment fund management, multi-year financial planning, and real estate transactions.
• Respondents may propose for Track A only, Track B only, or both tracks.
Evaluation Criteria (100 Points Total)
• Strategic financial advisory experience (nonprofit, CDFI, or community development fund management) — 30 points
• Technical accounting experience with governmental entities and nonprofits — 30 points
• Investment fund, lending program, or CDFI financial management experience — 15 points
• Partnership approach and fit with CEO-level strategic advisory role — 15 points
• Pricing — 10 points
Required Written Scenario Response
A written scenario response is required and does not count toward the 20-page limit. HLB is preparing to launch an investment platform deploying capital through three product lines — (1) land acquisition and predevelopment loans, (2) developer growth capital, and (3) brownfield remediation — with a 501(c)(3) affiliate as the fund management entity. Respondents must describe their approach to: (a) designing the fund accounting and financial management infrastructure; (b) building an investor-grade financial reporting framework for philanthropic and bank capital partners; and (c) advising the CEO on financial sustainability as the platform scales.
Key Dates
• RFP issued: July 13, 2026
• Questions due: July 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST — email procurements@houstonlandbank.org
• Proposals due: August 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST
• Evaluation of proposals: August 2026
• Submission for Board approval: September 2026
Submission Requirements
• Proposals are limited to 20 pages using standard font sizes and margins. Insurance evidence and financial statements / tax returns (Items 5 and 6) and the required written scenario response do not count toward the maximum page count.
• A $100 nonrefundable application fee must be paid via PayPal for the submission to be considered. Pay here
• The proposal must be signed by an individual authorized to contractually bind the firm, and must give the full firm name and address. A failure to sign will cause the proposal to be rejected as non-responsive.
• Late submissions will not be considered; the Submittable timestamp will be used to determine the time of receipt.
• HLB is not responsible for any costs incurred in developing responses to this RFP.