1. Introduction and Summary

Strategic Housing Finance Corporation of Travis County (“Strategic HFC” or the “Corporation”) is a housing finance corporation organized and operating under Chapter 394 of the Texas Local Government Code (the Texas Housing Finance Corporations Act). Through this Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”), the Corporation seeks to identify and engage a qualified law firm or individual attorney to serve as contracted General Counsel to the Corporation on an ongoing basis.

The selected respondent will serve as the Corporation's primary legal advisor and as the point of coordination for specialized outside counsel. After an initial period of higher activity, the Corporation anticipates that the engagement will require approximately 5 to 15 hours per week of legal services. The engagement will take the form of a professional services contract. Services are anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.

The anticipated contract will be managed by Corporation staff and the Executive Director will serve as the General Counsel’s primary point of contact on management matters. For governance matters, the General Counsel may have direct communication and independent consultation with the Board of Directors.

This is a qualifications-based solicitation. Respondents are encouraged, but not required, to include proposed rate or fee information in their initial response. Such information may be requested of respondents during the review process. Fee structure and terms of the engagement will be finalized through negotiation with the selected respondent. Strategic HFC’s final decision will be made on overall best value for services, as outlined in Evaluation and Selection criteria below.

2. About the Corporation

Strategic HFC supports the development of affordable housing. The Corporation is a nonprofit entity established under Texas law, created by Travis County pursuant to the Texas Housing Finance Corporations Act. Through the issuance of private activity bonds, participation in public-private partnerships, and other innovative financing mechanisms, the Corporation works to make affordable rental housing in Travis County financially feasible. At present, the Corporation participates in 24 partnerships providing over 4,400 units of housing.

Strategic HFC is governed by a board of directors appointed by the Travis County Commissioners’ Court, supported by its own staff and organizational infrastructure. Additional information about the Corporation is available at StrategicHFC.org.

3. Scope of Services

The General Counsel will be expected to provide, at a minimum, the services described below.

Where specialized expertise is required, the General Counsel will coordinate and may oversee outside counsel rather than provide those services directly. Please note that the Corporation has transactional counsel in place for core housing finance functions (partnership counsel, bond counsel, and tax counsel). These services are outside the scope of the present RFQ.

A. Governance

• Review resolutions and agenda language for monthly Board meetings (excluding transaction-specific resolutions handled by specialized counsel).
• Advise on compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and the Texas Public Information Act, including interaction with the Office of the Attorney General on public information requests as needed.
• Advise on and interpret Chapter 394 of the Texas Local Government Code as it applies to the Corporation's powers, governance, and activities.
• Advise on bylaws, articles of incorporation, and related corporate governance matters.
• Advise on conflict-of-interest questions involving Board members and staff.

B. Operations

• Advise on contracts, employment matters, commercial leases, and similar operational needs.
• Coordinate with the Corporation's independent auditor as needed.
• Review legal invoices to ensure they are directed to the proper legal entity, and/or identify costs to be reimbursed by affiliate entities.
• Manage changes of address and registered agent information for legal notices, appraisal district records, and similar filings.

C. Risk Management

• Monitor the Corporation’s governance, operations, and internal policies to identify risks and recommend potential mitigants.
• Advise the Corporation to ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Recommend strategies to maintain adequate legal and operational distinction between the Corporation and its affiliated entities.
• Advise on insurance coverage and support staff coordination with insurance carriers.

D. Litigation

• Prepare pre-litigation documents such as demand letters.
• Handle minor litigation, such as motions to dismiss, code violation matters, and vendor or insurance disputes.
• Maintain awareness of indemnification provisions in the Corporation’s partnership agreements and make requests for indemnification as appropriate.
• Manage the Corporation's internal discovery processes for any ongoing litigation.

E. Coordination of Outside Counsel

• In coordination with board and staff, help identify and scope legal needs best fulfilled by outside counsel.
• In compliance with the Corporation’s procurement policy, identify qualified candidates for specialized counsel and assist the organization in assessing and selecting counsel. This may include supporting the preparation and administration of solicitations (RFPs/RFQs) for legal services.
• Negotiate or advise on negotiation of agreements with outside counsel.
• As requested, serve as the primary point of contact for outside counsel and coordinate their work with staff and the Board.
• Provide general monitoring of outside counsel services and serve as additional reviewer on significant legal documents.
• Advise staff and the Board regarding the work of outside counsel, including reasonable expectations and effective communication.

The scope above is illustrative rather than exhaustive. From time to time, the General Counsel may be asked to perform other legal work related to the Corporation's operations.

4. Qualifications

Respondents should demonstrate the following:

• Licensure and good standing. All attorneys performing work under the engagement must be licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of Texas (or, for firms with out-of-state attorneys, identify which Texas-licensed attorneys would lead the engagement).
• Affordable housing experience. Familiarity with affordable housing finance and development structures (for example, tax-exempt bond financings, low-income housing tax credits, and public-private partnership structures) is preferred, given the General Counsel's role coordinating specialized transaction counsel.
• Housing finance corporation or similar entity expertise. Knowledge of and experience with Texas housing finance corporations organized under Chapter 394 of the Texas Local Government Code, or a demonstrated plan to become rapidly familiar with Chapter 394 and its application to the Corporation's structure and transactions. Respondents should describe any prior representation of housing finance corporations, public facility corporations, housing authorities, or similar public or quasi-public housing entities.
• Public entity experience. Familiarity with the governance of public and quasi-public entities, and specifically with the Texas Open Meetings Act and the Texas Public Information Act.
• Experience serving as General Counsel or providing similar services, including but not limited to supporting general operations, assessing and mitigating organizational risk, and coordinating outside counsel.
• Governance Experience. Experience advising formal decision-making bodies such as boards of directors or elected officials on matters of governance.
• Capacity and availability. Ability to consistently provide approximately 5 to 15 hours per week of service. Ability to absorb additional work during periods of higher volume.
• Availability for In-Person Meetings. Availability to physically attend monthly Board meetings and other periodic meetings as needed.

5. Response Requirements

Responses should be no more than 30 pages, and should include the following, in the order listed:

• Cover letter. Identification of the firm or individual attorney, principal office location, primary contact, and a statement of interest.
• Firm and attorney background. An overview of the firm or practice and resumes or biographies for each attorney who would perform work under the engagement, including bar admission dates and status.
• Relevant experience. A description of all experience relevant to Section 4, including specific representative engagements. Identify the role your firm played in each.
• Approach. A brief description of how the respondent would staff and deliver General Counsel services at the anticipated 5 to 15 hours per week, including the primary point of contact, expectations around responsiveness, and approach to coordinating specialized outside counsel. The approach should include an indication of how the respondent would plan to handle temporary surges in demand during periods of increased need.
• References. At least three (3) client references, preferably public or quasi-public entities, with contact names, titles, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
• Rate and fee information (encouraged but not required). Proposed hourly rates by timekeeper, any proposed retainer or blended-rate structure, and billing practices for expenses.
• Conflicts of interest. Disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the Corporation, its Board members, its affiliated entities, or its development partners, and the respondent's approach to identifying and resolving conflicts. If the respondent currently serves as transactional or litigation counsel for the Corporation, describe how any potential conflicts arising from the dual role would be managed.
• Disciplinary history. Disclosure of any professional disciplinary actions, malpractice claims, or grievances within the past ten (10) years involving any attorney proposed for this engagement, or a statement that there are none.

6. Anticipated Procurement Schedule

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Requests for additional information and interviews of finalists may follow initial review of responses. The Corporation reserves the right to modify this schedule at its discretion. Any modifications will be communicated by addendum posted at StrategicHFC.org/partnerships/rfp.

7. Questions and Submission Instructions

Questions. All questions concerning this RFQ must be submitted in writing by email to Katie Adams, Director of Finance & Administration, at [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. CT on Monday, August 3, 2026. To maintain a fair and impartial process, respondents should not contact Board members or other staff regarding this RFQ. Consolidated written answers to all substantive questions received by the deadline will be posted without attribution by Monday, August 10, 2026, at StrategicHFC.org/partnerships/rfp. Respondents are responsible for checking the website for the posted answers and any addenda before submitting a response. Questions of a purely administrative nature (for example, confirming receipt of a submission) may be answered individually.

Submission. Responses must be submitted by email in PDF format to Katie Adams, Director of Finance & Administration, at [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. CT on Friday, August 28, 2026, with the subject line “Response to RFQ 2026-GC: General Counsel.” Responses received after the deadline may be rejected. Respondents are responsible for confirming receipt.

8. Evaluation and Selection

Responses will be reviewed internally by Corporation staff. Finalists will be presented to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, who will make a recommendation for consideration by the full board. The Corporation may, at its discretion, request additional information from respondents, or interview one or more finalists before selection. In evaluating responses, the Corporation will consider the following criteria:

• Qualifications and expertise of the attorneys proposed for the engagement.
• Relevant firm experience.
• Soundness of the proposed approach to delivering General Counsel services and coordinating outside counsel.
• Quality of references.
• Cost-effectiveness.
• Availability for in-person participation in meetings as needed, with preference given to respondents with local or Texas offices.
• Absence of conflicts of interest, or a credible plan for managing potential conflicts.

9. General Conditions

• This RFQ does not commit the Corporation to award an engagement, pay any costs incurred in preparing a response, or procure or contract for services. All costs of responding are the sole responsibility of the respondent.
• The Corporation reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses in whole or in part, to waive informalities or minor irregularities, to request clarification or additional information from any respondent, to negotiate with one or more respondents, and to reissue or cancel this RFQ at any time.
• Responses become the property of the Corporation upon submission and may be subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. Respondents should clearly mark any information claimed to be confidential or proprietary; the Corporation will handle such claims in accordance with applicable law.
• The Corporation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected class in its procurement activities.

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