§ 50. Homeless intervention contracts. 1. The commissioner shall, within the amounts appropriated therefor, select through a competitive request-for-proposal process, local social services districts and not-for-profit corporations serving homeless and at-risk households to provide homelessness intervention services to homeless and at-risk households. In order to ensure that contracts are awarded and services provided in geographic areas of the state to homeless and at risk households in greatest need, and to maximize the effect of state funds, the commissioner shall, prior to entering into a contract with an eligible applicant pursuant to this section, consider the extent to which existing homelessness intervention services are available in the local social services district and the extent to which these services should be expanded. 2. The commissioner shall require eligible applicants to submit operating plans in order to receive funding pursuant to this article. Such plans shall include:

(a) a description of the homeless intervention services to be provided, including procedures for intake, referral, outreach, the provision of services, follow-up and anticipated outcomes;

(b) the specific population that will be served and how the services provided will address the population's special needs;

(c) a description of the manner in which coordination with other federal, state, local and privately funded services will be achieved; and

(d) a description of how the services will be designed to assist households transition from a reliance on outside interventions and move toward housing stability and economic self reliance. 3. Prior to entering into a contract pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall determine that the eligible applicant is a bona fide organization which shall have demonstrated by its past and current activities that it has the ability to provide such services, that the organization is financially responsible and that the operating plan is appropriate for the needs of households to be served.