[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 231 (Thursday, December 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74849-74852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30778]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Fund Availability Under the Supportive Services for Veteran
Families Program
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the
availability of funds for supportive services grants under the
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. This Notice
contains information concerning the SSVF Program, initial and renewal
supportive services grant application processes, and amount of funding
available.
DATES: Applications for initial and renewal supportive services grants
under the SSVF Program must be received by the SSVF Program Office by 4
p.m. Eastern Time on February 15, 2012. In the interest of fairness to
all competing applicants, this deadline is firm as to date and hour,
and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any application that
is received after the deadline. Applicants should take this practice
into account and make early submission of their materials to avoid any
risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated delays,
computer service outages, or other delivery-related problems.
For a Copy of the Application Packages: Download directly from the
SSVF Program web page at: http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/SSVF.asp.
Questions should be referred to the SSVF Program Office via phone at
(877) 737-0111 (this is a toll-free number) or via email at
SSVF@va.gov. For detailed SSVF Program information and requirements,
see the Final Rule published in the Federal Register (75 FR 68975) on
November 10, 2010 (Final Rule), which is codified in 38 CFR Part 62.
Submission of Applications: Five completed, collated, hard copies
of the application and two compact discs (CDs) containing electronic
versions of the entire application are required. Each application copy
must be (i) fastened with a binder clip; (ii) contain tabs listing the
major sections of and exhibits to the application; and, (iii) placed in
a separate manila folder labeled with the applicant's name. Each CD
must be labeled with the applicant's name and must contain an
electronic copy of the entire application. The Excel budget template
must be attached in Excel format on the CD, but all other application
materials may be attached in a PDF or other format. The application
copies and CDs must be submitted to the following address: Supportive
Services for Veteran Families Program Office, National Center on
Homelessness Among Veterans, 4100 Chester Avenue, Suite 201,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. This requirement for submission of five hard
copies and two CDs also applies to applicants who submit via
Grants.gov. Applications may not be sent by facsimile (FAX).
Applications must be received in the SSVF Program Office by the
application deadline. Applications must arrive as a complete package.
Materials arriving separately will not be included in the application
package for consideration and may result in the application being
rejected. To encourage the equitable distribution of supportive
services grants across geographic regions, in accordance with Sec.
62.23(d)(2) of the Final Rule, an eligible entity may apply for a total
of $1 million per year in grant funding per state. See Section E of
this Notice for maximum allowable grant amounts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kuhn, Supportive Services for
Veteran Families Program Office, National Center on Homelessness Among
Veterans, 4100 Chester Avenue, Suite 201, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
((877) 737-0111 (this is a toll-free number); SSVF@va.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice announces the availability of
funds for supportive services grants under the SSVF Program and
pertains to proposals for initial and renewal supportive services grant
programs. Please refer to the Final Rule, published in the Federal
Register (75 FR 68975) on November 10, 2010, which is codified in 38
CFR Part 62, for detailed SSVF Program information and requirements.
Purpose: The SSVF Program's purpose is to provide
supportive services grants to private non-profit organizations and
consumer cooperatives who will coordinate or provide supportive
services to very low-income veteran families who: (i) Are residing in
permanent housing, (ii) are homeless and scheduled to become residents
of permanent housing within a specified time period, or (iii) after
exiting permanent housing within a specified time period, are seeking
other housing that is responsive to such very low-income veteran
family's needs and preferences.
Definitions: Sections 62.2 and 62.11(a) of the Final Rule
contain definitions of terms used in the SSVF Program. Definitions of
key terms are also provided below for reference; however, the Final
Rule should be consulted for all definitions.
Consumer cooperative has the meaning given such term in section 202
of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q).
Eligible entity means a: (1) Private non-profit organization, or
(2) consumer cooperative.
Homeless has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).
Occupying permanent housing means meeting any of the conditions set
forth in Sec. 62.11(a) of the Final Rule. Note: In accordance with
Sec. 62.11(a) of the Final Rule, a very low-income veteran family will
be considered to be occupying permanent housing if the very low-income
veteran family: (1) Is residing in permanent housing; (2) is homeless
and scheduled to become a resident of permanent housing within 90 days
pending the location or development of housing suitable for permanent
housing; or (3) has exited permanent housing within the previous 90
days to seek other housing that is responsive to the very low-income
veteran family's needs and preferences. For limitations on and
continuations of the provision of supportive services to participants
classified under categories (2) and (3), see Sec. 62.35 of the Final
Rule.
Participant means a very low-income veteran family occupying
permanent housing who is receiving supportive services from a grantee.
Permanent housing means community-based housing without a
designated length of stay. Examples of permanent housing include, but
are not limited to, a house or apartment with a month-to-month or
annual lease term or home ownership.
Private non-profit organization means any of the following:
(1) An incorporated private institution or foundation that: (i) Has
no part of the net earnings that inure to the benefit of any member,
founder, contributor, or individual; (ii) has a governing board that is
responsible for the operation of the supportive services provided under
this part; and (iii) is approved by VA as to financial responsibility.
(2) A for-profit limited partnership, the sole general partner of
which is an organization meeting the requirements of paragraphs (1)(i),
(ii) and (iii) of this definition.
(3) A corporation wholly owned and controlled by an organization
meeting the requirements of paragraphs (1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this
definition.
(4) A tribally designated housing entity (as defined in section 4
of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of
1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)).
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Supportive services means any of the following provided to address
the needs of a participant:
(1) Outreach services as specified under Sec. 62.30 of the Final
Rule;
(2) Case management services as specified under Sec. 62.31 of the
Final Rule;
(3) Assisting participants in obtaining VA benefits as specified
under Sec. 62.32 of the Final Rule;
(4) Assisting participants in obtaining and coordinating other
public benefits as specified under Sec. 62.33 of the Final Rule; and
(5) Other services as specified under Sec. 62.34 of the Final
Rule.
Very low-income veteran family means a veteran family whose annual
income, as determined in accordance with 24 CFR 5.609, does not exceed
50 percent of the median income for an area or community. The median
income for an area or community will be determined using the income
limits most recently published by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) for programs under section 8 of the United States
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) (http://www.huduser.org).
Veteran means a person who served in the active military, naval, or
air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under
conditions other than dishonorable.
Veteran family means a veteran who is a single person or a family
in which the head of household, or the spouse of the head of household,
is a veteran.
Approach: Grantees will be expected to leverage supportive
services grant funds to enhance the housing stability of very low-
income veteran families who are occupying permanent housing. In doing
so, grantees are encouraged to establish relationships with the local
community's Continuum of Care. (HUD defines a Continuum of Care as, ``a
community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the
specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable
housing and maximize self-sufficiency. It includes action steps to end
homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness.'') The aim of the
provision of supportive services is to assist very low-income veteran
families residing in permanent housing to remain stably housed and to
rapidly transition to stable housing (i) very low-income veteran
families who are homeless and scheduled to become residents of
permanent housing within 90 days, including those leaving VA's Homeless
Providers Grant and Per Diem projects and (ii) very low-income veteran
families who have exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days
to seek other housing that is responsive to their needs and
preferences. Accordingly, VA encourages eligible entities skilled in
facilitating housing stability and currently operating rapid re-housing
programs (i.e., administering HUD's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid
Re-Housing Program (HPRP) funds or other comparable Federal or
community resources) to apply for supportive services grants. The SSVF
Program is not intended to provide long-term support for participants,
nor will it be able to address all of the financial and supportive
services needs of participants that affect housing stability. Rather,
when participants require long-term support, grantees should focus on
connecting such participants to mainstream Federal and community
resources (e.g., HUD-VA Supported Housing (VASH) program, HUD Housing
Choice Voucher programs, McKinney-Vento funded supportive housing
programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), etc.) that
can provide ongoing support as required.
Authority: Funding applied for under this Notice is
authorized by 38 U.S.C. 2044 as amended by the Veterans' Health Care
Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011, Public Law 112-37, Sec.
12. The SSVF Program is implemented by the Final Rule codified at 38
CFR part 62. The regulations can be found in 38 CFR 62.1 through 62.81.
Funds made available under this Notice are subject to the requirements
of the aforementioned regulations and other applicable laws and
regulations.
Allocation: Approximately $100 million is available for
initial and renewal supportive services grants to be funded under this
Notice for a 1-year period. The following requirements apply to
supportive services grants awarded under this Notice:
1. Each grant cannot exceed $1 million per year.
2. The total amount of supportive services grant funds awarded to a
grantee (via one or multiple awards) cannot exceed $1 million per state
per year.
3. The total amount of supportive services grant funds awarded to a
grantee (via multiple awards) cannot exceed $3 million nationwide per
year.
Supportive Services Grant Award Period: All supportive
services grants awarded under this Notice will be for a 1-year period.
Requirements for the Use of Supportive Services Grant
Funds: The grantee's request for funding must be consistent with the
limitations and uses of supportive services grant funds set forth in
the Final Rule and this Notice. In accordance with the Final Rule and
this Notice, the following requirements apply to supportive services
grants awarded under this Notice:
1. Grantees may use a maximum of 10 percent of supportive services
grant funds for administrative costs identified in Sec. 62.70 of the
Final Rule.
2. Grantees must use a minimum of 60 percent of supportive services
grant funds to serve very low-income veteran families who either (i)
are homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing
within 90 days pending the location or development of housing suitable
for permanent housing, as described in Sec. 62.11(a)(2) of the Final
Rule, or (ii) have exited permanent housing within the previous 90 days
to seek other housing that is responsive to their needs and
preferences, as described in Sec. 62.11(a)(3) of the Final Rule.
3. Grantees may utilize a maximum of 30 percent of supportive
services grant funds to provide the supportive service of temporary
financial assistance paid directly to a third party on behalf of a
participant for child care, transportation, rental assistance, utility-
fee payment assistance, security deposits, utility deposits, moving
costs, and emergency supplies in accordance with Sec. Sec. 62.33 and
62.34 of the Final Rule.
Guidance for the Use of Supportive Services Grant Funds:
Grantees are encouraged to consider the following guidance for the use
of supportive services grant funds:
1. When serving participants who (i) are homeless and scheduled to
become residents of permanent housing or (ii) have exited permanent
housing in order to seek other housing that is responsive to their
needs and preferences, in addition to the required supportive services
pursuant to Sec. Sec. 62.30-62.33 of the Final Rule, grantees may
focus on providing the following supportive services: housing
counseling; assisting participants in understanding leases; securing
utilities; making moving arrangements; representative payee services
concerning rent and utilities; and mediation and outreach to property
owners related to locating or retaining housing as per Sec. 62.34 of
the Final Rule. Grantees may also assist participants by providing
rental assistance, security or utility deposits, moving costs or
emergency supplies, using other Federal resources, such as the HPRP
Program, or supportive services grant funds subject to the limitations
described in this Notice and Sec. 62.34 of the Final Rule.
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2. When serving participants who are residing in permanent housing,
it is helpful to remember that the defining question to ask is: ``Would
this individual or family be homeless but for this assistance?'' To aid
grantees in targeting SSVF Program funds toward very low-income veteran
families most at risk of becoming homeless, a number of potential
``risk factors'' are listed below that could indicate a higher risk of
becoming homeless. This list contains examples of some commonly
identified risk factors for homelessness from scholarly research and
practical experience drawn from existing homelessness prevention
programs. One way a grantee could use these factors would be to require
that a participant demonstrate some combination of the risk factors to
qualify for assistance. Grantees should note that this list is optional
and not exhaustive. Grantees may consider other risk factors or other
ways to target persons at risk of homelessness based on past experience
and available resources. A formalized screening tool should be
developed to assess a very low-income veteran family's risk of
homelessness and to prioritize the provision of supportive services to
those very low-income veteran families most in need. The risk factors
for homelessness for consideration by grantees in developing their
programs are as follows:
a. Eviction within 2 weeks from a private dwelling (including
housing provided by family or friends);
b. Discharge within 2 weeks from an institution in which the person
has been a resident for more than 180 days (including prisons, mental
health institutions, hospitals);
c. Residency in housing that has been condemned by housing
officials and is no longer meant for human habitation;
d. Sudden and significant loss of income;
e. Sudden and significant increase in utility costs;
f. Mental health and substance use issues;
g. Physical disabilities and other chronic health issues, including
HIV/AIDS;
h. Severe housing cost burden (greater than 50 percent of income
for housing costs);
i. Homeless in last 12 months;
j. Young head of household (under 25 with children or pregnant);
k. Current or past involvement with child welfare, including foster
care;
l. Pending foreclosure of rental housing;
m. Extremely low income (less than 30 percent of area median
income);
n. High overcrowding (the number of persons in household exceeds
health and/or safety standards for the housing unit size);
o. Past institutional care (prison, treatment facility, hospital);
p. Recent traumatic life event, such as death of a spouse or
primary care provider, or recent health crisis that prevented the
household from meeting its financial responsibilities;
q. Credit problems that preclude obtaining of housing; or
r. Significant amount of medical debt.
In addition to the required supportive services, supportive
services provided to this category of very low-income veteran families
should focus on the following: housing stabilization, linking
participants to community resources and mainstream benefits, and
helping participants develop a plan for preventing future housing
instability.
3. Where HPRP funds or other funds from community resources are not
readily available, grantees may choose to utilize supportive services
grants, subject to the limitations described in this Notice and in
Sec. Sec. 62.33 and 62.34 of the Final Rule, to provide temporary
financial assistance. Such assistance may, subject to the limitations
in this Notice and the Final Rule, be paid directly to a third party on
behalf of a participant for child care, transportation, rental
assistance, utility-fee payment assistance, security or utility
deposits, moving costs and emergency supplies as necessary.
Funding Priorities: The funding priorities for this Notice
are as follows:
1. Funding Priority 1. Funding Priority 1 is for existing SSVF
Program grantees seeking to renew their supportive services grants. To
be eligible for renewal of a supportive services grant, the grantee's
program must continue to meet the threshold requirements under Sec.
62.21 and remain substantially the same as the program proposed in its
initial application. To be considered ``substantially the same,'' a
renewal application must request a grant amount that is no more or less
than 10 percent of the grantee's current grant award (subject to the
allocation limitations described in Section E of this Notice) and may
include only minor changes in key personnel, target populations,
geographic areas or communities served, and supportive services
offered. (Note: if an existing grantee would like to substantially
modify an existing program, the grantee may submit an initial
application and apply under Funding Priority 2.) An existing grantee
applying for funding for a program that is substantially the same as
their existing program may only apply under Funding Priority 1.
Approximately $60 million is available under Funding Priority 1. Should
not enough applications be funded under Funding Priority 1, funds not
expended in this priority will fall to Funding Priority 2.
2. Funding Priority 2. Funding Priority 2 is for eligible entities
applying for initial supportive services grants.
Supportive Services Grant Application Selection
Methodology: VA will review all initial and renewal supportive services
grant applications in response to this Notice according to the
following steps:
1. Score all applications that meet the threshold requirements
described in Sec. 62.21 of the Final Rule.
2. Group applications within the applicable funding priorities set
forth in Section I of this Notice.
3. Rank those applications in Funding Priority 1 (renewal
supportive services grants) who score at least 85 cumulative points and
receive at least one point under each of the categories identified in
Sec. 62.24, paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of the Final Rule. The
applications will be ranked in order from highest to lowest scores.
4. Rank those applications in Funding Priority 2 (initial
supportive services grants) who score at least 60 cumulative points and
receive at least one point under each of the categories identified in
Sec. 62.22, paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of the Final Rule.
The applications will be ranked in order from highest to lowest scores.
5. Utilize the ranked scores of applications as the primary basis
for selection. However, in accordance with Sec. 62.23(d) of the Final
Rule, VA will utilize the following considerations to select applicants
for funding:
i. Preference applications that provide or coordinate the provision
of supportive services for very low-income veteran families
transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing; and
ii. To the extent practicable, ensure that supportive services
grants are equitably distributed across geographic regions, including
rural communities and tribal lands.
6. Subject to the considerations noted in paragraph J.4. above, VA
will fund the highest-ranked applications for which funding is
available, within the highest funding priority group. To the extent
funding is available and subject to the considerations noted in
paragraph J.4 above, VA will select applications in the next highest
funding priority group based on their rank within that group.
VA's Goals and Objectives for Funds Awarded Under this
Notice: In
[[Page 74852]]
accordance with Sec. 62.22(b)(6) of the Final Rule, VA will evaluate
an applicant's ability to meet VA's goals and objectives for the SSVF
Program. VA's goals and objectives include the provision of supportive
services designed to enhance the housing stability and independent
living skills of very low-income veteran families occupying permanent
housing across geographic regions. For purposes of this Notice, VA's
goals and objectives also include the provision of supportive services
designed to rapidly re-house or prevent homelessness among people in
the following target populations who also meet all requirements for
being part of a very low-income veteran family occupying permanent
housing:
1. Veteran families earning less than 30 percent of area median
income as most recently published by HUD for programs under section 8
of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) (http://www.huduser.org).
2. Veterans with at least one dependent family member.
3. Veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation
Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn.
4. Veteran families located in a rural area.
5. Veteran families located on Indian Tribal Property.
Application Requirements: Additional supportive services
grant application requirements are specified in the initial and renewal
application packages. Submission of an incorrect or incomplete
application package will result in the application being rejected
during threshold review. The application packages contain all required
forms and certifications. Selections will be made based on criteria
described in the Final Rule and this Notice. Applicants and grantees
will be notified of any additional information needed to confirm or
clarify information provided in the application and the deadline by
which to submit such information.
Payments of Supportive Services Grant Funds: Grantees will
receive payments electronically through the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Payment Management System (HHS PMS). Grantees will
have the ability to request payments as frequently as they choose
subject to the following limitations:
1. During the first quarter of the grantee's supportive services
grant award period, the grantee's cumulative requests for supportive
services grant funds may not exceed 35 percent of the total supportive
services grant award without written approval by VA.
2. By the end of the second quarter of the grantee's supportive
services grant award period, the grantee's cumulative requests for
supportive services grant funds may not exceed 60 percent of the total
supportive services grant award without written approval by VA.
3. By the end of the third quarter of the grantee's supportive
services grant award period, the grantee's cumulative requests for
supportive services grant funds may not exceed 80 percent of the total
supportive services grant award without written approval by VA.
4. By the end of the fourth quarter of the grantee's supportive
services grant award period, the grantee's cumulative requests for
supportive services grant funds may not exceed 100 percent of the total
supportive services grant award.
Monitoring: VA places great emphasis on the responsibility
and accountability of grantees. As described in Sec. Sec. 62.23 and
62.71 of the Final Rule, VA has procedures in place to monitor
supportive services provided to participants and outcomes associated
with the supportive services provided under the SSVF Program.
Applicants should be aware of the following:
1. Upon execution of a supportive services grant agreement with VA,
grantees will have a VA regional coordinator assigned by the SSVF
Program Office who will provide oversight and monitor supportive
services provided to participants.
2. Grantees will be required to enter data into a Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS) Web-based software application.
This data will consist of information on the participants served and
types of supportive services provided by grantees. Grantees must treat
the data for activities funded by the SSVF Program separate from that
of activities funded by other programs. Grantees will be required to
work with their HMIS Administrators to export client-level data for
activities funded by the SSVF Program to VA on at least a monthly
basis.
3. Monitoring will also include the submittal of quarterly and
annual financial and performance reports by the grantee. The grantee
will be expected to demonstrate adherence to the grantee's proposed
program concept, as described in the grantee's application.
4. Grantees will be required to provide each participant with a
satisfaction survey which can be submitted by the participant directly
to VA, within 45 to 60 days of the participant's entry into the
grantee's program and again within 30 days of such participant's
pending exit from the grantee's program.
O. Technical Assistance: Information regarding how to obtain
technical assistance with the preparation of an initial or renewal
supportive services grant application is available on the SSVF Program
web page at: http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/SSVF.asp.
Dated: November 21, 2011.
John R. Gingrich,
Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-30778 Filed 11-30-11; 8:45 am]
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