3968 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 15 / Monday, January 25, 2010 / Notices 

nominated by the public when making 

its selection. 

Dated: January 15, 2010. 

Charles M. Steele, 

Deputy Director, Financial Crimes 

Enforcement Network. 

[FR Doc. 2010–1260 Filed 1–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Fund Availability Under the VA 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Program 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) is announcing the 

availability of funds for applications for 

assistance under the Capital Grant 

component of VA’s Homeless Providers 

Grant and Per Diem Program. This 

Notice contains information concerning 

the program, funding priorities, 

application process, and amount of 

funding available. 

Applicants who do not require 

funding for acquisition, renovation or 

new construction to create new housing 

for homeless veterans should not 

respond to this Notice of Funding 

Availability (NOFA). Per Diem-Only 

(PDO) funding will not be given under 

this notice. If your agency is in need of 

funding for operations-only, your 

agency should apply under a Grant and 

Per Diem; PDO Funding Notice. 

DATES: An original completed and 

collated capital grant application (plus 

three completed collated copies) for 

assistance under VA’s Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem Program 

must be received in the Grant and Per 

Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern 

Time on March 31, 2010. Applications 

may not be sent by facsimile (FAX). 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 material to avoid 

any risk of loss of eligibility due to 

unanticipated delays, computer service 

outages (in the case of Grants.gov), or 

other delivery-related problems. 

For a Copy of the Application 

Package: Download directly from VA’s 

Grant and Per Diem Program Web page 

at: http://www.va.gov/homeless/ or 

http://www.grants.gov/. Questions 

should be referred to the Grant and Per 

Diem Program at (toll-free) 1–877–332– 

0334. For a document relating to VA’s 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program, see the Final Rule published 

in the Federal Register on September 

26, 2003. 

Submission of Application: An 

original completed and collated grant 

application (plus three copies) and a 

cover letter clearly stating under which 

funding priority (see funding priorities) 

applicants wish to be considered must 

be submitted to the following address: 

VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Field Office, 10770 North 46th 

Street, Suite C–200, Tampa, FL 33617. 

Applications must be received in the 

Grant and Per Diem Field office by the 

application deadline. This includes 

applications submitted through 

Grants.gov. 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 or not funded. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Chelsea Watson, VA Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770 

North 46th Street, Suite C–200, Tampa, 

FL 33617, or you may call (toll-free) 1– 

877–332–0334. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

Notice announces the availability of 

capital funds for assistance under VA’s 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program for eligible entities to: (1) 

Expand existing transitional housing 

projects; or (2) develop new transitional 

housing programs. Supportive service 

centers will not be considered in this 

NOFA. Funding applied for under the 

capital grant component may be used 

for: (1) Remodeling or alteration of 

existing buildings; (2) acquisition or 

rehabilitation of buildings; (3) new 

construction; and (4) acquisition of vans 

(in connection with a new grant and per 

diem grant project) for outreach to and 

transportation for homeless veterans. 

Funding sought under this Notice is 

authorized by the ‘‘Homeless Veterans 

Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001,’’ 

Public Law 107–95, § 5, codified as 

amended at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2013, 

2061, 2064. For eligibility criteria please 

refer to 38 CFR part 61. 

Capital grant applicants may not 

receive assistance to replace funds 

provided by any State or local 

government to assist homeless persons. 

Note: Applicants considering the use of 

Low Income Housing Tax Credits in 

conjunction with the capital grants in 

this NOFA should take into account that 

these tax credits are often used for 

permanent housing projects. Permanent 

housing is not an eligible activity under 

VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Program. Other issues such as site 

control, leases for residents, and using 

the grant funds as a loan may be 

problematic to applicants even if 

transitional housing is provided, and 

upon review and discovery may result 

in the application being denied. 

A proposal for an existing project that 

seeks to shift its focus by changing the 

population being served or the precise 

mix of services being offered is not 

eligible for consideration. No more than 

25 percent of housing and services 

available in projects funded through this 

grant program may be provided to 

clients who are not receiving those 

services as veterans. 

VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for 

the Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Program. The Department expects 

to award approximately $24 million 

under the capital grant component. 

Funding available under this NOFA is 

being offered to help offset the capital 

expenses of existing State and local 

governments, Indian Tribal 

Governments, faith-based and 

community-based organizations that are 

capable of creating and providing 

supported transitional housing for 

homeless veterans. The District of 

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, and any territory or possession of 

the United States, are considered 

eligible entities under the definition of 

‘‘State’’ in the Final Rule, § 61.1 

Definitions. 

Note, all organizations that are 

conditionally selected will be requested 

to submit the second submission 

portion of the application package. In 

order to be considered eligible for 

funding, organizations must 

demonstrate in the second submission 

firm commitments to match 35 percent 

of the total project cost or the difference 

between the total project cost and what 

is requested from VA, whichever is 

greater. 

Per diem for these programs is 

requested in the grant application and 

may be paid at the time of grant project 

completion. It should be noted that VA 

per diem payment is limited to the 

applicant’s cost of care per eligible 

veteran minus other sources of 

payments to the applicant for furnishing 

services to homeless veterans up to the 

per day rate VA pays for State Home 

Domiciliary care. Awardees will be 

required to support their request for per 

diem payment with adequate fiscal 

documentation as to program income 

and expenses. 

Interested organizations should know 

that the vast majority of homeless 

veterans in this country suffer from 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 15 / Monday, January 25, 2010 / Notices 3969 

mental illness or substance abuse 

disorders or are dually diagnosed with 

both mental illness and substance abuse 

disorders. In addition, many homeless 

veterans have serious medical problems. 

The recent events associated with the 

Nation’s returning Operation Enduring 

Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom 

(OEF/OIF) veterans further emphasizes 

the need for collaboration with VA 

medical centers, VA community-based 

outpatient clinics or other health care 

providers as well as with VA and other 

benefit providers to ensure that 

homeless veterans have access to 

appropriate health care services. VA 

considers this program an important 

part of our effort to end chronic 

homelessness among all veterans. 

It is important to be aware that VA 

places great emphasis on responsibility 

and accountability. VA has procedures 

in place to verify the completion of the 

capital grant as well as monitor services 

provided to homeless veterans and 

outcomes associated with the services 

provided in grant and per diem-funded 

programs. Applicants should be aware 

of the following: 

All awardees that are conditionally 

selected in response to this NOFA must 

meet the requirements of the current 

edition of the Life Safety Code of the 

National Fire Protection Association as 

it relates to their specific facility. 

Applicants should note that all facilities 

are to be protected throughout by an 

approved automatic sprinkler system 

unless a facility is specifically exempted 

under the Life Safety Code. Applicants 

should make consideration of this when 

submitting their capital grant 

applications. VA will conduct an 

inspection prior to awardees being able 

to submit requests for per diem payment 

to ensure this requirement is met. 

Upon capital grant completion each 

program seeking per diem will have a 

liaison appointed from a nearby VA 

medical facility to provide oversight and 

monitor services provided to homeless 

veterans in the per diem-funded 

program. 

Monitoring will include at a 

minimum an annual review of each per 

diem program’s progress toward 

meeting internal goals and objectives in 

helping veterans attain housing 

stability, adequate income support, and 

self-sufficiency as identified in each per 

diem program’s original application. 

Monitoring will also include a review of 

the agency’s income and expenses as 

they relate to this project to ensure per 

diem payment is accurate. 

Each per diem-funded program will 

participate in VA’s National Program 

Monitoring and Evaluation System 

administered by VA’s Northeast 

Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). 

NEPEC’s monitoring procedures will be 

used to determine successful 

accomplishment of these housing 

outcomes for each per diem-funded 

program. 

Authority: Funding applied for under 

this Notice is authorized by the 

‘‘Homeless Veterans Comprehensive 

Assistance Act of 2001,’’ Public Law 

107–95, § 5, codified as amended at 38 

U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2061, 2064. 

The program is implemented by the 

Final Rule codified at 38 CFR part 61.0. 

The regulations can be found in 38 CFR 

61.0 through 61.82. Funds made 

available under this Notice are subject 

to the requirements of the 

aforementioned regulations. 

Allocation: Approximately $24 

million is available for the capital grant 

component. Capital grant awards will be 

limited to transitional housing projects; 

service center programs will not be 

considered in this round. Vans must be 

directly connected to a new grant and 

per diem Grant project and will be 

limited to one per project number. Per 

diem payments to capital grant 

recipients are subject to the availability 

of funds and recipients maintaining the 

program for which the grant was 

awarded. 

Funding Priorities: VA establishes the 

following funding priorities in order to: 

(1) Implement the provisions of Public 

Law 107–95 regarding geographical 

dispersion and non-duplication of 

service; and (2) bolster capacity in areas 

that are underserved by the Grant and 

Per Diem Program. These areas may 

have high populations of homeless 

veterans and limited services to address 

homeless veterans’ needs. These areas 

can include both urban and rural areas 

but may be particularly prevalent 

outside the high population areas. 

VA is offering to eligible applicants 

funding priorities for transitional 

housing and services for (1) women 

veterans and women veterans caring for 

dependent children and (2) Indian 

Tribal Governments or non-profit 

agencies that will provide transitional 

housing and services on Indian Tribal 

Property. In addition, VA is encouraging 

interested State and local governments, 

faith-based and community-based 

organizations to apply for funding under 

this NOFA. In this round of capital grant 

funding, VA expects to award funding 

to create approximately 1,000 

community-based supported housing 

beds. 

Funding priority 1. VA is offering the 

opportunity for providers who are 

willing to create new projects (30 beds 

or less) specifically for women veterans 

and women veterans with care of 

dependent children only. Of those 

eligible entities in the first funding 

priority that are legally fundable, the 

highest scoring applicants will be 

funded first until approximately $3 

million is awarded. Applicants not 

funded in this priority will be 

considered in the third funding priority. 

Should not enough eligible projects be 

funded under the first funding priority, 

funds not expended in this priority will 

fall to the third funding priority. 

Funding priority 2. VA is offering the 

opportunity to Indian Tribal 

Governments or non-profit agencies that 

will provide transitional housing and 

services on Indian Tribal Property to 

apply for funding under this NOFA to 

create transitional housing and services 

for homeless veterans. Eligible entities 

that are Indian Tribal Governments or 

non-profit agencies willing to provide 

transitional housing and services on 

Indian Tribal Property will be 

considered in the second funding 

priority as applicable. Of those eligible 

entities in the second funding priority 

that are legally fundable, the highest 

scoring applicants will be funded first 

until approximately $2 million is 

awarded. Applicants not funded in this 

priority will be placed in the third 

funding priority. Should not enough 

eligible projects be funded under the 

second funding priority, funds not 

expended in this priority will fall to the 

third funding priority. Note: Non-profit 

agencies who apply under this priority 

will be required to provide a letter of 

assurance from the Indian Tribal 

Government that if funded the provision 

of service will occur on Indian Tribal 

Property. 

Funding priority 3. VA is encouraging 

interested State and local governments, 

non-profit organizations and State and 

local governments that have been 

selected to utilize buildings on VA 

Medical Center grounds under the 

Secretary’s Enhanced Use Lease 

Program initiative for housing homeless 

veterans, faith-based, and communitybased organizations, as well as eligible 

entities located in the District of 

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, or any territory or possession of 

the United States, to apply for funding 

under this NOFA to create transitional 

housing and services for all homeless 

veterans. Eligible entities that are State 

and local governments, Indian Tribal 

Governments, Enhanced Use Lease 

organizations, faith-based, and 

community-based organizations, or any 

territory or possession of the United 

States, will be considered in the third 

funding priority as applicable. Of those 

eligible entities that are legally 

fundable, the highest-ranked 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
3970 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 15 / Monday, January 25, 2010 / Notices 

applications for which funding is 

available, will be conditionally selected 

for eligibility to receive a capital grant 

in accordance with their ranked order 

until funding is expended 

(approximately $19 million). 

Methodology: VA will review all 

capital grant applications in response to 

this Notice of funding availability as 

follows: VA will group the applicants 

into the funding priority categories as 

applicable. Applicants will then be 

ranked within their respective funding 

category based on score and any ranking 

criteria set forth in that funding category 

only if the applicant scores at least 600 

cumulative points, and receive points 

under the criteria in paragraphs (b), (c), 

(d), (e) and (i) of § 61.13. 

The highest-ranked application for 

which funding is available, within the 

highest funding category, will be 

conditionally selected in accordance 

with their ranked order until VA 

reaches the projected amount of funding 

for each category. If funds are still 

available after selection of those 

applications in the highest priority 

group, VA will continue to 

conditionally select applicants in lower 

priority categories in accordance with 

the selection method set forth in the 

Final Rule § 61.14. 

Application Requirements: 

Applicants must include a cover letter 

clearly stating under which funding 

priority they wish to be considered. 

Non-profit agencies who apply under 

funding priority two are required to 

provide a letter of assurance from the 

Indian Tribal Government stating that if 

funded the provision of service will 

occur on Indian Tribal Property. The 

grant application requirements will be 

specified in the application package. 

Applicants should be careful to 

complete the proper application 

package. Submission of the incorrect or 

incomplete application package will 

result in the application being rejected 

at threshold. The packages include all 

required forms and certifications. 

Selections will be made based on 

criteria described in the application, 

Final Rule, and NOFA. Applicants who 

are conditionally selected will be 

notified of any additional information 

needed to confirm or clarify information 

provided in the application. Applicants 

will then be notified of the deadline to 

submit such information. If an applicant 

is unable to meet any conditions for 

grant award within the specified time 

frame, VA reserves the right to not 

award funds and to use the funds 

available for other grant and per diem 

applicants. 

Dated: January 11, 2010. 

John R. Gingrich, 

Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2010–1296 Filed 1–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Fund Availability Under the VA 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Program 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) is announcing the 

availability of funds for applications for 

assistance under the ‘‘Per Diem-Only’’ 

(PDO) component of VA’s Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. 

This Notice contains information 

concerning the program, funding 

priorities, application process, and 

amount of funding available. 

DATES: An original completed and 

collated grant application (plus three 

completed collated copies) for 

assistance under the VA’s Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem Program 

must be received in the Grant and Per 

Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern 

Time on Wednesday, March 31, 2010. 

Applications may not be sent by 

facsimile (FAX). 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 

material to avoid the risk of loss of 

eligibility due to unanticipated delays 

or other delivery-related problems. 

For a Copy of the Application 

Package: Download directly from VA’s 

Grant and Per Diem Program Web page 

at: http://www.va.gov/homeless/ or 

http://www.grants.gov/. Questions 

should be referred to the Grant and Per 

Diem Program at (toll-free) 1–877–332– 

0334. For information relating to the VA 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program, see the Final Rule published 

in the Federal Register on September 

26, 2003. 

Submission of Application: An 

original completed and collated grant 

application (plus three copies) and a 

cover letter clearly stating under which 

funding priority applicants (see funding 

priorities) wish to be considered must 

be submitted to the following address: 

VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per 

Diem Field Office, 10770 N. 46th Street, 

Suite C–200, Tampa, FL 33617. 

Applications must be received in the 

Grant and Per Diem Field office by the 

application deadline. This includes 

applications submitted through 

Grants.gov. 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 or not funded. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Chelsea Watson, VA Homeless 

Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770 

N. 46th Street, Suite C–200, Tampa, FL 

33617; (toll-free) 1–877–332–0334. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

Notice announces the availability of 

funds for assistance under VA’s 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program for eligible programs that have 

not previously applied for or received 

per diem in connection with a grant (see 

38 CFR 61.1 through 61.82). Funding 

applied for under this Notice is 

authorized by Public Law 109–461, Sec. 

703, known as the Veterans Benefit, 

Health Care and Information 

Technology Act of 2006, and by the 

‘‘Homeless Veterans Comprehensive 

Assistance Act of 2001,’’ Public Law 

107–95, § 5, codified as amended at 38 

U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2013, 2061, 2064, 

and may be used for aid for supportive 

housing. Service centers will not be 

funded in this NOFA. Funding will be 

in the form of per diem payments issued 

to eligible entities from the date of the 

award and will continue subject to 

availability of funds and the recipients’ 

compliance with 38 CFR 61.1 through 

61.82. For eligibility criteria, please 

refer to Final Rule published in the 

Federal Register on September 26, 2003, 

38 CFR 61.30, 61.31, and 61.32. 

VA expects that it will take no longer 

than 90 days from the date of award for 

projects to be inspected and become 

operational. Failure to meet the 90-day 

milestone may result in the per diem 

award being terminated. 

Capital grant recipients who received 

capital grant funding under VA’s 

Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 

Program in years 1994 through 2009 for 

acquisition, renovation or new 

construction should not respond to this 

NOFA. Per diem payments for those 

portions of their programs that were 

created with capital grant funds is 

requested in the capital grant 

application and paid at the time of the 

capital grant project completion and 

inspection. 

Previous PDO recipients that renewed 

their PDO grants in 2005, 2007, or 2008 

need not reapply to continue these 

projects. 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES