[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3970-3972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1297]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem 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 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, Sec.  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.

[[Page 3971]]

    VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for the Homeless Providers Grant 
and Per Diem Program as a part of the effort to end chronic 
homelessness among our Nation's veterans. The Department expects to 
create approximately 1,200 beds under this NOFA.
    Funding available under this NOFA is being offered to help offset 
the operating expenses of existing State and local governments, Indian 
Tribal Governments, faith-based, and community-based organizations that 
are capable of providing supported housing and supportive services for 
homeless veterans. The District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States, may be 
considered eligible entities under the definition of ``State'' in the 
38 CFR 61.1 Definitions. It should be noted that VA 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 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 
the Nation's returning Operation Enduring Freedom and 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 as an important aspect of ensuring 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 
monitor services provided to homeless veterans and outcomes associated 
with the services provided in grant and per diem-funded programs. VA is 
also implementing new procedures to further this effort. Applicants 
should be aware of the following:
    All awardees that are conditionally selected in response to this 
NOFA must meet the Life Safety Code of the National Fire and Protection 
Association as it relates to their specific facility. Applicants should 
note that all facilities are to be equipped with sprinklers unless they 
are specifically exempted under the Life Safety Code and make 
consideration of this when submitting their grant applications as no 
additional funds will be made available for capital improvements under 
this per diem-only NOFA. VA will conduct an inspection prior to 
awardees being able to submit request for payment to ensure this 
requirement is met.
    Each per diem-funded program 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 least 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). It is the intention of VA to develop 
specific performance targets with respect to housing for homeless 
veterans. 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 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, Sec.  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 their entirety in 
38 CFR, Sec. 61.0 through 61.82. Funds made available under this 
Notice are subject to the requirements of those regulations.

    Allocation: Approximately $15 million annually is available for the 
per diem-only award component of this program. This funding subject to 
the availability of funds and will be available so long as recipients 
meet the requirements of 38 CFR 61.0 through 61.82.
    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 veteran's needs. 
These areas can include both urban and rural areas but may be 
particularly prevalent outside the high population areas.
    VA is offering eligible applicants funding priorities for 
transitional housing and services to: (1) Serve women and women with 
care of dependent children; (2) Indian Tribal Governments or non-profit 
agencies that will provide transitional housing and services on Indian 
Tribal Property. 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 per diem-only grant funding, VA expects to award 
eligibility for funding to create approximately 1,200 per diem-only 
community-based supported housing beds.
    Funding priority 1. VA is offering the opportunity for providers 
who are willing to create new projects specifically for women and women 
with care of dependent children only, which are 30 beds or less. Of 
those eligible entities in the first funding priority, that are legally 
fundable, the highest scoring applicants will be funded first until 
approximately 200 beds are 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, 
beds not awarded 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 such as Indian Tribal Governments 
and 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 100 beds are 
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, beds not

[[Page 3972]]

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 community-based 
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 applications for which funding is available, will be 
conditionally selected for eligibility to receive a per diem-only award 
in accordance with their ranked order until funding is expended 
(approximately 900 beds).
    Methodology: VA will review all non-capital grant recipients in 
response to this notice of funding availability. VA will then group the 
applicants into the funding priorities categories. 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 500 cumulative points from paragraphs (b), 
(c), (d), (e), and (i) of 38 CFR Sec. 61.13.
    The highest-ranked application for which funding is available, 
within the highest funding category, will be conditionally selected for 
eligibility to receive per diem payment in accordance with their ranked 
order until VA reaches the projected bed totals 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 Sec. 61.32.
    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 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 review. 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 timeframe, VA reserves the right to not 
award funds and to use the funds available for other grant and per diem 
applicants.

    Dated: January 13, 2010.
John R. Gingrich,
Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2010-1297 Filed 1-22-10; 8:45 am]
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