VA Announces Funding Availability for the Grant and Per Diem Program

Expects to fund 600 beds across four priority areas; applications due May 30.

Homeless Veteran in New York City Courtesy: Unite to End Homelessness

(WASHINGTON DC) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of funds for applications for assistance under the Per Diem Only component of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) includes funding priorities for those applicants who will serve specific homeless veteran populations that are identified in this NOFA, or implement a new “Transition in Place” housing model to facilitate housing stabilization. This Notice contains information concerning the program, funding priorities, application process, and amount of funding available.

VA expects to fund approximately 450 beds over a three-year period under this NOFA for Funding Priority 1 (see section G. in the full NOFA for explanation of funding priorities). The maximum award of $1.2 million will support an average of 25 beds per night, per project, at the current maximum per diem rate of $38.90 – taking into consideration that the maximum per diem rate may increase in future years. VA expects to fund approximately 150 beds under Funding Priorities 2-4 for as long as the grantee meets the program requirements.

Funding priorities for this NOFA are:

• Funding priority 1. – In an effort to promote increased housing stabilization, VA is encouraging eligible entities to use a “Transition in Place” housing model to aid in VA's efforts to end homelessness among veterans.
  
  The concept of Transition in Place under this NOFA is for eligible entities to identify or convert existing suitable apartment-style housing where homeless veteran participants would receive time-limited supportive services optimally for a period of 6-12 months, but not to exceed 24 months. Upon completion, the veteran must be able to "transition in place" by assuming the lease or other long-term agreement, which enables the unit in which he or she resides to be considered the veteran's permanent housing.
  
  Grantees are expected to replace units as they are converted to permanent housing in order to maintain the average number of bed days as stated in the application during the entire grant period. Once the veteran assumes the lease or other long-term agreement, VA will no longer provide funding for the unit under this NOFA.
  
  VA offers current grantees the ability to convert existing Per Diem Only projects to this model. Current Capital grantees should contact the GPD Program Office to determine eligibility due to recapture and disposition requirements that may apply to their Capital grants.
  
  
• Funding priority 2. – VA is offering the opportunity to rural applicants whose project sites have a Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code (RUCA) of 10.0 to 10.6, to apply for funding under this NOFA to create transitional housing and services for homeless veterans, not to exceed 20 beds per project.
  
  
• Funding priority 3. – VA is offering the opportunity to Indian Tribal Governments or nonprofit 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, not to exceed 20 beds per project.
  
  
• Funding priority 4. - VA is encouraging interested state and local governments, faith- 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, not to exceed 20 beds per project. Applicants should be aware of the needs of justice-involved homeless veterans (i.e. veterans who are not incarcerated but are involved in the criminal justice system).

For further information, please contact:

Chelsea Watson
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200
Tampa, Florida 33617
(toll-free) 877-332-0334

Applications must be submitted no later than 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 30, 2012.

To view the full NOFA, click here for the text or click here for the PDF.

VA Announces Funding Availability for the Grant and Per Diem Program

Submitted by Paul Sutton for Salem-News.com