[Federal Register: February 22, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 35)]
[Notices]
[Page 8076-8077]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22fe07-140]
[[Page 8076]]
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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 is announcing 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 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 April 4, 2007.
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 brought about by unanticipated
delays or other delivery-related problems.
For a copy of the Application Package: Download directly from VA's
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program webpage at: http://www.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=3
or call the Grant and Per Diem
Program at (toll-free) 1-877-332-0334. In this package is information
on Grants.gov submission should applicants so desire. For a document
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) 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: Dr. Guy Liedke, 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 Pub. L.
109-461, Sec. 703, known as the Veterans Benefit, Health Care and
Information Technology Act of 2006, codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012,
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 for the period beginning
on July 1, 2007, and are 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 CFC 61.30, 61.31, and 61.32.
As these ``Per Diem Only'' projects are currently serving homeless
veterans, VA expects that it will take no longer than 90 days from the
date of award for projects to be inspected and become operational for
receiving per diem. Failure to meet the 90-day milestone may result in
the grant being terminated.
Capital grant recipients who received capital grant funding under
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program in years 1994
through 2006 for acquisition, renovation or new construction should not
respond to this NOFA. Per diem 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 capital grant project
completion and inspection.
Previous ``Per Diem Only'' recipients that renewed their PDO grants
in 2005 need not reapply. VA is pleased to issue this Notice of Fund
Availability (NOFA) for the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem
Program as part of the effort to end chronic homelessness among our
nation's veterans. The Department expects to create 1000 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/or supportive service
center services for homeless veterans. The District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 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. Collaboration with VA medical
centers, VA community-based outpatient clinics or other health care
providers is an important aspect of assuring that homeless veterans
have access to appropriate health care services.
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. 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.
[[Page 8077]]
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.
VA encourages all eligible and interested entities to review this
NOFA and consider applying for funds to provide service for homeless
veterans.
Authority: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is
authorized by Pub. L. 109-461, Sec. 703, known as the Veterans
Benefit, Health Care and Information Technology Act of 2006,
codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064. The program is
implemented by the Final Rule codified at 38 CFR Part 61.0. The
Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on September 26,
2003, the regulations can be found in their entirety in 38 CFR 61.0
through 61.82. Funds made available under this Notice are subject to
the requirements of those regulations.
Allocation: Approximately $10 million annually is available for the
per diem only award component of this program. This funding is subject
to the availability of funds, and will be available so long as
recipients meet the requirements of 38 CFR 61.1 through 61.82.
Funding Priorities: VA establishes the following funding priorities
in order to bolster capacity for populations in areas that are
underserved by the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program.
Specifically, VA is seeking programs that are not necessarily women-
specific, but in the course of daily operations serve women veterans
with care of dependent children, and provide them with an opportunity
to secure funding to offer services to this population. VA is not
seeking to create large women-specific programs, rather small niche
housing and services for this underserved population in both urban and
rural areas.
Example: In the course of providing daily services a homeless
provider serves 2-5 homeless veteran women with care of dependent
children. This provider would create a small program that would supply
appropriate housing and services to this population.
In this round of ``Per Diem Only'' funding, VA expects to award
funding for approximately 1,000 community-based supported housing beds.
Funding priority 1. Those programs that are not necessarily women-
specific, but in the course of daily operations serve women veterans
with care of dependent children and will create a niche program to
serve this population. The applicant must clearly demonstrate, in the
need section of the application, the number of beds for the women
veterans and the number of beds for their dependent children. With this
in mind, applicants are reminded that VA may only pay per diem for the
women veteran--not the dependent children. Based on the total number of
beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 150 of the
1,000 beds expected to be funded) from eligible entities whose projects
will provide housing and services specifically to homeless women
veterans, with care of dependent children will be selected as the first
funding priority. Of those eligible entities in the first funding
priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants
will be funded first, followed by the second highest scoring
applicants, until enough projects totaling approximately 150 beds for
women are identified for funding. Applicants not selected in this
priority will be placed in the second funding priority. Should the
projected 150 bed total not be reached, remaining beds and funding will
be placed in the second funding priority.
Funding priority 2. Finally, VA is encouraging interested, state
and local governments, Indian tribal governments, faith-based, and
community-based organizations to apply for funding under this NOFA to
serve all homeless veterans populations. Based on the total number of
beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 850 beds will
be funded in this priority. Of those eligible entities that are legally
fundable, the highest-ranked applications for which funding is
available, will be selected for eligibility to receive per diem payment
in accordance with their ranked order until enough projects totaling
approximately 850 beds are identified for funding or until funding is
expended.
Methodology: VA will review all non-capital grant recipients in
response to this notice of funding availability. Then, VA will 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 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 Interim Final Rule Sec. 61.32.
Application Requirements: The specific grant application
requirements will be specified in the application package. The package
includes all required forms and certifications. Selections will be made
based on criteria described in the application, Interim Final Rule, and
NOFA. Applicants who are 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: February 16, 2007.
R. James Nicholson,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. E7-3024 Filed 2-21-07; 8:45 am]
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