Funding Availability Under Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program, 88324-88330 [2016-29269]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88324-88330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29269]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Funding Availability Under Supportive Services for Veteran 
Families Program

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: Funding Opportunity Title: Supportive Services for Veteran 
Families Program; Announcement Type: Initial; Funding Opportunity 
Number: VA-SSVF-120516; Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 
64.033, VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program.
    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 of 
Fund Availability (NOFA) contains information concerning the SSVF 
program, initial and renewal supportive services grant application 
processes, and the amount of funding available. Awards made for 
supportive services grants will fund operations beginning October 1, 
2017.

DATES: Applications for supportive services grants under the SSVF 
Program must be received by the SSVF Program Office by 4:00 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time on February 3, 2017. In the

[[Page 88325]]

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.

ADDRESSES: For a Copy of the Application Package: Copies of the 
application can be downloaded from the SSVF Web site at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. Questions should be referred to the SSVF program 
Office via email at SSVF@va.gov. For detailed SSVF program information 
and requirements, see part 62 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations 
(38 CFR part 62).
    Submission of Application Package: Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to submit applications electronically following instructions 
found at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. Alternatively, applicants can 
mail in applications. If mailed, applicants must submit two completed, 
collated, hard copies of the application and two compact discs (CDs) 
containing electronic versions of the entire application. Each 
application copy must: (i) Be fastened with a binder clip, and (ii) 
contain tabs listing the major sections of and exhibits to the 
application. Each CD must be labeled with the applicant's name and must 
contain an electronic copy of the entire application. A 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. Applications may not be sent by facsimile 
(fax). Applications must be received in the SSVF Program Office by 4:00 
p.m., Eastern Standard Time on the application deadline date. 
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. See 
Section II.C. of this NOFA for maximum allowable grant amounts.
    Technical Assistance: Information regarding how to obtain technical 
assistance with the preparation of an initial and/or renewal supportive 
services grant application is available on the SSVF Program Web site at 
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/SSVF.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Kuhn, National Director, 
Supportive Services for Veteran Families at the following email 
address: SSVF@va.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    A. 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. SSVF prioritizes the delivery of rapid 
re-housing services to homeless Veteran households. Rapid re-housing is 
an intervention designed to help individuals and families exit 
homelessness, return to housing in the community, and avoid 
homelessness again in the near term. The core components of a rapid re-
housing program are housing identification, move-in and rent 
assistance, and rapid re-housing case management and services. These 
core components represent the minimum that a program must be providing 
to households to be considered a rapid re-housing program, but do not 
provide guidance for what constitutes an effective rapid re-housing 
program. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Rapid Re-
housing Performance Benchmarks and Program Standards found on VA's SSVF 
Web site at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp.
    B. Funding Priorities: The principle goal for this NOFA is to 
provide support to those applicants who demonstrate the greatest 
capacity to end homelessness among Veterans or, sustain the gains made 
in ending homelessness among Veterans in communities that have already 
met United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Federal 
Criteria and Benchmarks. Priority will be given to grantees who can 
demonstrate adoption of evidence-based practices in their application. 
Under Priority 1, VA will provide funding to those grantees with 3-year 
accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation 
Facilities (CARF) in Employment and Community Services: Rapid Rehousing 
and Homeless Prevention standards, a 4-year accreditation from the 
Council on Accreditation's (COA) accreditation in Supported Community 
Living Services standards, or a 3-year accreditation in The Joint 
Commission's (JC) Behavioral Health Care: Housing Support Services 
Standards. Priority 2 includes existing grantees seeking to renew their 
grants. Applicants eligible for Priority 2 funding include those 
grantees with 3-year awards who expect to have expended all of their 
funding sometime in fiscal year (FY) 2017 or FY 2018. [Note: This 
applies only to 3-year awards not associated with CARF, COA, or JC 
accreditation. Grantees with 3-year awards due to CARF, COA, or JC 
accreditation would apply as Priority 1.] For grantees with 3-year 
awards that will exhaust funds during FY 2018, awards will be pro-rated 
based on the number of months needed to continue services through the 
end of FY 2018. Priority 3 applications will be accepted from new 
applicants in the communities described in Section II.B. Funds 
remaining after Priority 1 awards will be allocated to Priority 2 and 3 
applicants based on available funding.
    C. Definitions: Part 62 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations 
(38 CFR part 62), contains definitions of terms used in the SSVF 
program.
    D. Approach: Respondents to this NOFA should base their proposals 
and applications on the current requirements of part 62 of title 38. 
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 required 
to establish relationships with local community resources. Therefore, 
agencies must work through coordinated partnerships built either 
through formal agreements or the informal working relationships 
commonly found amongst successful social service providers. As part of 
the application, all applicants are strongly encouraged to provide 
letters of support from their respective VA Network Homeless 
Coordinator (or their designee). In addition, applicants are strongly 
encouraged to provide letters of support from the Continuum of Care 
(CoC) where they plan to deliver services that reflect the applicant's 
engagement in the CoC's efforts to coordinate services. The CoC may 
elect to provide VA with a rank order of their support in lieu of 
providing individual letters of support. A CoC is a community plan to 
organize and deliver housing and services to meet the needs of people 
who are homeless as they

[[Page 88326]]

move to stable housing and maximize self-sufficiency. It includes 
action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness 
(CoC locations and contact information can be found at the Department 
of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Web site at https://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewCocMaps). The CoC's letter of support 
should describe the applicant's participation in the CoC's coordinated 
assessment efforts (coordinated assessment refers to a common process 
for accessing homeless assistance services including: Prevention, 
diversion, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid re-housing, 
supportive services, and permanent supportive housing). In addition, 
any applicant proposing to serve an Indian Tribal area is strongly 
encouraged to provide a letter of support from the relevant Indian 
Tribal Government. 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 those not 
currently in permanent housing to stable housing. SSVF emphasizes the 
placement of homeless Veteran families who are described in VA's 
regulations as (i) very low-income Veteran families who are homeless 
and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within 90 days, 
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. As a crisis intervention 
program, 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 income 
supports, such as employment and mainstream Federal and community 
resources (e.g., HUD-VA Supportive Housing program, HUD Housing Choice 
Voucher programs, McKinney-Vento funded supportive housing programs, 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Security Income/
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI), etc.) that can provide 
ongoing support as required.
    Assistance in obtaining or retaining permanent housing is a 
fundamental goal of the SSVF program. Grantees must provide case 
management services in accordance with 38 CFR 62.31. Such case 
management should include tenant counseling, mediation with landlords 
and outreach to landlords.
    E. Authority: Funding available under this NOFA is authorized by 38 
U.S.C. 2044. VA implements the SSVF program through regulations in 38 
CFR part 62. Funds made available under this NOFA are subject to the 
requirements of these regulations and other applicable laws and 
regulations.
    F. Requirements for the Use of Supportive Services Grant Funds: The 
applicant's request for funding must be consistent with the limitations 
and uses of supportive services grant funds set forth in 38 CFR part 62 
and this NOFA. In accordance with the regulations and this NOFA, the 
following requirements apply to supportive services grants awarded 
under this NOFA:
    1. Grantees may use a maximum of 10 percent of supportive services 
grant funds for administrative costs identified in 38 CFR 62.70.
    2. Grantees must use a minimum of 60 percent of the temporary 
financial assistance portion of their supportive services grant funds 
to serve very low-income Veteran families who qualify under 38 CFR 
62.11(b). (NOTE: Grantees may request a waiver to decrease this 
minimum, as discussed in section V.B.3.a.)
    3. Grantees may use a maximum of 50 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, emergency housing assistance, transportation, rental 
assistance, utility-fee payment assistance, security deposits, utility 
deposits, moving costs, and general housing stability assistance (which 
includes emergency supplies) in accordance with 38 CFR 62.33 and 38 CFR 
62.34.
    G. Guidance for the Use of Supportive Services Grant Funds: 
Grantees are expected to demonstrate adoption of evidence-based 
practices most likely to lead to reductions in homelessness or, in 
communities that have successfully ended homelessness among Veterans 
(as defined by the USICH's Federal Criteria and Benchmarks or, 
alternatively, Community Solutions' Functional Zero), (the latter can 
be found at: https://cmtysolutions.org/sites/default/files/final_zero_2016_metrics.pdf), a capacity to sustain these gains. As 
part of their application, the applying organization's Executive 
Director must certify on behalf of the agency that they will actively 
participate in community planning efforts and operate the rapid re-
housing component of their SSVF grant in a manner consistent with the 
Rapid Re-housing Performance Benchmarks and Program Standards found at 
www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp. It is VA policy to support a 
``Housing First'' model in addressing and ending homelessness. Housing 
First establishes housing stability as the primary intervention in 
working with homeless persons. The Housing First approach is based on 
research that shows that a homeless individual or household's first and 
primary need is to obtain stable housing, and that other issues that 
may affect the household can and should be addressed as housing is 
obtained. Research supports this approach as an effective means to end 
homelessness. Housing is not contingent on compliance with mandated 
therapies or services. Instead, participants must comply with a 
standard lease agreement and are provided with the services and 
supports that are necessary to help them do so successfully.
    Grantees must develop plans that will ensure that Veteran 
participants have the level of income and economic stability needed to 
remain in permanent housing after the conclusion of the SSVF 
intervention. Both employment and benefits assistance from VA and non-
VA sources represent a significant underutilized source of income 
stability for homeless Veterans. The complexity of program rules and 
the stigma some associate with entitlement programs contributes to 
their lack of use. For this reason, grantees are encouraged to consider 
strategies that can lead to prompt and successful access to employment 
and benefits that are essential to retaining housing.
    1. Consistent with the Housing First model supported by VA, 
grantees are expected to offer the following supportive services: 
Counseling participants about housing; assisting participants in 
understanding leases; securing utilities; making moving arrangements; 
providing representative payee services concerning rent and utilities 
when needed; and mediation and outreach to property owners related to 
locating or retaining housing. Grantees may also assist participants by 
providing rental assistance, security or utility deposits, moving 
costs, emergency housing, or general housing stability assistance; or 
using other Federal resources, such as the HUD's ESG, or supportive 
services grant funds subject to the limitations described in this NOFA 
and 38 CFR 62.34.
    2. As SSVF is a short-term crisis intervention, grantees must 
develop plans that will produce sufficient income to sustain Veteran 
participants in permanent housing after the conclusion of the SSVF 
intervention. Grantees must ensure the availability of

[[Page 88327]]

employment and vocational services either through the direct provision 
of these services or their availability through formal or informal 
service agreements. Agreements with Homeless Veteran Reintegration 
Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor are strongly 
encouraged. For participants unable to work due to disability, income 
must be established through available benefits programs.
    3. Per 38 CFR 62.33, grantees must assist participants in obtaining 
public benefits. Grantees must screen all participants for eligibility 
for a broad range of entitlements such as TANF, Social Security, the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Low Income Home 
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Earned Income Tax Credit 
(EITC), and local General Assistance programs. Grantees are expected to 
access the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program either though 
community linkages or by training staff to deliver SOAR services. In 
addition, where available, grantees should access information 
technology tools to support case managers in their efforts to link 
participants to benefits.
    4. Grantees are encouraged to provide, or assist participants in 
obtaining, legal services relevant to issues that interfere with the 
participants' ability to obtain or retain permanent housing. (NOTE: 
Information regarding legal services provided may be protected from 
being released to the grantee or VA under attorney-client privilege, 
although the grantee must provide sufficient information to demonstrate 
the frequency and type of service delivered.) Support for legal 
services can include paying for court filing fees to assist a 
participant with issues that interfere with the participant's ability 
to obtain or retain permanent housing or supportive services, including 
issues that affect the participant's employability and financial 
security. Grantees (in addition to employees and members of grantees) 
may represent participants before VA with respect to a claim for VA 
benefits, but only if they are recognized for that purpose pursuant to 
38 U.S.C. Chapter 59. Further, the individual providing such 
representation must be accredited pursuant to 38 U.S.C. Chapter 59.
    5. Access to mental health and addiction services are required by 
SSVF; however, grantees cannot fund these services directly through the 
SSVF grant. Therefore, applicants must demonstrate, through either 
formal or informal agreements, their ability to promote rapid access to 
and engagement with mental health and addiction services for the 
Veteran and family members.
    6. VA recognizes that extremely low-income Veterans, with incomes 
below 30 percent of the area median income, face greater barriers to 
permanent housing placement. Grantees should consider how they can 
support these participants.
    7. When serving participants who are residing in permanent housing, 
the defining question to ask is: ``Would this individual or family be 
homeless but for this assistance?'' The grantee must use a VA-approved 
screening tool with criteria that targets those most at-risk of 
homelessness. To qualify for SSVF services, a participant who is served 
under 38 CFR 62.11(a) (homeless prevention) must not have sufficient 
resources or support networks (e.g., family, friends, faith-based or 
other social networks) immediately available to prevent them from 
becoming homeless. To further qualify for services under 38 CFR 
62.11(a), the grantee must document that the participant:
    (a) Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during 
the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness 
prevention assistance;
    (b) Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;
    (c) Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their 
current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days 
after the date of application for assistance;
    (d) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel 
stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or 
local government programs for low-income individuals;
    (e) Is exiting a publicly funded institution or system of care 
(such as a health care facility, a mental health facility, or 
correctional institution) without a stable housing plan; or
    (f) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated 
with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified 
in the recipient's approved screening tool.
    8. SSVF grantees are required to participate in local planning 
efforts designed to end Veteran homelessness. Grantees may use grant 
funds to support SSVF involvement in such community planning by sub-
contracting with CoCs, when such funding is essential to create or 
sustain the development of these data driven plans.
    9. When other funds from community resources are not readily 
available to assist program participants, grantees may choose to 
utilize supportive services grants, to the extent described in this 
NOFA and in 38 CFR 62.33 and 62.34, to provide temporary financial 
assistance. Such assistance may, subject to the limitations in this 
NOFA and 38 CFR part 62, be paid directly to a third party on behalf of 
a participant for child care, transportation, family emergency housing 
assistance, rental assistance, utility-fee payment assistance, security 
or utility deposits, moving costs and general housing stability 
assistance as necessary.

II. Award Information

    A. Overview: This NOFA announces the availability of funds for 
supportive services grants under the SSVF Program and pertains to 
proposals for renewal of existing supportive services grant programs 
and opportunities for new grants in targeted communities.
    B. Funding: The following funding priorities for this NOFA are as 
follows.
    1. Priority 1. Under Priority 1, VA will provide funding to those 
grantees with 3-year CARF, 4-year COA accreditations, or 3-year JC 
accreditations. Proof of accreditation must be submitted with the 
application no later than the application due date.
    2. Priority 2. Priority 2 includes all other existing grantees 
seeking to renew their grants. Eligible applicants include those 
grantees with 3-year awards who expect to have expended all of their 
funding sometime in FY 2017 or FY 2018. [Note: This applies only to 3-
year awards not associated with CARF, COA, or JC accreditation. 
Grantees with 3-year awards due to CARF, COA, or JC accreditation would 
apply as Priority 1.] For grantees with 3-year awards who will exhaust 
funds during FY 2018, awards will be pro-rated based on the numbers of 
months needed to continue funding through the end of FY 2018. Both 
Priority 1 and 2 applicants must apply using the renewal application. 
To be eligible for renewal of a supportive services grant, the Priority 
1 and 2 applicants' program concept must be substantially the same as 
the program concept of the grantees' current grant award. Renewal 
applications can request funding that is equal to or less than their 
current annualized award. If sufficient funding is available, VA may 
provide an increase of up to 2 percent from the previous year's award. 
Any percentage increase, if provided, will be awarded uniformly to all 
grant recipients regardless of their grant award.
    3. Priority 3. Priority 3 applications will be accepted from new 
grantees in the following targeted communities.

[[Page 88328]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
       State                     CoC                      CoC ID
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GA.................  Georgia Balance of State     GA-501
                      CoC.
AZ.................  Phoenix/Mesa/Maricopa        AZ-502.
                      County Regional CoC.
TX.................  Dallas City & County/Irving  TX-600.
                      CoC.
CO.................  Colorado Balance of State    CO-500.
                      CoC.
CA.................  Sacramento City & County     CA-503.
                      CoC.
TX.................  Austin/Travis County CoC...  TX-503.
HI.................  Hawaii Balance of State CoC  HI-500.
CA.................  Santa Rosa/Petaluma/Sonoma   CA-504.
                      County CoC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Funds remaining after Priority 1 awards will be available to 
Priority 2 and 3 applicants.
    As provided in section V.5., VA may in its discretion offer to 
award a non-renewed grant to the highest-ranked applicant that is 
awarded a renewal grant in the same community as, or a proximate 
community to, the non-renewed grant, so long as that applicant has the 
capacity to promptly begin providing services in connection with all 
awards. In such instance, the amount of the award will be equal to or 
less than the prior award which was not renewed.
    C. Allocation of Funds: Funding will be awarded under this NOFA to 
existing grantees for a 1 to 3-year period beginning October 1, 2017. 
The following requirements apply to supportive services grants awarded 
under this NOFA:
    1. In response to this NOFA, only existing grantees can apply as 
Priority 1 or 2 grantees.
    2. New applications for Priority 3 will only be accepted from 
designated target communities and requests cannot exceed $2 million. 
Eligible entities can submit no more than one application for new 
funding.
    3. Each renewal grant request cannot exceed the current annualized 
award.
    4. Applicants may request an amount less than their current award. 
(This will not be considered a substantial change to the program 
concept.)
    5. If a grantee failed to use all of awarded funds in the previous 
fiscal year (FY 2016) or had unspent funds returned to VA in FY 2017, 
VA may elect to limit renewal award to the amount of funds used in the 
previous fiscal year or in the current fiscal year less the money 
swept.
    6. Applicants should fill out separate applications for each 
supportive services funding request.
    D. Supportive Services Grant Award Period: Grant awards are 
generally made for a 1-year period, although selected grants may be 
eligible for a 3-year award (see VI.C.6). All grants are eligible to be 
renewed subject to the availability of funding.

III. Eligibility Information

    A. Eligible Applicants: For Priority 1 and 2, only eligible 
entities that are existing grantees can apply in response to this NOFA. 
For Priority 3, any eligible entity may apply for new funding in one of 
the listed target communities. In order to be eligible, an applicant 
must qualify as a private non-profit organization (section 501(c)(3) or 
501(c)(19) tax exempt status is required) or a consumer cooperative as 
defined in 38 U.S.C. 2044(f). In addition, tribally designated housing 
entities (as defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing 
Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) are 
eligible.
    B. Cost Sharing or Matching: None.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    A. Obtaining an Application Package: Applications can be downloaded 
from VA's SSVF Web site at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. Any questions 
regarding this process should be referred to the SSVF Program Office 
via email at SSVF@va.gov. For detailed SSVF program information and 
requirements, see 38 CFR part 62.
    B. Content and Form of Application: Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to submit applications electronically following instructions 
found at www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. Alternatively, applicants can 
mail in applications. If mailed, applicants must submit two completed 
collated, hard copies of the application and two CDs containing 
electronic versions of the entire application. Each application copy 
must: (i) Be fastened with a binder clip, and (ii) contain tabs listing 
the major sections of and exhibits to the application. Each CD must be 
labeled with the applicant's name and must contain an electronic copy 
of the entire application. A 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.
    C. Submission Dates and Times: Applications for supportive services 
grants under the SSVF Program must be received by the SSVF Program 
Office by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on February 3, 2017. Awards 
made for supportive services grants will fund operations beginning 
October 1, 2017. 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. Additionally, 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.
    D. Intergovernmental Review: This section is not applicable to the 
SSVF program.
    E. Funding Restrictions: Funding will be awarded for supportive 
services grants under this NOFA depending on funding availability 
(currently funding is only authorized to be appropriated for the SSVF 
program through FY 2017). Applicants should fill out separate 
applications for each supportive services funding request. Funding will 
be awarded under this NOFA to new and existing grantees for a 1 to 3-
year period beginning October 1, 2017.
    F. Other Submission Requirements:
    1. Existing applicants applying for Priority 1 or 2 grants may 
apply only as renewal applicants using the application designed for 
renewal grants.
    2. Existing or new applicants applying for new funding under 
Priority 3 must use the application designed for new grants.
    3. At the discretion of VA, multiple grant proposals submitted by 
the same lead agency may be combined into a single grant award if the 
proposals provide services to contiguous areas. Any funds awarded 
pursuant to section V.5. will be combined into a single award.
    4. Additional supportive services grant application requirements 
are specified in the application package. Submission of an incorrect or 
incomplete application package will result in the application being 
rejected during threshold review. The application packages must contain 
all required forms and certifications. Selections will be made based on 
criteria described in 38 CFR part 62 and this NOFA. 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. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to submit applications electronically. If mailed, 
applications and CDs must be submitted to the following address: SSVF 
Program Office, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, 4100 
Chester Avenue, Suite 201,

[[Page 88329]]

Philadelphia, PA 19104. Applicants must submit two hard copies and two 
CDs. Applications may not be sent by facsimile (FAX).

V. Application Review Information

    A. Criteria:
    1. VA will only score applicants that meet the threshold 
requirements described in 38 CFR 62.21.
    2. VA will use the criteria described in 38 CFR 62.22 to score a 
new application (Priority 3) for a supportive services grant and 
criteria in 38 CFR 62.24 to score grantees applying for renewal 
(Priority 1 and 2) of a supportive services grant.
    B. Review and Selection Process: VA will review all supportive 
services renewal grant applications in response to this NOFA according 
to the following steps:
    1. Score all applications that meet the threshold requirements 
described in 38 CFR 62.21.
    2. Rank those applications who score at least 75 cumulative points 
and receive at least one point under each of the categories identified 
for new applicants in 38 CFR 62.22 and renewal applicants in 38 CFR 
62.24. The applications will be ranked in order from highest to lowest 
scores in accordance with 38 CFR 62.23 for new applicants and 38 CFR 
62.25 for renewal applicants.
    3. Utilize the ranked scores of applications as the primary basis 
for selection. However, VA will also utilize the following 
considerations in 38 CFR 62.23(d) to select applicants for funding:
    (a) Give preference to applications that provide or coordinate the 
provision of supportive services for very low-income Veteran families 
transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. Consistent with 
this preference, where other funds from community resources are not 
readily available for temporary financial assistance, applicants are 
required to spend no less than 60 percent of all budgeted temporary 
financial assistance on participants occupying permanent housing as 
defined in 38 CFR 62.11(b). Waivers to this 60 percent requirement may 
be requested when grantees can demonstrate significant local progress 
towards eliminating homelessness in the target service area. Waiver 
requests must include data from authoritative sources such as USICH 
certification that a community has ended homelessness as defined by 
Federal Benchmarks and Criteria or have reached Community Solution's 
Functional Zero (https://cmtysolutions.org/sites/default/files/final_zero_2016_metrics.pdf). Waivers for the 60 percent requirement 
may also be requested for services provided to rural Indian tribal 
areas and other rural areas where shelter capacity is insufficient to 
meet local need. Waiver requests must include an endorsement by the 
impacted CoC explicitly stating that a shift in resources from rapid 
re-housing to prevention will not result in an increase in 
homelessness.
    (b) To the extent practicable, ensure that supportive services 
grants are equitably distributed across geographic regions, including 
rural communities and tribal lands. This equitable distribution 
criteria will be used to ensure that SSVF resources are provided to 
those communities with the highest need as identified by VA's 
assessment of expected demand and available resources to meet that 
demand.
    4. Subject to the considerations noted in paragraph B.3 above, VA 
will fund the highest-ranked applicants for which funding is available.
    5. VA may in its discretion offer to award a non-renewed grant to 
the highest-ranked applicant that is awarded a grant in the same 
community as, or a proximate community to, the non-renewed grant, so 
long as that applicant has the capacity to promptly begin providing 
services in connection with all awards. If that applicant declines the 
award, VA will offer the award to the next highest-ranked applicant and 
continue in that manner until a qualifying grantee accepts the award.

VI. Award Administration Information

    A. Award Notices: Although subject to change, the SSVF Program 
Office expects to announce grant recipients for all applicants in the 
fourth quarter of FY 2017 with grants beginning October 1, 2017. Prior 
to executing a funding agreement, VA will contact the applicants and 
make known the amount of proposed funding and verify that the applicant 
would still like the funding. Once VA verifies that the applicant is 
still seeking funding, VA will execute an agreement and make payments 
to the grant recipient in accordance with 38 CFR part 62 and this NOFA.
    B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: It is VA policy 
to support a ``Housing First'' model in addressing and ending 
homelessness. Housing First establishes housing stability as the 
primary intervention in working with homeless persons. The Housing 
First approach is based on research that shows that a homeless 
individual or household's first and primary need is to obtain stable 
housing, and that other issues that may affect the household can and 
should be addressed as housing is obtained. Housing is not contingent 
on compliance with services; instead, participants must comply with a 
standard lease agreement and are provided with the services and 
supports that are necessary to help them do so successfully. Research 
supports this approach as an effective means to end homelessness.
    Consistent with the Housing First model supported by VA, grantees 
are expected to offer the following supportive services: housing 
counseling; assisting participants in understanding leases; securing 
utilities; making moving arrangements; providing representative payee 
services concerning rent and utilities when needed; and mediation and 
outreach to property owners related to locating or retaining housing. 
Grantees may also assist participants by providing rental assistance, 
security or utility deposits, moving costs or general housing stability 
assistance, using other Federal resources, such as the ESG, or 
supportive services grant funds to the extent described in this NOFA 
and 38 CFR 62.34.
    As SSVF grants cannot be used to fund treatment for mental health 
or substance use disorders, applicants must provide evidence that they 
can provide access to such services to all program participants through 
formal and informal agreements with community providers.
    C. Reporting: VA places great emphasis on the responsibility and 
accountability of grantees. As described in 38 CFR 62.63 and 62.71, 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.

[[Page 88330]]

    3. VA shall complete annual monitoring evaluations of each grantee. 
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. All grantees are 
subject to audits conducted by the VA or its representative. Grantees 
will be required to provide each participant with a satisfaction survey 
which can be submitted by the participant directly to VA within 30 days 
of such participant's pending exit from the grantee's program.
    5. Grantees will be assessed based on their ability to meet 
critical performance measures. In addition to meeting program 
requirements defined by the regulations and applicable NOFA(s), 
grantees will be assessed on their ability to place participants into 
housing and the housing retention rates of participants served. Higher 
placement for homeless participants and higher housing retention rates 
for at-risk participants are expected for very-low income Veteran 
families when compared to extremely low-income Veteran families with 
incomes below 30 percent of the area median income.
    6. Organizations receiving renewal awards and that have had ongoing 
SSVF program operation for at least 1 year (as measured from the start 
of initial SSVF services until December 5, 2016) may be eligible for a 
3-year award. Grantees meeting outcome goals defined by VA and in 
substantial compliance with their grant agreements (defined by meeting 
targets and having no outstanding corrective action plans) and who, in 
addition, receive 3-year accreditation from the Commission on 
Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in Employment and 
Community Services: Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention standards 
or a 4-year accreditation from the Council on Accreditation's (COA) 
accreditation in Supported Community Living Services standards or a 3 
year accreditation in The Joint Commission's Behavioral Health Care: 
Housing Support Services Standards are eligible for a 3-year grant 
renewal subject to funding availability (NOTE: Multi-year awards are 
contingent on funding availability). If awarded a multiple year 
renewal, grantees may be eligible for funding increases as defined in 
NOFAs that correspond to years 2 and 3 of their renewal funding.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: John Kuhn, National Director, SSVF 
at the following email address: SSVF@va.gov.

VIII. Other Information

    A. VA Goals and Objectives for Funds Awarded Under this NOFA: In 
accordance with 38 CFR 62.24(c), VA will evaluate an applicant's 
compliance with VA goals and requirements for the SSVF Program. VA 
goals and requirements 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 and program administration in accordance with all 
applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines. For purposes of this 
NOFA, VA goals and requirements 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) (https://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 community, as defined by HUD's 
CoC, or a county not currently served by a SSVF grantee.
    5. Veteran families located in a community, as defined by HUD's 
CoC, where current level of SSVF services is not sufficient to meet 
demand of Category 2 and 3 (currently homeless) Veteran families.
    6. Veteran families located in a rural area.
    7. Veteran families located on Indian Tribal Property.
    B. Payments of Supportive Services Grant Funds: Grantees will 
receive payments electronically through the U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services Payment Management System. 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 
annualized 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 annualized 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 annualized 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 annualized 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.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina S. 
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on December 1, 2016, for publication.

Michael Shores,
Acting Director, Regulation Policy & Management, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-29269 Filed 12-2-16; 11:15 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P