[Federal Register: April 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 62)]
[Notices]
[Page 16895-16898]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01ap05-138]
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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 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.
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 June 8, 2005.
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
[[Page 16896]]
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
Grant and Per Diem Program Web page 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. For a document relating to the VA Homeless Providers
Grant and Per Diem Program, see the final rule published in the Federal
Register (68 FR 55467) 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. 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
capital funds for assistance under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and
Per Diem Program for eligible entities to: (1) Expand existing
projects; or (2) develop new programs or new components of existing
projects. Funding applied for under the capital grant component may be
used for: (1) Remodeling or alteration of existing buildings; (2)
acquisition of buildings, acquisition and rehabilitation of buildings;
(3) new construction; and (4) acquisition of vans (in connection with a
new or existing Grant and Per Diem Grant project) for outreach to and/
or transportation for homeless veterans. Public Law 107-95, section
5(a)(1), the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001,
codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2061, and 2064 authorizes this
program. The program has been extended through Fiscal Year 2005. For
eligibility criteria please refer to the Final Rule published in the
Federal Register on September 26, 2003.
Capital grant applicants may not receive assistance to replace
funds provided by any State or local government to assist homeless
persons. 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 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 Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) for
the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The Department
expects to award approximately $15 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 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 final rule, Sec. 61.1
Definitions.
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 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 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 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 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). 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 Public Law 107-95, section 5(a)(1), the Homeless
Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 codified at 38 U.S.C.
2011, 2012, 2061, 2064, and has been extended through Fiscal Year
2005. The program is implemented by the final rule codified at 38
CFR part 61. 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 $15 million is available for the capital
grant component. Capital grant awards will be limited to no more than
$400,000.00, and not more than one award per tax identification number.
Vans must be
[[Page 16897]]
directly connected to a new or existing Grant and Per Diem Grant
project and will be limited to one per project. Per diem payments to
capital grant recipients are subject to the recipients maintaining the
program for which the grant was awarded, the availability of funds and
reauthorization of the program past September 30, 2005.
Funding Priorities: VA establishes priority for funding to
underserved and low utilization populations and areas. VA encourages
applications from applicants that serve the identified population or
are in the identified underserved areas listed in the priorities. In
this round of capital grant funding, VA expects to award funding to
create 1,000 community-based supported housing beds.
Funding priority 1. Applicants whose projects are exclusively for
homeless Native American veterans will be considered in the first
funding priority. Provision of services must occur on Indian Tribal
property. Of those eligible entities in the first funding priority,
that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants will be
funded first until approximately $1.8 million is awarded. Applicants
not funded in this priority will be placed in the fourth funding
priority.
Funding priority 2. Applicants whose projects are physically
located in Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma,
Virginia, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the
United States are the second funding priority. Eligible entities whose
projects are located in these states will be considered in the second
funding priority. Of those eligible entities in the second funding
priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicant from
each state will be funded first followed by the second highest scoring
applicant from each state until approximately $6 million is awarded.
Applicants not funded in this priority will be placed in the fourth
funding priority.
Funding priority 3. Applicants whose projects are physically
located in cities within the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) as
defined in the tables below that are eligible entities will be
considered in the third funding priority. Of those eligible entities in
the third funding priority, that are legally fundable, the highest
scoring applicant from each MSA will be funded first followed by the
second highest scoring applicant in each MSA until approximately $3.2
million is awarded. Applicants not funded in this priority will be
placed in the fourth funding priority.
Funding priority 4. VA is encouraging interested, state and local
governments, faith-based, and community-based organizations to apply
for funding under this NOFA. Eligible entities that are state and local
governments, Indian Tribal governments, faith-based, and community-
based organizations, along with those applicants not selected in the
other funding priorities will be considered in the fourth funding
priority. 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 capital grant in
accordance with their ranked order until funding is expended
(approximately $4 million).
Metropolitan Statistical Areas for Funding Priority 3
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New York--Newark--Edison NY--NJ--PA
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Counties in MSA
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Queens NY Kings NY New York NY Nassau NY
Putnam NY Bronx NY Suffolk NY Westchester NY
Rockland NY Bergen NJ Passaic NJ Sussex NJ
Pike PA Morris NJ Essex NJ Hudson NJ
Union NJ Hunterdon NJ Somerset NJ Middlesex NJ
Richmond NJ Monmouth NJ Ocean NJ
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Washington--Arlington--Alexandria DC--VA--MD
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Counties in MSA
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Washington DC Montgomery MD Charles MD Stafford VA
Frederick MD Prince George MD Clarke VA Prince William
VA
Jefferson WV Calvert MD Warren VA Spotsylvania VA
Fauquier VA Fairfax VA Loudoun VA
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Chicago--Naperville--Joliet IL--IN--WI
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Counties in MSA
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Kenosha WI Lake-Kenosha IL Du Page IL Newton IN
McHenry IL Kendall IL Cook IL Jasper IN
De Kalb IL Grundy IL Lake IN Porter IN
Kane IL Will IL
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Philadelphia--Camden--Wilmington PA--NJ--DE--MD
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Counties in MSA
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Bucks PA Montgomery PA Philadelphia PA Chester PA
Delaware PA Cecil MD New Castle DE Salem NJ
Gloucester NJ Camden NJ Burlington NJ
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Methodology: VA will review all capital grants applications in
response to this notice of funding availability as follows: VA will
group the applicants into the funding priorities categories. Applicants
will then be ranked within
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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 from paragraphs (b), (c), (d),
(e), and (i) of Sec. 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 Sec. 61.14.
Application Requirements: The specific grant application
requirements will be specified in the application package. Applicants
should be careful to complete the proper application package.
Submission of the incorrect 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 timeframe, VA reserves the right to
not award funds and to use the funds available for other grant and per
diem applicants.
Dated: March 25, 2005.
R. James Nicholson,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. E5-1437 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
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