[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43705-43706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16402]


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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: VA is announcing the availability of funds for operational 
assistance under the per diem component of VA's Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program. This Notice contains information concerning 
the program, application process, and amount of funding available.

DATES: An original completed and collated per diem application (plus 
four completed collated copies) for assistance under the VA Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program must be received in the Grant and 
Per Diem Field Office, Tampa, FL, by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on August 14, 
2002. 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.

ADDRESSES: 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 Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem Program Office 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 codified at 38 CFR 17.700.
    Submission of Application: An original completed and collated per 
diem application (plus four copies) must be submitted to the following 
address: Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-100, Tampa, FL 33617. Applications 
must be received in the Grant and Per Diem Field Office by the 
application deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Casey, VA Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770 North 
46th Street, Suite C-100, 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, established after November 10, 1992, or 
expanded after November 30, 1999, that have not previously applied for 
or received per diem in connection with a grant (see 38 CFR 17.716). 
This program is authorized by Public Law 107-95, the Homeless Veterans 
Comprehensive Service Programs Act of 1992, as amended. Funding applied 
for under this Notice may be used for aid for service centers and 
supportive housing. Funding will be in the form of per diem payments 
issued to eligible entities for an expected period not to exceed 36 
months from the date of award, subject to availability of funds. For 
eligibility criteria please refer to 38 CFR Part 17.716.
    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 $13.5 million under this NOFA pending 
the availability of funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003.
    Funding available under this NOFA is being offered to help offset 
the operating expenses of existing faith-based and community-based 
organizations that are capable of providing supported housing and/or 
supportive service center services for homeless veterans. It should be 
noted that the existing regulations that govern current procedures for 
per diem funding, limits VA payment to one-half of the cost of a day of 
care up to the per day rate VA pays for State Home Domiciliary care. 
Revised regulations are being prepared to adjust the per diem payment 
in accordance with 38 United States Code (USC) Section 2012. This may 
result in higher per diem payments once the final regulations are 
published.
    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.
    The Urban Institute's analysis of data collected through the 1996 
National Survey of Homeless Providers and Clients indicates that 21 
percent of the homeless population is found in rural and suburban 
locations. Over the last eight rounds of grants, VA awarded 
approximately $63 million to help establish 306 projects for homeless 
veterans. VA also provided funding in FY 2000 to support 53 existing 
programs in order to make additional supported housing services 
available to homeless veterans. To date, six states have no grant or 
per diem-funded programs available to serve homeless veterans. To date, 
six states have no grant or per diem-funded programs available to serve 
homeless veterans. These states include Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, 
North Dakota, and New Hampshire. Several other states have only one or 
two grant or per diem-funded programs. Also, only three grant and per 
diem-funded programs are affiliated with Native American Tribal 
Governments. VA is encouraging interested faith-based, community-based 
organizations, and Native American Tribal Governments from these states 
and rural areas of the country to apply for funding under this NOFA.

[[Page 43706]]

    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. Interested 
faith-based and community-based organizations should be aware of the 
following:
     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.
     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 and has been extended through FY 
2005. The program is implemented by the final rule codified at 38 
CFR 17.700. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on 
June 1, 1994, and February 27, 1995, and revised February 11, 1997. 
The regulations can be found in their entirety in 38 CFR, Volume 1, 
Sec. 17.700 through 17.731. Funds made available under this Notice 
are subject to the requirements of those regulations.

    Allocation: Approximately $13.5 million is available for the per 
diem component of this program. This funding is expected to be 
available for a maximum of 36 months from the date of award, subject to 
the availability of funds. In later years, continued payment is subject 
to availability of funds.
    Application Requirements: The specific per diem application 
requirements will be specified in the application package. The package 
includes all required forms and certifications. Conditional selections 
will be made based on criteria described in the application. Applicants 
who are conditionally selected will be notified of the additional 
information needed to confirm or clarify information provided in the 
application. Applicants will then have approximately one month to 
submit such information. If an applicant is unable to meet any 
conditions for per diem award within the specified time frame, VA 
reserves the right to not award funds and to use the funds available 
for other applicants. Grant recipients who received prior year funding 
for acquisition, renovation or new construction need not reapply for 
per diem for those portions of their programs that were created with 
grant funds. Per diem for these programs is requested in the grant 
application and paid at the time of grant project completion. However, 
if such entities desire per diem for programs not funded by a grant 
award under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, an 
application responding to this NOFA is required.

    Dated: June 24, 2002.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 02-16402 Filed 6-27-02; 8:45 am]
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