[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 86 (Monday, May 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23802-23804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11096]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem Program

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 June 19, 2003. 
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 
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 interim final rule published in the 
Federal Register on March 19, 2003, Sec. Sec.  61.0-61.82.
    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-100, 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: Guy Liedke, VA Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770 N. 
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 that have not previously applied for or 
received per diem in connection with a grant (see 38 CFR 17.700 through 
17.731(repealed) and interim final rule, published in the Federal 
Register, March 19, 2003, Sec. Sec.  61.0 through 61.82). Public Law 
107-95, Sec. Sec.  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. 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 the period of July 
1, 2003, to June 30, 2006, subject to availability of funds and re-
authorization of the program past September 30, 2005. For eligibility 
criteria, please refer to the interim final rule published in the 
Federal Register on March 19, 2003, Sec. Sec.  61.30, 61.31, and 61.32.
    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 previous grant application, an 
application responding to this NOFA is required.
    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 $8 million annually 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 and 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, and any territory or 
possession of the United States, may be considered eligible entities 
under the definition of ``State'' in the interim final rule, Sec.  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, which 
is currently $26.95. 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

[[Page 23803]]

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.
    Through the merger of centrally directed funding for VA's Heath 
Care for Homeless Veterans contract residential treatment programs and 
the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program some localities 
across the country may have lost capacity to provide community-based 
residential services for homeless veterans. In the interest of 
restoring some portion of lost capacity to as many locations as 
possible, VA encourages providers from these localities to submit 
applications. 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. 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.
    It should be noted that VA expects to announce additional Notices 
of Fund Availability for construction grants and ``Per Diem Only'' 
awards in July or August of 2003 so that interested applicants can take 
advantage of technical assistance and training that will be available 
as a result of a technical assistance grant.

    Authority: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is 
authorized by Pub. L. 107-95, Sec.  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 interim final rule codified at 38 CFR 
part 61.0. The interim final rule was published in the Federal 
Register on March 19, 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 $8 million annually is available for the 
per diem only award component of this program. This funding is expected 
to be available from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2006 subject to the 
availability of funds and reauthorization of the program past September 
30, 2005.
    Funding Priorities: VA establishes the following three funding 
priorities in order to: (1) implement the provisions of Pub. L. 107-95 
regarding geographical dispersion and non-duplication of service; and 
(2) partially restore lost capacity resulting from the merger of the 
Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) contract residential treatment 
program and the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. In this 
round of ``Per Diem Only'' funding, VA expects to award funding for 
approximately 800 community-based supported housing beds.
    The Urban Institute's analysis of data collected through the 1996 
Survey of Homeless Providers and Clients indicates that 21 percent of 
the homeless population is found in rural and suburban locations. Over 
the last 8 rounds of grants, VA awarded approximately $63 million to 
help establish 271 projects for homeless veterans. Additionally, VA has 
provided operational funds in the form of per diem for 1,378 beds.
    Funding priority 1. Seven states have no grant or per diem funded 
programs for homeless veterans. These states are Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, 
Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Wyoming. Based on the total 
number of beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 140 
beds (17.5% of the 800 beds expected to be funded) from eligible 
entities whose projects are located in these states 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 from each state will be funded first, followed by the second 
highest scoring applicants from each state, until enough projects 
totaling approximately 140 beds are identified for funding. The goal 
will be to fund approximately 20 beds in each of the seven states that 
currently have no grant or per diem funded beds. Applicants not funded 
in this priority will be placed in the third funding priority.
    Funding priority 2. Also, only three grant and per diem-funded 
programs are affiliated with Indian tribal governments. Based on the 
total number of beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 
140 beds (17.5% of the 800 beds expected to be funded) from Indian 
tribal governments will be selected in the second funding priority. Of 
those Indian Tribal Governments in the second funding priority, that 
are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants will be funded 
first, until enough projects totaling approximately 140 beds are 
identified for funding. Applicants not funded in this priority will be 
placed in the third funding priority.
    Funding priority 3. Finally, VA is encouraging interested, state 
and local governments, and faith-based, and community-based 
organizations to apply for funding under this NOFA. Based on the total 
number of beds expected to be funded in this round, approximately 520 
beds (65% of the 800 beds expected to be funded) from the eligible 
entities that are state and local governments, and faith-based and 
community-based organizations, along with those applicants not selected 
in the first or second priority will be considered in the third funding 
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 520 
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

[[Page 23804]]

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 the interim final rule published in the Federal Register, 
March 19, 2003, Sec.  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: April 30, 2003.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-11096 Filed 5-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P