[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16895-16898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1437]


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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]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P