[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 107 (Monday, June 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32863-32865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11182]


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

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 (VA) is announcing the 
availability of funds for currently operational VA Per Diem Only 
Recipients (projects that were originally awarded in 2002, 2003, and 
2004 that are currently providing services and receiving per diem 
payments as of May 15, 2005) to make reapplication for assistance for 
their existing project number under the Per Diem Only Grant Component 
of VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program. The focus 
of this Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) is to provide previous 
recipients that have demonstrated performance in the delivery of 
services to the homeless veteran population an opportunity to seek re-
application. This Notice contains information concerning the program, 
re-application process, and the amount of funding available.

DATES: An original request for re-application letter, on agency 
letterhead 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 October 5, 2005. Requests for re-
application 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 request 
for re-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: An application package is 
not needed for this NOFA. Applicants submitting a letter requesting re-
application on their agency's letterhead

[[Page 32864]]

agree to VA using their previously awarded Per Diem Only application 
for scoring purposes (see re-application requirements in this NOFA).
    Submission of Application: An original and complete letter 
requesting re-application with project number (see re-application 
requirements in this NOFA) 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. Letters of re-application must 
be received in the Grant and Per Diem Field office by the re-
application deadline. Any additional materials arriving separately will 
not be included in the re-application package for consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 
funds for assistance under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program for eligible currently operational programs that have 
previously received a VA Per Diem Only grant in 2002, 2003, and 2004 
under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The Final 
Rule, published in the Federal Register, September 26, 2003, secs. 61.0 
through 61.82. Public Law 107-95, 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. 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 beginning on 1/31/06 and will continue so long as the grantee 
meets the requirements of 38 CFR part 61. Per diem payments are also 
subject to availability of funds and will run concurrently with the 
reauthorization period of the Grant and Per Diem Program.
    Capital grant recipients who received capital grant funding under 
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program in 1994, 1995, 1996, 
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003 for acquisition, renovation or 
new construction should not respond to this NOFA. Per diem for those 
portions of their programs that were created with capital grant funds 
is requested in the capital grant application and paid at the time of 
capital grant project completion and inspection.
    VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for the Homeless Providers Grant 
and Per Diem Program. The Department expects to award approximately $38 
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, 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 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 $27.44. Awardees will be 
required to support their request for per diem payment with adequate 
fiscal documentation as to program income and expenses.
    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 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 a request for per diem payment 
under this NOFA to ensure this requirement is met.

    Note: 2002 Per Diem Only awardees that have a project co-located 
at a facility that has been given an extension to meet the Life 
Safety Code by Public Law 107-95 have until December 21, 2006, to do 
so. If selected for refunding and the project does not meet the Life 
Safety Code by that date, per diem funding will be stopped as per 
the requirement set forth in Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 107-95.

    Per Diem Only programs that have received a ``Special Needs Grant'' 
in conjunction with their Per Diem Only Project are advised that 
``Special Needs'' funding is also subject to reauthorization of the 
special need component and may not continue if not reauthorized.
    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.
    Authority: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is 
authorized by Public Law 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 final rule codified at 38 CFR part 61.0. The 
final rule was published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2003, 
the regulations can be found in their entirety in 38 CFR, sec. 61.0 
through 61.82. Funds made available under this notice are subject to 
the requirements of those regulations.
    Allocation: Approximately $38 million annually is available for the 
per diem only award component of this program. This funding is expected 
to be available from 1/31/06 subject to the availability of funds and 
reauthorization of the program past September 30, 2005.
    Funding Priorities: None.
    Methodology: VA will review all previously awarded operational Per 
Diem Only grant recipients applications that request reapplication in 
response to this notice of funding availability. Applicants will then 
be ranked based on score and any ranking criteria set forth only if the 
applicant scores at least 500 cumulative points from paragraphs (b) (c) 
(d) (e) and (i) of 38 CFR 61.13.
    The highest-ranked application for which funding is available, will 
be conditionally selected for eligibility to receive per diem payment 
in accordance with its ranked order until VA reaches the projected 
funding allowance for this NOFA.

[[Page 32865]]

    Reapplication Requirements: The specific grant re-application 
requirements are: An original request for reapplication letter on 
agency letterhead for assistance under the VA's Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program requesting that the previous Per Diem Only 
project number be considered for reapplication. Applicants that do not 
know or are not sure of their project number should contact the Grant 
and Per Diem Field Office (toll-free) at 1-877-332-0334 to obtain their 
existing project number.
    A new application package is not needed for this NOFA. Applicants 
submitting a letter requesting reapplication on agency letterhead agree 
to VA using their previously awarded Per Diem Only application for 
scoring purposes. Selections will be made based on criteria described 
in the original application, final rule, and NOFA. Applicants who are 
selected will be notified of any additional information needed to 
confirm or clarify information provided in the reapplication. 
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: May 31, 2005.
R. James Nicholson,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 05-11182 Filed 6-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P