[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20440-20442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5897]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under the Department of Veterans Affairs (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 applications 
for assistance under the Capital Grant component of the VA 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 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 14, 2006. 
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 the 
VA 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 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 published in 
the Federal Register 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

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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 the VA Homeless Providers Grant and 
Per Diem Program for eligible entities to: (1) Expand existing 
transitional housing projects; or (2) develop new transitional housing 
programs. Supportive service centers will not be considered for 
funding. 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, 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 2006. For eligibility 
criteria please refer to the Final Rule published 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 $10 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 transitional housing 
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 as well as with VA and other benefit providers is an 
important aspect of assuring that homeless veterans have access to 
appropriate health care services. VA considers this program an 
important part of our effort to end chronic homelessness among 
veterans.
    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 the VA 
Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). NEPEC's monitoring 
procedures will be used to determine successful accomplishment of these 
housing outcomes for each per diem-funded program.


    Authority: The VA 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 
2006. The program is implemented by the final rule codified at 38 
CFR 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 $10 million is available for the Capital 
Grant component. Capital grant awards will be limited to transitional 
housing projects, (service centers will not be considered in this 
round), with no more than one award per tax identification number. Vans 
must be 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 project for which the grant was awarded, the availability of funds 
and reauthorization of the program past September 30, 2006.
    Funding Priorities: VA establishes priority for funding to 
underserved and low utilization populations and areas. In this round of 
capital grant funding, VA expects to award funding to create 
approximately 670 community-based supported housing beds.
    Funding priority 1. Indian Tribal Governments or applicants whose 
projects are in partnership with Indian Tribal Governments and to the 
maximum extent possible are designed exclusively for homeless Native 
American veterans will be considered in the first funding priority. 
Provision of

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housing 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 $2 million is awarded. Applicants not funded in this 
priority will be considered in the third funding priority as 
applicable.
    Funding priority 2. Applicants whose projects are physically 
located in Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United 
States are the second funding priority. Eligible entities whose 
projects are located in these areas will be considered in the second 
funding priority. Of those eligible entities in the second funding 
priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants 
will be funded first until approximately $1 million is awarded. 
Applicants not funded in this priority will be placed in the third 
funding priority.
    Funding priority 3. 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 
first or second funding priority will be considered in the third 
funding priority as applicable. 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 $7 million).
    Methodology: VA will review all capital grant applications in 
response to this NOFA as follows: VA will group the applicants into the 
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 600 cumulative points and must receive points under 
criteria from paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (i) of Section 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 Section 61.14.
    Application Requirements: The grant application requirements will 
be specified in the application package. Applicants should be careful 
to complete the proper application package. Submission of the incorrect 
or incomplete 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 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 13, 2006.
Gordon H. Mansfield,
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-5897 Filed 4-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P