[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 86 (Friday, May 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25351-25354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-8528]


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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 capital 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 28, 
2007. 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 http://

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www.grants.gov/. Questions should be referred to 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 on September 26, 2003.
    Submission of Application: An original completed and collated grant 
application (plus three copies) and a cover letter clearly stating 
under which funding priority applicants wish to be considered 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 
transitional housing projects; or (2) develop new transitional housing 
programs. Supportive service centers will only be considered under 
funding priority 3. Funding applied for under the capital grant 
component may be used for: (1) Remodeling or alteration of existing 
buildings; (2) acquisition of buildings; (3) acquisition and 
rehabilitation of buildings; (4) new construction; and (5) acquisition 
of vans (in connection with a new or existing Grant and Per Diem Grant 
project) for outreach and transportation for homeless veterans. Funding 
applied for under this notice is authorized by Public Law 109-461, 
Sec.  703, known as the Veterans Benefit, Health Care and Information 
Technology Act of 2006, codified at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064, 
and may be used for aid for supportive housing and service centers. 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 housing and 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 $14 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, are 
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 Protection 
Association as it relates to their specific facility. Applicants should 
note that all facilities are to be sprinkled unless they are 
specifically exempted under the Life Safety Code and make consideration 
of this when submitting their capital grant applications. 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). NEPEC's monitoring procedures will 
be used to determine successful accomplishment of these housing 
outcomes for each per diem-funded program.

    Authority: Funding applied for under this notice is authorized 
by Public Law 109-461, Sec.  703, known as the Veterans Benefit, 
Health Care and Information Technology Act of 2006, codified at 38 
U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064, and may be used for aid for 
supportive housing. 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 61.0 through 61.82. Funds made available 
under this notice are subject to the requirements of those 
regulations.

    Allocation: Approximately $14 million is available for the capital 
grant component. Capital grant awards will be limited to transitional 
housing projects, (service center programs will only be considered in 
this round under funding priority 3).
    Vans must be directly connected to a new or existing Grant and Per 
Diem

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Grant project and will be limited to one per project. These van awards 
do not count against the one per tax identification number for non-
profit entitles or state and local government entities. Per diem 
payments to capital grant recipients are subject to the recipients 
maintaining the program for which the grant was awarded.
    Funding Priorities: VA is offering to eligible applicants funding 
priorities for transitional housing and services to homeless women 
veterans and homeless women who have care of their dependent children, 
housing and services in area's experiencing the lingering effects of 
Hurricane's Katrina and Rita, and service centers for Indian Tribal 
Governments. Additionally, VA is encouraging interested state and local 
governments, Indian tribal governments, and faith-based and community-
based organizations to apply for funding under this NOFA. In this round 
of capital grant funding, VA expects to award funding to create 
approximately 900 community-based supported housing beds.
    Funding priority 1. VA is offering the opportunity for providers 
who are willing to create new projects for women and women with care of 
dependent children. Of those eligible entities in the first funding 
priority that are legally fundable, the highest scoring applicants will 
be funded first until approximately $1.5 million is awarded. Applicants 
not funded in this priority will be considered in the fourth funding 
priority.
    Funding priority 2. VA is offering the opportunity for providers 
who are willing to create new or expand existing projects for homeless 
veterans due to the lingering effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 
Applicants whose projects are physically located in FEMA designated 
disaster declaration parishes or counties, that were eligible for 
``Individual Assistance'', as outlined in the tables below, that are 
eligible entities, 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 $2.5 million is awarded. Applicants not funded in 
this priority will be placed in the fourth funding priority. Should not 
enough eligible projects be funded under the second funding priority, 
funds not expended in this priority will fall to the fourth funding 
priority.
    Funding priority 3. Indian tribal governments that wish to 
establish service centers for homeless veterans will be considered in 
the third funding priority as applicable. Of those eligible entities in 
the third 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 fourth funding priority. Should not enough eligible projects be 
funded under the third funding priority, funds not expended in this 
priority will fall to the fourth funding priority.
    Funding priority 4. VA is encouraging interested, state and local 
governments, Indian tribal governments, and faith-based and community-
based organizations to apply for funding under this NOFA to create 
transitional housing and services for all homeless veterans. Eligible 
entities that are state and local governments, Indian Tribal 
governments, faith-based, and community-based organizations, will be 
considered in the fourth 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 $9 
million).

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                            Hurricane Katrina
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FEMA-1605-DR, Alabama..................  Declaration Date: August 29,
                                          2005.
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Baldwin, Marengo, Mobile, Pickens, Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa, and
 Washington Counties.
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FEMA-1603-DR, Louisiana................  Declaration Date: August 29,
                                          2005.
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The parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, East
 Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson
 Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Pointe Coupee,
 Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John,
 St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion,
 Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
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FEMA-1604-DR, Mississippi..............  Declaration Date: August 29,
                                          2005.
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Adams, Amite, Attala, Claiborne, Choctaw, Clarke, Copiah, Covington,
 Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes,
 Humphreys, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper,
 Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion,
 Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin,
 Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Wilkinson,
 Winston, and Yazoo Counties.
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                             Hurricane Rita
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FEMA-1607-DR, Louisiana................  Declaration Date: September 24,
                                          2005.
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The parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Cameron, Calcasieu,
 Beauregard, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davies, Lafayette,
 Lafourche, Livingston, Plaquemines, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St.
 Mary, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, and West Baton Rouge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEMA-1606-DR, Texas....................  Declaration Date: September 24,
                                          2005.
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The counties of Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston,
 Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches,
 Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby,
 Trinity, Tyler, and Walker.
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    Methodology: VA will review all capital grant 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 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 receives 
points under the criteria in paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e) and (i) of 
Sec.  61.13.
    The highest-ranked application for which funding is available, 
within the

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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: Applicants must include a cover letter 
clearly stating under which funding priority they wish to be 
considered. 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 30, 2007.
Gordon H. Mansfield,
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. E7-8528 Filed 5-3-07; 8:45 am]
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