[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28949-28952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11584]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem Program (Rehabilitation)

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 assistance to rehabilitate currently 
operational Grant and Per Diem grantee facilities originally funded 
under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program (see funding 
priorities). This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 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 VA's Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program must be received in the Grant and Per Diem 
Program Office by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 28, 2013. 
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, computer service outages (in the case of Grants.gov), 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/GPD.asp or http://www.grants.gov/. Questions should be referred to the 
Grant and Per Diem Program at (toll-free) (877) 332-0334. For 
additional information on VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program, see Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 61.
    Submission of Application: An original completed and collated grant 
application (plus three copies) must be submitted to the following 
address: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program Office, 
10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, Florida 33617. 
Applications must be received in the Grant and Per Diem Program Office 
by the application deadline. This includes applications submitted 
through Grants.gov. 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: Mr. Jeffery L. Quarles, Director, VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, Florida 33617; 
(toll-free) (877) 332-0334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOFA announces the availability of 
rehabilitation funds under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program for current operational Grant and Per Diem grantees to 
rehabilitate their Grant and Per Diem facility. Only one application 
for funding per operational project number may be awarded. Applicants 
that have multiple grant projects located at the same facility need 
only to submit one application with all the affected projects numbers 
listed. Applicants that have multiple facilities under a single project 
number only need to submit one application for all of the affected 
facilities. For example, one project, at one building (facility) = one 
application. Multiple projects, at one building (facility) = one 
application. Multiple buildings (facilities), under one project number 
= one application. Potential applicants may contact the Grant and Per 
Diem Program Office to determine the number of applications needed.
    All potential grantees are advised should they be awarded and 
accept a capital rehabilitation grant under this NOFA; the real 
property rehabilitated may be subject to the real property disposition 
requirements of 38 CFR 49.32.
    Previously awarded grant projects that have not exceeded the 
maximum years of operation listed in 38 CFR 61.67 and Per Diem Only 
(PDO) Transition in Place projects are not eligible for this funding.
    Purpose: VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for VA's Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program as a part of the effort to 
increase the useful life of the facilities of grantees previously 
funded under the program. By providing funding to rehabilitate these 
existing operational grantee facilities, VA expects current Grant and 
Per Diem grantees may rehabilitate their currently funded Grant and Per 
Diem project location in order to meet the safety, security, and 
privacy issues associated with the homeless Veteran populations they 
serve. VA expects awardees to complete the rehabilitation within 18 
months of the award.
    Definition: 38 CFR 61.1 contains definitions of terms used in VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The District of 
Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession 
of the United States, may be considered eligible entities under the 
definition of ``State'' in 38 CFR 61.1.
    Authority: Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by 
title 38 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  2011, 2012, 2013, and 2061. VA implements 
this statutory authority in 38 CFR part 61. Funds made available under 
this NOFA are subject to the requirements of those regulations.
    Inspections and Monitoring Requirements: VA places a great deal of 
emphasis on the responsibility and accountability of grantees. VA will 
inspect the facility upon completion of the rehabilitation to determine 
it was accomplished in accordance with the

[[Page 28950]]

application submitted and meets all appropriate codes. All grantees are 
required to ensure that facilities rehabilitated under this NOFA meet 
the Life Safety Code of the National Fire and Protection Association. 
Please note, typically the Life Safety Code is more stringent than 
local or state codes. Each rehabilitation funded program will submit 
quarterly reports to the Grant and Per Diem Project Development 
Specialist in a standard business format. These reports may contain 
current status of the rehabilitation project and estimated times to 
completion of milestone dates.
    Allocation: Approximately $22 million is available for 
rehabilitation grant awards under this NOFA. All of the funding will 
begin with the first funding priority and then should not enough 
eligible projects be funded under the first funding priority, those 
funds not expended will fall to the second funding priority, and 
subsequently the third funding priority until all funds are expended. 
When VA reaches the funding priority where it will expend all of the 
funding, VA will only then fund applicants in that final funding 
priority at a percentage of their request. For example, if the first 
and second priority requests are funded at 100 percent and only $3 
million of funding remains and the third funding priority has $6 
million in requests, then applicants in the third funding priority 
would only receive 50 percent of what they requested (see Methodology).
    The amount awarded will be not more than 65 percent of the 
estimated total cost of the rehabilitation activity as stated in the 
rehabilitation application (this may include architectural fees and 
engineering fees). The maximum amount of the rehabilitation award will 
be the lesser of the approved rehabilitation activity award amount and 
the actual costs to complete the rehabilitation and may not exceed 
$250,000.00 per project. VA reserves the right to fund only those 
projects or portions of projects based on the percentage of use by VA 
and/or based on the actual need of the rehabilitation as determined by 
VA subject matter experts. As applicants are already operating and have 
met or exceeded the length of operation from the original grant award 
they should take note that if the application is successful and 
rehabilitation funding is awarded under this NOFA they will be subject 
to the recapture provisions of 38 CFR 61.67(b). Applicants should 
become familiar with the amount of time the rehabilitated project will 
have to operate as based on the amount of funding awarded. Operational 
time for these grants will begin upon rehabilitation completion as 
verified by VA. Grantees will be required to support their request for 
rehabilitation funding with detailed rehabilitation plans and budgets 
for the project (see Application Requirements).
    Funding Priorities: VA establishes the following funding priorities 
in order to support its oldest active original capital and PDO 
facilities: (1) Operational capital grantees with a minimum 65-percent 
occupancy rate in the last 6 months (October 1, 2012, through March 31, 
2013) and have exceeded the maximum operational time requirements of 38 
CFR 61.67 on their previous capital grant; (2) Operational PDO grantees 
originally funded in 2002, 2003, and 2004 with a minimum 65-percent 
occupancy rate in the last 6 months (October 1, 2012, through March 31, 
2013) and are willing to meet the 7-year operational time requirements 
of 38 CFR 61.67 for this capital grant; (3) Operational PDO grantees 
originally funded in 2007, 2008, and 2010 with a minimum 65-percent 
occupancy rate in the last 6 months (October 1, 2012, through March 31, 
2013) and are willing to meet the 7-year operational time requirement 
of 38 CFR 61.67 for this capital grant. For all grantees, the 
operational time for this grant will begin upon VA verification that 
the rehabilitation is complete.
    Potential applicants may use the chart below or contact the VA 
National Grant and Per Diem Program Office to determine if the 
operational time requirement for the previous capital grant has been 
met prior to application and/or to determine the new amount of 
operational time required. For capital grantees, the years of operation 
begin on the date the original grant was awarded per diem. For PDO 
grantees, as there was no original operational time commitment under 
these awards, the years of operation will begin upon VA verification of 
the successful completion of the rehabilitation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Years of
            Grant amount (dollars in thousands)               operation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0-250......................................................            7
251-500....................................................            8
501-750....................................................            9
751-1,000..................................................           10
1,001-1,250................................................           11
1,251-1,500................................................           12
1,501-1,750................................................           13
1,751-2,000................................................           14
2,001-2,250................................................           15
2,251-2,500................................................           16
2,501-2,750................................................           17
2,751-3,000................................................           18
Over 3,000.................................................           20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For those applicants that have multiple projects in the same 
facility, the project number with the largest number of beds will be 
used to determine the funding priority and occupancy rate under this 
NOFA.
    For those applicants that have a capital grant that has not yet 
exceeded the maximum operational time listed in 38 CFR 61.67(b) but 
also have a PDO grant not subject to recapture in the same site, the 
applicant should apply under the PDO. However, VA would only pay for 
rehabilitation specific to the PDO beds and prorate common areas 
(kitchen, roof) used by both.
    Funding priority 1. VA is offering the opportunity for 
rehabilitation funding to operational capital grantees with a minimum 
65-percent occupancy rate in the last 6 months (October 1, 2012, 
through March 31, 2013) and have exceeded the operational time 
requirements of 38 CFR 61.67 on their previous capital grant and are 
willing to meet the 7-year operational time requirement of 38 CFR 61.67 
for this capital grant. Should not enough eligible projects be funded 
under the first funding priority, funds not expended in this priority 
will fall to the second funding priority.
    Funding priority 2. VA is offering the opportunity for 
rehabilitation funding to operational PDO grantees originally funded in 
2002, 2003, and 2004 with a minimum 65-percent occupancy rate in the 
last 6 months (October 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013) and are willing 
to meet the 7-year operational time requirements of 38 CFR 61.67 for 
this capital grant. Should not enough eligible projects be funded under 
the second funding priority, funds not expended in this priority will 
fall to the third funding priority.
    Funding priority 3. VA is offering the opportunity for 
rehabilitation funding to operational PDO grantees originally funded in 
2007, 2008, and 2010 with a minimum 65-percent occupancy rate in the 
last 6 months (October 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013) and are willing 
to meet the 7-year operational time requirements of 38 CFR 61.67 for 
this capital grant. Should funding still be available, the third 
priority will be funded until funding is expended (approximately $22 
million).
    Scope of Rehabilitation: VA will allow for the following 
rehabilitation activities that increase the useful life of the 
facility:
    1. Emergent Need Activities: Those applications that document and 
demonstrate the overall proposed rehabilitation will correct a 
condition of the facility that may immediately affect

[[Page 28951]]

the health or safety of participants such as:
    a. Remedies for Americans with Disabilities Compliance (e.g., 
access ramps, wider doors and hallways, bedrooms, and restrooms).
    b. Remedies for Life/Safety (e.g., egress, smoke barrier, fire 
walls/doors, fire alarms, seismic improvements, and fire suppression 
systems).
    2. Significant Need Activities: Those applications that document 
and demonstrate the overall proposed rehabilitation will correct a 
condition of the facility that may significantly affect the immediate 
privacy, health, or safety of participants such as:
    a. Building Systems--Utilities and Features (e.g., electrical, 
heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), boiler, roof, elevators, 
locks, security fencing, security monitoring systems, and energy 
efficient items such as windows).
    b. Clinical/Participant Support Facilitation (e.g., kitchens, 
dining facilities, laundry, counseling facilities, bedrooms, and 
bathrooms).
    3. Operational Need: Those applications that document and 
demonstrate the overall proposed rehabilitation of a condition of the 
facility will increase the operational capability of the grantee to 
address the privacy, health, or safety of participants such as: General 
Rehabilitations (e.g., minor repairs or improvements such as painting, 
flooring, or other aesthetical enhancements to the facility).
    Rehabilitation Activities Not Allowed Under this NOFA: Landscaping, 
fencing, equipment other than allowed above, and furniture. Those 
rehabilitation activities deemed outside of the Scope of Rehabilitation 
by VA subject matter experts will not be funded.
    Payments: Under this NOFA, VA will make rehabilitation payments in 
a method consistent with VA policy. Rehabilitation payments will be 
paid only for allowable costs as specified under the Office of 
Management and Budget Circulars for Grants Management for the 
rehabilitation activities outlined in this NOFA. All payment specifics 
will be given to the grantee at the time of award.
    Application: 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 package will consist of two parts. The first part will 
be the standard forms required for rehabilitation grants to include all 
required forms and certifications and will be provided by VA on the 
Grant and Per Diem Web site at http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp. They 
are as follows:

Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424)
Application Receipt Form (VA Form 10-0361A)
General Assurances (VA Form 10-0361 GC)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility 
Matters--Primary Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility 
Matters--Lower Tier Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Drug Free Workplace (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (VA Form 10-0361)
Standard Form 424C, Construction Budget
Standard Form 424D, Construction Assurances

    The second part of the application will be provided by applicants 
and consist of a project narrative and rehabilitation supporting 
documentation (see Application Requirements). Selections will be made 
based on the criteria described in the application, VA regulations, 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.

Application Requirements

    (a) This section sets forth provisions for obtaining a 
rehabilitation capital grant under 38 U.S.C. 2011. In addition to being 
an eligible entity, an applicant must have previously received a grant 
under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, be 
operational, and meet the requirements of the funding priorities above.
    (b) As to be eligible under this NOFA, applicants must be 
operational and therefore have previously provided documentation of 
Accounting System Certification and Evidence of Private Non-Profit 
Status. Therefore, VA will use the applicants existing documentation 
for this purpose.
    Project Narrative and Supporting Documentation: Applicants will be 
required to provide a narrative of the proposed project rehabilitation. 
The responses should be labeled with the same titles and order of this 
NOFA. This is to be completed in a normal business format on not more 
than 15 double-spaced typed single sided pages in Arial 12 font.
    The narrative should address the following:
    a. Original grant project number or number(s) affected by the 
proposed rehabilitation;
    b. Address of the site(s) to rehabilitated;
    c. Budget and matching costs of the renovation:
    (1) Total rehabilitation cost (this is the amount requested from VA 
plus the remaining balance of funds required to complete 
rehabilitation);
    (2) Cost for any areas to be rehabilitated that are not Grant and 
Per Diem specific (unallowable to VA costs);
    (3) Amount requested to VA for Grant and Per Diem rehabilitation 
(may not exceed 65 percent of the cost of the total Grant and Per Diem 
areas to be renovated);
    (4) Amounts and type of matching funds as applicable, including:
    (i) Applicant Cash;
    (ii) Third Party Cash;
    (iii) Third Party Non-Cash;
    (iv) Volunteer Time; and
    (v) Total of All Matching Funds.
    (5) Supporting Documentation of Match: Applicants must provide firm 
documentation of matching resources at the time of application on their 
letterhead and donors must use their appropriate organization 
letterhead stationary in the following format. Failure to have your 
match at the time of application will result in your application be 
determined ineligible for funding.
    (i) Applicant Cash Resources: If this proposal is funded, applicant 
will commit $------ of its own funds for ------ to be made available to 
VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program. The funds will be 
available on ------.
    (ii) Third Party Cash: If this proposal is funded, ------ will 
commit $------ to ------ for ------ to be made available to VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program. These funds will be made 
available on ------.
    (iii) Third Party Non-Cash: If this proposal is funded, ------ will 
commit to make available------ valued at $------ to VA's Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem program proposed by ------. These 
resources will be made available to VA's Homeless Providers

[[Page 28952]]

Grant and Per Diem program from ------ to ------.
    (iv) Volunteer Time: If this proposal is funded, ------ will commit 
to provide ------ hours of volunteer time to provide ------ to VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program proposed by ------. The 
value of these services is $------ based on a rate of ------.
    (v) Contributed Materials: If this proposal is funded, ------ 
commits ------ for VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program. 
The estimated value of this material is $------.
    d. The current condition of the proposed area or item to be 
rehabilitated; narrative description coupled with color photos;
    e. Specifics on the rehabilitation work to be performed;
    f. Urgency of the rehabilitation (how soon does it need to be 
accomplished);
    g. Adequacy of the rehabilitation (is this the best method to 
complete the rehabilitation and why);
    h. Benefit of the rehabilitation to the facility and to program 
participants;
    i. Feasibility of the rehabilitation as compared to moving to 
another site;
    j. Justification on why the work needs to be performed;
    k. Major Milestones (Timeline) to completion; and
    l. The following documents to support the narrative:
    i. Plan: A plan from an architect, contractor, or other building 
professional that provides estimated costs for the proposed design;
    ii. Schematics: Submit one set of line drawings showing the basic 
layout of the existing area to be rehabilitated and the area as it 
would be following the rehabilitation. Show total floor and room areas, 
designation of all spaces, and size of all areas and rooms. It is not 
necessary to show mechanical systems detail in the schematic drawings.
    iii. When Plans Not Needed: In those cases where the rehabilitation 
proposed does not involve the creation of plans, i.e., changing or 
installing locks or painting. Items (i) and (ii) are not required. If 
applicants have questions they should contact the VA National Grant and 
Per Diem Program Office.
    Application Scoring: Applications under this NOFA will not be 
scored. Rather VA will provide funding to all eligible applicants as 
described in the Methodology section of this NOFA until funding is 
expended.
    Methodology: VA will review the rehabilitation grant applications 
in response to this NOFA as follows: VA will group the applicants into 
the funding priorities categories as applicable. VA will review to 
ensure the proposed rehabilitation activities meet the Scope of 
Rehabilitation activities as stated in the NOFA. VA will request 
further information and provide a time for delivery of that information 
from the applicant as needed in order to ensure the rehabilitation 
meets the governing laws, regulations, and NOFA. Funding will begin 
with the first funding priority and then should not enough eligible 
projects be funded under the first funding priority, those funds not 
expended will fall to the second funding priority, and subsequently the 
third funding priority until all funds are expended. When VA reaches 
the funding priority where it will expend all of the funding, VA will 
only then fund applicants in that final funding priority at a 
percentage of their request. For example, if the first and second 
priority requests are funded at 100 percent and only $3 million of 
funding remains and the third funding priority has $6 million in 
requests, then applicants in the third funding priority would only 
receive 50 percent of what they requested.
    Prior to executing a funding agreement, VA will contact the 
applicants and make known the amount of proposed funding, verify the 
applicant still would like the funding, and verify the match 
documentation. Once VA verifies the match documentation, VA will 
execute an agreement and make payments to the grant recipient in 
accordance with 38 CFR 61.61 and other applicable provisions of this 
NOFA.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose D. 
Riojas, Interim Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on May 9, 2013 for publication.

    Dated: May 10, 2013.
Robert C. McFetridge,
Director of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of General 
Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-11584 Filed 5-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P