VA – Supportive Services for Veteran Families (2017)

By NLADA on December 14, 2016

Applications Due: February 3, 2017, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Description: The SSVF program’s purpose is to provide supportive services grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives, who will coordinate or provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families who:

Are residing in permanent housing;
Are homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within a specified time period; or
After exiting permanent housing within a specified time period, are seeking other housing that is responsive to such very low-income Veteran family’s needs and preferences.

SSVF prioritizes the delivery of rapid re-housing services to homeless Veteran households. Rapid rehousing is an intervention designed to help individuals and families exit homelessness, return to housing in the community, and avoid homelessness again in the near term. The core components of a rapid re-housing program are housing identification, move-in and rent assistance, and rapid re-housing case management and services. These core components represent the minimum that a program must be providing to households to be considered a rapid re-housing program, but do not provide guidance for what constitutes an effective rapid re-housing program. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Rapid Re-housing Performance Benchmarks and Program

Standards found on VA’s SSVF Web site at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp.

Funding will be awarded for supportive services grants under this NOFA depending on funding availability (currently funding is only authorized to be appropriated for the SSVF program through FY 2017). Applicants should fill out separate applications for each supportive services funding request. Funding will be awarded under this NOFA to new and existing grantees for a 1 to 3-year period beginning October 1, 2017

Funding Title: Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF)

Funding Opportunity Number: VA–SSVF–120516

Agency Name: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. Page 4 of the NOFA states:

“Grantees are encouraged to provide, or assist participants in obtaining, legal services relevant to issues that interfere with the participants’ ability to obtain or retain permanent housing. (NOTE: Information regarding legal services provided may be protected from being released to the grantee or VA under attorney-client privilege, although the grantee must provide sufficient information to demonstrate the frequency and type of service delivered.) Support for legal services can include paying for court filing fees to assist a participant with issues that interfere with the participant’s ability to obtain or retain permanent housing or supportive services, including issues that affect the participant’s employability and financial security. Grantees (in addition to employees and members of grantees) may represent participants before VA with respect to a claim for VA benefits, but only if they are recognized for that purpose pursuant to 38 U.S.C. Chapter 59. Further, the individual providing such representation must be accredited pursuant to 38 U.S.C. Chapter 59.”

Target Population: Low-income Veteran families who:

Are residing in permanent housing;
Are homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within a specified time period; or
After exiting permanent housing within a specified time period, are seeking other housing that is responsive to such very low-income Veteran family’s needs and preferences.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

How to Apply: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications electronically following instructions found at: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.

Alternatively, applicants can mail in applications. If mailed, applicants must submit two completed, collated, hard copies of the application and two compact discs (CDs) containing electronic versions of the entire application. Each application copy must: (i) Be fastened with a binder clip, and (ii) contain tabs listing the major sections of and exhibits to the application. Each CD must be labeled with the applicant’s name and must contain an electronic copy of the entire application. A budget template must be attached in Excel format on the CD, but all other application materials may be attached in a PDF or other format. The application copies and CDs must be submitted to the following address:

Supportive Services for Veteran

Families Program Office, National

Center on Homelessness Among

Veterans, 4100 Chester Avenue, Suite

201, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Applications may not be sent by facsimile (fax). Applications must be received in the SSVF Program Office by 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on the application deadline date. 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.

Current Closing Date for Applications: February 3, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Award Ceiling: $2 million per year

Award Floor: $0

Eligible Applicants: For Priority 1 and 2, only eligible entities that are existing grantees can apply in response to this NOFA. For Priority 3, any eligible entity may apply for new funding in one of the listed target communities. In order to be eligible, an applicant must qualify as a private nonprofit organization (section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt status is required) or a consumer cooperative as defined in 38 U.S.C. 2044(f). In addition, tribally designated housing entities (as defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103)) are eligible.

Priority Consideration:

SSVF Funding is available to 3 priority groups:

Priority 1: Existing grantees with full accreditation by application deadline (grantees who have an existing Priority 1 award from FY 15 are eligible to apply)

Priority 2: All other existing grantees without full accreditation by application deadline (grantees who have an existing Priority 1 award from FY 15 are eligible to apply)

Priority 3: New proposals from applicants able to serve one of 8 target communities. Maximum award $2 million.

More info about priority groups:

Priority 1 and 2

Available only to existing grantees.
Must use application designed for renewal grants (Priority 1 or Priority 2).
Eligibility requires program concept to remain “substantially the same” with current grant award.
Potentially, grants could be renewed at the same level, a decreased level, or an increased level of funding (if inflation increase is provided).
Renewal grant requests can seek increase of up to 2% without justifying increase (COLA). This is not to be request in budget submission. VA will apply, if funding available.

Priority 3

New applicants seeking to provide SSVF services in one of 8 CoCs: Georgia BoS, Phoenix/Mesa/Maricopa, Dallas/Irving, Colorado BoS, Sacramento, Austin/Travis, Hawaii BoS, Santa Rosa/Petaluma/Sonoma
8 target
Maximum award $2 million
No more than 1 application total (not per community) for new funding from any eligible entity
Must use application designed for new grants, categorized as Priority 3.

Link to Full Announcement: https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp

NOFA Training (includes audio webinar): https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/FY18_NOFA_Training_Webinar_Dec%202016_FINAL_Audio.pdf

Contact Information: Mr. John Kuhn, National Director, Supportive Services for Veteran Families at the following email address: SSVF@va.gov.