Benefit News: VA Extends Funding to Groups Impacted By Grant and Per Diem Program Changes

WASHINGTON — Today, VA Secretary David J. Shulkin announced an extension of funding to organizations that applied for Fiscal Year 2018 grants under VA’s Homeless Providers’ Grant and Per Diem Program, but would be found ineligible due to new program guidelines.

The extension will give those organizations a chance to improve the effectiveness of their programs and an opportunity to apply for funding under an upcoming “notice of funding.”

 In a Dec. 23, 2016, Federal Register notice, VA announced it would end per diem payments for all grantees that received awards from VA for fiscal years 1994 to 2016, and that all interested grant programs would have to reapply under updated requirements and acceptance criteria included in the notice. The change allows VA to update its two-decades-old program, which relied on transitional housing for homeless Veterans, to one that equips homeless Veterans with what they need to find permanent housing and independence.

 “Our previous Grant and Per Diem Program offered Veterans temporary shelter,” Dr. Shulkin said. “We want our Veterans to have a permanent home. To do that, our homeless programs staff is dedicated to making sure the services and grants we provide to prevent Veteran homelessness are appropriate and based on current needs and approaches.”

 A letter will be sent shortly to programs affected by the new guidelines. The letter will provide a randomly generated number, so applicants may review their score in relation to the scores of all other applications, while offering them a one-year extension that allows them to continue operations and improve their application for future Grant and Per Diem Program funding. The Fiscal Year 2018 Grant and Per Diem Program awards to successful grantees will be made in September.

 Information about the Grant and Per Diem Program may be found at https://www.va.gov/homeless/GPD.asp. Information about the changes to the program may be found here. Information about VA’s homeless programs is available at www.va.gov/homeless.