National Association of Counties
On October 27, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published three grant opportunities aimed at helping veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These funding opportunities also come at a time when new data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) highlights that veteran homelessness has decreased 11 percent since 2020 and 55.3 percent since 2010 and in 2022, VA has placed nearly 31,000 veterans experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.
The first grant opportunity provides $731 million in funding for the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program (SSVF), which provides supportive services to rapidly rehouse veterans and their families, prevent the imminent loss of a veteran's home, or identify new, more suitable housing situations for veterans and their families. This grant supports both new and renewal grant awards to community-based nonprofit agencies and consumer collaboratives and also provides additional authorities and flexibilities to assist veterans in remaining in and obtaining permanent housing. The deadline to apply for this grant is February 10, 2023.
View the SSVF grant opportunity here.
County governments are directly eligible to apply for the other two grants for VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD). These programs provide veterans-in-need with transitional housing beds and case management that connects them to VA benefits, community-based services and permanent housing. Specifically, the Per Diem Only (PDO) grants will fund transitional supportive housing beds or service centers and the Transition in Place (TIP) grants will provide veterans with apartment-style housing that allows them to remain in stable housing while they complete the GPD program. VA anticipates awarding nearly 390 total grants through this program, which VA estimates will provide beds for approximately 11,000 veterans nationwide. The deadline for the PDO grant application is due February 6, 2023, and for the TIP applications must be sent by January 30, 2023.
View the PDO grant opportunity here and the TIP grant opportunity here.
Counties across the United States provide a range of health and human services to our veterans and military families often serving as the first point of contact in the community. NACo supports ending homelessness for veterans and military families, including using federal resources to enhance local rapid-rehousing, transitional and permanent housing placements and applauds VA’s efforts to reduce veteran homelessness in partnership with states and local governments and encourages both Congress and the administration to continue to increase the resources targeted to end homelessness among veterans.
This analysis includes funding highlights for key programs impacting counties.
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