Jan. 14, 2013

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of funds for supportive services grants under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program (SSVF). The NOFA, published in the Jan. 14, 2014 Federal Register, contains information concerning the SSVF Program, initial and renewal supportive services grant application processes, and amount of funding available.

The SSVF Program’s purpose is to provide supportive services grants to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives who will coordinate or provide supportive services to very low-income veteran families who: (i) Are residing in permanent housing, (ii) are homeless and scheduled to become residents of permanent housing within a specified time period, or (iii) 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.

The overriding goal for this NOFA is to ensure that appropriate levels of resources are provided to communities with the greatest need to end veteran homelessness. Under Priority 1, VA will provide up to $300 million over a 3-year period for non-renewable grants to eligible entities proposing services for one of the 76 priority Continuums of Care (CoC) listed in the NOFA. VA has designed this 3-year effort to provide a surge of resources in communities with the highest need. These 76 locations have been selected based on factors that include current unmet service needs, levels of veteran homelessness, levels of veteran poverty, and the overall size of the veteran population.

Priority 2 is for existing SSVF Program grantees seeking to renew their supportive services grants. To be eligible for renewal of a supportive services grant, the grantee’s program concept must be substantially the same with the program concept of the grantee’s current grant award.

Priority 3 is for eligible entities applying for initial supportive services grants.

To read the NOFA in its entirety, click here.