From: SSVF

Sent: Friday, April 29, 2016 3:51 PM

Subject: SSVF Program Update: April 29, 2016

Importance: High

Topics:

1. Newly Released: Companion Guide for SSVF Program Changes

2. Update to Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) Waiver Request Process

3. Action Needed Regarding the Federal Financial Report (FFR) Financial Status Report Requirements

4. SSVF Fax Number Has Changed!

Newly Released: Companion Guide for SSVF Program Changes

To assist grantees with their Program Change submissions, the SSVF Program Office has released a FY2016 Companion Guide for Program Changes, which can be found at: (http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/official_guide/reporting_and_monitoring_requirements).

This guide provides clarification on the various types of program changes and includes detailed instructions for accessing and completing the GIFTS requirement form. Please thoroughly review this guide prior to submitting any program change requests, as it was based directly off of grantee feedback and developed in order to prevent mathematical errors that resulted in the declination of previously submitted program change requests. Requests that do not contain sufficient detail/documentation will be denied by the Program Office.

It should be noted that the majority of Q2 submission errors involved the budget modification/new position sections. While the Companion Guide includes more detailed information, general guidance regarding those sections is provided below:

Dollar amounts must be entered for all budget fields, regardless of whether that specific budgeted category is being modified.

For example: a budget mod that changes the distribution of funds in Personnel and TFA must also include the dollar amounts for OTNP, Admin, and Vehicles.
Without this information the calculations to determine the correct HHS subaccount distributions will result in an error.

The sum of all dollar amounts entered into the requirement form must equal your award amount.

Any submissions with discrepancies will be denied.

Modified amounts cannot exceed the NOFA/Final Rule limitations (e.g. Admin cannot exceed 10%).
Detailed explanations are required for all budget modifications.

Be specific - explanations should detail where funds are being moved to and from and the reason why.

If you are adding new positions, please note that the budget modification section must be completed along with the new position section of the requirement form.

Requirement forms for Q3 submissions will be made available 5/5/16. Program change submissions are due no later than 6/1/16. Please direct any questions to your Regional Coordinator.

Update to RRH Waiver Request Process

As reviewed on the SSVF National Webinar broadcast on January 21, 2016, SSVF grantees may wish to request a RRH Waiver for the current grant cycle. All grantees that were approved for a “Prevention Waiver” in previous grant cycles need to re-apply using the new process described on the January 21^st webinar (which can be viewed at the webinar link posted below). RRH Waiver requests must be submitted by May 31, 2016. This is a community-wide strategic request that should be submitted only after coordinating with your relevant community stakeholders. In addition, a COC endorsement is required for each request. To initiate the process, please consult with your Regional Coordinator to have a preliminary discussion about the need for a RRH Waiver and the process for submission. Your Regional Coordinator is also available should you have any questions or encounter any issues during the process.

National Webinar recordings are available at:

http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/ssvf_university/webinar_library

The RRH waiver form may be found under SSVF Developed Tools at:

http://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/official_guide/program_operations

Action Needed Regarding the FFR Financial Status Report (FSR) Requirements

Reminder to close any outstanding FY 14 and FY 15 FFR Financial Status Reports in the HHS Payment Management System. It is a Federal requirement that all SSVF grantees submit the Financial Status Report portion of the Federal Financial Report (SF-425). Grantees must complete this report for all subaccounts within the HHS Payment Management System no later than 45 days after the end of the grant term, or at the end of an approved grant extension. Some grantees have not been compliant with this process and will need to ensure that this is completed by June 30, 2016 for FY 14 and FY 15. Failure to complete this process could cause a suspension of your HHS account in the future. If you have not completed the FSR in HHS PMS, please do so by June 30, 2016.

Instructions can be found within the HHS website. Please note that SSVF Grants are B1 accounts and DO NOT have to complete the FFR Cash Transaction Report, only the FFR Financial Status Report is required. Under 38 CFR § 62.71, grantees are required to comply with VA reporting procedures. The following is the URL that you can copy into your browser: https://www.dpm.psc.gov/training/ffr_training.aspx?explorer.event=true.

SSVF Fax Number Has Changed!

Effective immediately, please be advised the SSVF Program Office has a new fax number: 215-823-4242

Thank you,

SSVF Program Office

NOTE: If you are receiving this email in error, please disregard. We request your patience as the SSVF Program Office continues to address system issues with the grants management database.