From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2019 7:13 AM
To: SSVF
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday December 27th, 2019
Attachments: Summary of SSVF Program Guide Revisions December 2019.pdf
Topics:
1.
Reminder: Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Notice of Funding
Availability (NOFA) Published in the Federal Register
2.
Update: SSVF Program Guide Updated December 2019
3.
Important: Mandatory Return of Funds Exception for First Quarter FY2020
4.
Save the Date: Rapid Resolution Office Hours Call January 8, 2:30 Eastern
5.
Save the Date: SSVF National Webinar January
6.
New: Shared Housing Toolkit
7.
New: VA Releases SSVF FY 2018 Annual Report
Reminder:
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA) Published in the Federal Register
On December 5,
2019, a new SSVF NOFA has been published in the Federal Register. This NOFA
provides funding opportunities to renew existing grants. This NOFA is
competitive, and applicants are urged to closely review the NOFA and the
associated training available on the SSVF website by using the link
below. The principal goal of this NOFA is to provide support to those applicants
who demonstrate the greatest capacity to end homelessness through the adoption
of evidence-based practices likely to lead to reductions in homelessness.
Scoring criteria are described in 38 CFR 62.21, 62.23, and 62.24. Awards are
for services to begin October 1, 2020. Applications are due no later than
January 31, 2020 at 4pm EST. Please contact SSVF@va.gov
if you have questions.
Applications can
be accessed on the SSVF website using the link below:
The NOFA and
training are available on the SSVF website and can be found using the link
below:
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp
Update: SSVF
Program Guide Updated December 2019
The SSVF Program
Guide has been updated as of December 1, 2019. The main changes are
provided in the attached summary, and in Exhibit I of the document. It is
highly recommended that grantees review the complete guide and share with SSVF
staff. The new Program Guide is available on the SSVF website at:
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_Program_Guide_December_2019.pdf
Important:
Mandatory Return of Funds Exception for First Quarter FY2020
As stated in each
SSVF grant agreement, at the end of each quarter a grantee’s requests for SSVF
funds (also known as draw-downs) must meet the minimum spending percentage rate
outlined in the grant agreement. Grantees that don’t meet minimum
spending percentage rates will be subject to a mandatory return of funds.
Please note that grantees do not submit physical invoices to the SSVF Program
Office; therefore, expenditure rates are assessed using the draw down
information in the HHS Payment Management System. As a reminder, the process
requires grantees to have drawn down at least 15% of the full award by the end
of the first quarter, 40% by the end of the second quarter, and 65% of the
award by the end of the third quarter, if that standard is not met then a
mandatory return is processed.
The program office
will NOT be implementing the mandatory return of funds process after the first
quarter. Please note that the mandatory return process WILL be in effect
after the second and third quarters of FY2020. Shallow subsidy awards and
grantees that have received Disaster Relief funds in FY2019 will be exempt from
mandatory return of funds during the FY2020 grant year. If you have
any questions, please direct them to your Regional Coordinator.
Save the Date:
Rapid Resolution Office Hours Call January 8, 2:30 Eastern
The SSVF Program
Office will continue to support grantees in their efforts to implement Rapid
Resolution in their communities by holding Office Hours calls. SSVF Program
Office staff and Technical Assistance Providers will be available to answer
questions and provide guidance during this time. The next SSVF Rapid Resolution
Office Hours call will provide an overview of the updated Rapid Resolution
Compliance guide and will take place on January 8, at 2:30 Eastern time.
Save the
Date: SSVF National Webinar January 9, 2:00 Eastern
The SSVF Program
Office will present a webinar on effective use of SSVF Homelessness Prevention
strategies. The webinar will describe how the Stage 1 section of the SSVF
Homelessness Prevention Screening Form has been revised to allow grantees to
utilize the tool to determine Rapid Resolution eligibility.
Presenters will review the Stage 2 section of the Homelessness Prevention
Screening Form to assist grantees in understanding how the tool is used to
target assistance to Veterans most in need. The webinar will
provide tips for determining the Homelessness Prevention Threshold Score for
your SSVF program and will take place on January 9, at 2:00 Eastern time.
New: SSVF Shared
Housing Toolkit
Shared housing can
be an effective strategy used by SSVF providers to help Veterans gain access to
stable, affordable housing. While shared housing can
have many financial and social benefits for Veterans, incorporating shared
housing practices into SSVF programs can be challenging for
providers. The SSVF Program Office in partnership with Abt
Associates has developed a Shared Housing Toolkit to assist SSVF grantees
seeking to incorporate shared housing into their SSVF programs or to improve
existing shared housing practices. This toolkit is designed to discuss
what shared housing is, why shared housing may meet the needs of the Veterans served,
when roommate matching may be appropriate, and how to speak with landlords
about shared housing. Resources linked within the document include ideas
for promising practices as well as SSVF grantee sample forms.
https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/Shared_Housing_Toolkit_FINAL.pdf
New: VA Releases
SSVF FY 2018 Annual Report
The U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) FY 2018 Annual Report, providing a summary of results
from 308 SSVF grantees funded for FY 2018. The report includes an
overview of the program, which has served 502,191 veterans since its inception
with rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention services, and information on
the assistance and services provided through the program and their impact.
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/docs/SSVF_FY2018_AnnualReport_508.pdf
Thank You,
SSVF Program
Office