From: SSVF
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2018
11:01 PM
To: SSVF
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday,
December 1, 2017
Topics:
1. New: Mandatory Return of Funds for 1st Quarter FY18
2. Register Now: SSVF National Webinar December 14, 2017 at 2PM Eastern
3. Rapid Re-Housing Institute Success
4. Announcement: VA Announces Rollout and Application Process for New Veterans ID Card
5. Resource: Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program
NEW: Mandatory Return of Funds for 1st Quarter FY18
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. 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.
For the first quarter ending on December 31st at 5pm EDT, the minimum spending rate of the overall grant award is 15%. To clarify, a grant is “15% spent” when 15% or more of the SSVF grant funds have been drawn down from the HHS Payment Management System. A favorable lag of 10% (or 5.2 weeks of expenses) has been incorporated into the quarterly minimums. This allows for a grantee to meet the minimum while still reconciling the previous month’s SSVF expenses. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial for grantees to review their spending information frequently; there is no exception to the 15% requirement for grantees that had been on extension during the first quarter of FY18.
The process for identifying grantees that will be required to return funds and for identifying the amount of funds to be swept is as follows: At the start of second quarter (8am EDT on the second business day of the new quarter, which is January 3rd), the HHS Payment Management System drawdown report will be used to calculate grantee expenditure rates. Those grantees that are below 15% spent will be subject to mandatory funding sweeps. Note the expenditure rate calculation will be rounded to a whole number (i.e. 14.4% will be rounded down to 14% and 14.6% will be rounded up to 15%). For any grantee below 15%, the difference between 15% and that grantee’s current drawn down rate will be the amount swept from the OVERALL grant total. For example, if a grantee is 10% drawn down, the difference is 5%, as such, there will be a 5% reduction of each of the subaccounts (ADM, SERVICES, TFA). The end result will move a grantee to, or closer to, the quarterly minimum rate of 15%. The intent of the funding sweep is to 1) reallocate funds from geographic areas where the need is not currently being recognized to areas of higher need where funding is lacking and 2) to assist grantees in moving towards compliance with grant requirements and eliminating the need for an extension. The funds will be swept on that second business day of the new quarter and a grantee will be notified by the SSVF Program Office of the amount of funds that were swept from the grant. Please note that when funds are swept, a grantee may need to submit a Program Change in the subsequent quarter to modify to their budget and/or HHS subaccounts.
How do the minimum quarterly spending rates impact the fiscal staff of SSVF grantees?
The last day of the quarter is December 31st. Payment requests (drawdowns) that are made after 5pm EDT on this day will NOT be included in the HHS drawdown report used to calculate grantee expenditure rates. As a reminder, the grantees identified as spending less than 15% of the total grant will have funds swept on the second business day of the new quarter, January 3rd. These values will stand; there will be no exceptions. Since there will be no exceptions, it is recommended that grantee fiscal staff responsible for completing draw-downs not wait until December 31st to complete drawdown requests, as drawdowns generally required a full day to process. If a grantee finds it is necessary to wait until December 31st, it would be important to enter the request early in the day. (Note that any grantees outside of EDT, including but not limited to the West Coast, Hawaii and Guam, are still held to the 5pm EDT deadline, so plan accordingly).
If you have any questions, please contact the SSVF Program Office at ssvf@va.gov. Please include your grant number and “1st Quarter Mandatory Return of Funds” in the subject of the email; please copy your SSVF Regional Coordinator.
Register Now: SSVF National Webinar December 14, 2017 at 2PM Eastern
Topic: Returning Home Pilot Project
The Returning Home pilot project was conducted by the local VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and SSVF providers in the San Francisco Bay Area to assist Veterans who are experiencing homelessness in their community with returning to areas where they have identified permanent housing near family or close friends. Veterans may have been unsuccessful in finding housing in this intensely expensive and tight housing market or have chosen to reunite with supports in a “home of origin”. This is an exciting opportunity to open new doors to Veterans who may have given up hope of finding their own housing by re-introducing them to services in an area where they have positive, supportive connections and more affordable housing options.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3744641222645989890
Rapid Re-Housing Institute Success
Thank you to all the grantees who participated in the Rapid Re-Housing Institutes held in Duluth, GA and Los Angeles, CA over the last several weeks and helped to make these events a success. The materials provided at the meetings are now available on SSVF University. These materials are currently posted in PDF format. However, in the coming weeks the materials will also be made available in a format that grantees may use to reproduce the instructional trainings and activities within their programs and communities.
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/ssvf_university/program_launch_regional_meeting_materials
Announcement: VA Announces Rollout and Application Process for New Veterans ID Card
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the application process for the national Veterans Identification Card (VIC) is now available for Veterans. Veterans with honorable service will be able to apply for the ID card, which will provide proof of military service, and may be accepted by SSVF providers in lieu of the standard DD-214 form to obtain services. To request a VIC, Veterans must visit vets.gov, click on “Apply for Printed Veteran ID Card” on the bottom left of the page and sign in or create an account.
RESOURCE: Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Competitive Grants Program
NIFA requests applications for the AgVets for fiscal year 2017 (FY17) to provide grants to nonprofit organizations for training programs and services to establish and enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military veterans.
AgVets applicants must be nonprofit organizations. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR part 200, defines the term “nonprofit organization” as follows: Nonprofit organization means any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization, not including institutions of higher education (IHEs), that: (a) Is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest; (b) Is not organized primarily for profit; and (c) Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operations of the organization.
For more information of how to apply, please use following link:
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.