From: SSVF

Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 2:00 PM

To: SSVF

Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday March 9, 2018

Topics:

1.            NEW:  SSVF Program Guide Addendum - March 2018

2.            REMINDER: Annual Renewal and New Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) Waiver Submissions

SSVF Program Guide Addendum - March 2018

The SSVF Program Office has released an addendum to October 2017 Edition SSVF Program Guide.   Program Guide pages have been updated to reflect a change in the Veteran definition and clarify guidance on Homelessness Prevention Screening Procedure and Eligibility Determination.  Please review the attached document and replace the relevant pages within the October 2017 Edition SSVF Program Guide. The Addendum document may also been found on the SSVF Website at

https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/home/general_program_info_regs.

In addition to the text changes, related forms impacted by the change were also updated and can be found on SSVF Website at https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/index.asp?page=/official_guide/forms.

Please update your SSVF Policy and Procedures Manuals and any other outreach materials to align with these updates.  If you have questions, please contact your Regional Coordinator.

REMINDER:  Annual Renewal and New Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) Waivers

Rapid Re-Housing Waiver

The Rapid Re-Housing waiver, when approved by VA, allows an SSVF grantee to lower the amount of temporary financial assistance (TFA) dedicated to rapid re-housing (RRH) below the minimum of 60 percent of TFA allocation. If approved by the VA for a waiver, an SSVF grantee is authorized to spend an increased proportion of TFA on homelessness prevention up to the approved level.  For more information, please review Section XII Exhibit G of the SSVF Program Guide.

Applying for a waiver is a community-based decision, established as part of the Community Planning process. All SSVF grantees within the specific community must contribute to the waiver request process, even if they are not seeking a waiver for their individual grant award. Waiver decisions will be based on individual SSVF grant programs. For example, if a SSVF grantee within a CoC applying for a waiver only attributes 10% of their SSVF grant funds to that community, that grantee may not be approved for a waiver to their program, while each of the other grantees in that CoC (who allocate much larger portions of their grant to that CoC) may receive a waiver. RRH waiver requests require justification indicating that the RRH demand can still be met and must demonstrate support from the CoC.  Our shared goal is to end and maintain an end to Veteran homelessness.  Lowering the minimum amount of TFA required to be used for RRH households does not support this goal in your community.  It is important that grantees continue to address all sources of Veteran homelessness in the community, including long-stay transitional housing programs, before using homeless prevention resources.  

ANNUAL RENEWALS:  For grantees that were  operating one or more awards with an approved RRH waiver in FY17, the SSVF Program Office is requesting that each agency re-apply for the RRH waiver for FY18, in order to ensure that there is  strategic allocation of resources applied to the community that supports the use of such a waiver.  Please complete the RRH Waiver Request requirement in the SSVF online grants management system (GIFTS) by April 2, 2018.  If you have any questions, please contact your Regional Coordinator.

NEW WAIVERS:  The SSVF Program Office will be accepting new RRH Waiver Requests from grantees.   Although the RRH Waiver is a rolling submission, the end date for FY2018 submissions will be July 28th 2018.  The designated Point of Contact will submit the completed NEW packet to the SSVF Regional Coordinator via email. Do not submit via the GIFTS portal.

The RRH Waiver Request form may be found on the SSVF website at:

https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/?page=/official_guide/reporting_and_monitoring_requirements

As you complete the request, please review the Companion Guide and Instructional Webinar available at the following links. https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_Companion_Guide_to_RRH_Waiver_FY18.pdf

https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_Rapid_ReHousing_Waiver_InstructionalWebinar_withAudio.pdf

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.