From: SSVF
Sent: Friday, October 1, 2021 7:02 AM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday October 1, 2021
Attachments: FINAL SSVF HP Screener v6 9.2021.pdf; FINAL SSVF HP
Screening Companion Guide 9.29.2021.pdf; FINAL SSVF Establishing a Threshold
September 29.2021.pdf
NOTE:
This weekly update is targeted towards the SSVF Grantees and
also shared with valuable partners for awareness.
TOPICS:
NEW: Shallow
Subsidy Community Plans Due
NEW: Research
Article Posted: Temporary
Financial Assistance Decreased Health Care Costs for Veterans Experiencing
Housing Instability
NEW: Open Comment
and Listening Sessions by Department of Veterans Affairs Regarding Regulatory
Framework for “Dishonorable” Discharge Status
NEW: Updated
Homelessness Prevention Screener - Effective October 1, 2021
REGISTER: SSVF
Office Hour Series: SSVF Veteran Satisfaction Survey Update and Shallow Subsidy
and Supplemental Funding Update October 8, 2021 at 12:00PM EST
REGISTER: SSVF
National Webinar Series: Expanding Legal Services for SSVF
Grantees October 14, 2021 at 2pm EST
REGISTER: SSVF Office
Hours Series: Shallow
Subsidy and Coordination with HVRP, DoL, and Other
Workforce Partners October 15, 2021 at 12pm EST
REMINDER: HMIS End
of Year Close Out
RESOURCE: SSVF
Webinar You Tube Page
NEW: Shallow
Subsidy Community Plans Due
Our
office wants to thank you for the inquiries you have sent in regarding the
Shallow Subsidy Community Planning Document. We would like to
provide updated guidance to help clarify our expectations of your submissions.
1. The Shallow
Subsidy Community Planning Document can be accessed
here: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/Shallow_Subsidy_Community_Planning_Document.pdf
2. Your
participation is required for every CoC that your SSVF grant
serves.
3. SSVF Grantees
who share the same CoC are expected to work on the plan together. There
should only be one (1) plan emailed to your Regional
Coordinator on behalf of the CoC.
4. To confirm
that your other SSVF Grantee partners also worked on the plan, please
include them in the CC: line of your email to your Regional
Coordinator.
5. The subject
line of your email should be your CoC code followed by Shallow Subsidy
Community Planning Document. An example would be: “CA-600
Shallow Subsidy Community Planning Document”.
6. Your
submissions should be emailed to your Regional Coordinator no later
than Friday, October 8, 2021 COB. Your timely
submission is imperative and will be tracked.
If
you have questions once you have reviewed the Shallow Subsidy Community
Planning Document in its entirety, please reach out to your Regional
Coordinator.
NEW: Research
Article Posted: Temporary
Financial Assistance Decreased Health Care Costs for Veterans Experiencing
Housing Instability
Healthaffairs.org has
recently published research regarding the use of temporary financial assistance
and the impact on health care costs for Veterans experiencing housing
instability. The People-to-People Health Foundation
completed this research, in which the SSVF Program is identified as a data
source of review. The project
titled: Temporary Financial Assistance Decreased Health Care Costs for
Veterans Experiencing Housing Instability may be found on the SSVF
website at: Temporary Financial Assistance
Decreased Health Care Costs For Veterans Experiencing Housing Instability
(va.gov)
NEW:
Open Comment and Listening Sessions by Department of Veterans Affairs Regarding
Regulatory Framework for “Dishonorable” Discharge Status
The
Department of Veterans Affairs will be holding public comment and listening
sessions requesting information to assist in the modification of the regulatory
framework for discharges considered “dishonorable” for VA benefits eligibility
purposes. Comments on this request for information must be received by VA
on or before October 12, 2021. Comments must be submitted through Regulations.gov and
will be available for public viewing, inspection, or copies.
VA
will also hold the first public virtual listening session on October 5, 2021,
and the second public virtual listening session on October 6, 2021. Each meeting
will start at 8:50 a.m. and conclude at or before 4:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time. Virtual check-in will begin at 8 a.m.
The
virtual listening sessions will be held as a WebEx event and will be
open to the public to listen on a first come, first served basis. Information
about the meeting and registration to speak or listen can be obtained by
emailing: CODRegistration.VBACO@va.gov.
NOTE: Virtual
attendance will be limited to the maximum allowed by WebEx.
NEW:
Updated Homelessness Prevention Screener - Effective October 1, 2021
The
SSVF Program Office in collaboration with our Technical Assistance Partners
have updated the SSVF Program Homelessness Prevention (HP) Screening
Tool. This tool should be used effective October 1, 2021. Please
review the documents attached to this update, to include the HP Screener,
Companion Guide, and information about establishing a new threshold score based
on this new tool. If you have questions once you review these documents
in its entirety, please reach out to your Regional Coordinator.
NOTE: These
documents will be posted on the SSVF website with other Participant Eligibility
information.
REGISTER: SSVF
Office Hour Series: SSVF Veteran Satisfaction Survey Update and Shallow Subsidy
and Supplemental Funding Update October 8, 2021 at 12:00pm EST
This
FY 22 SSVF Veteran Satisfaction Survey introductory webinar will provide an
overview of the updated registration process for Grantee staff. The webinar
will provide a step-by-step process to register Veterans to complete
a survey online, text, or with a live phone interviewer.
Shallow
Subsidy and Supplemental Funding Updates: The SSVF Program
Office has received additional specific purpose funds to support the
Shallow Subsidy expansion as well as supporting Health Care Navigator and Legal
Services expenses for each Grantee. This webinar will discuss the roll out of
those funds and what to expect regarding MOA addendums and revised budgets. SPECIAL
NOTE: This webinar is 90 minutes.
Please
register using the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7902400493271370253 After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
REGISTER: SSVF
National Webinar Series: Expanding Legal Services for SSVF Grantees October 14,
2021 at 2pm EST
The
SSVF Program Office is excited to announce the National Expansion of Legal
Services for SSVF Grantees. The goal is to enhance SSVF provision
of Legal Services by increasing Veteran access through expanded and
improved direct legal aid partnerships. Historically, many Grantees noted
a lack of funding as a barrier to providing direct Legal Services.
This expansion will be an opportunity to bridge the justice gap and directly
improve housing stability for SSVF participants. To learn more about this
opportunity, funding and expectations for implementation, the Program Office
will host a Kick-Off webinar on October 14, 2021
at 2pm EST. SSVF Program Managers and Finance staff are highly
encouraged to attend. SPECIAL
NOTE: This
webinar is 90 minutes.
Please
register using the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4930059923890979597 After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
REGISTER: SSVF
Office Hours Series: Shallow
Subsidy and Coordination with HVRP, DoL, and
Other Workforce Partners October 15, 2021 at 12pm EST
The
SSVF Program Office and Technical Assistance Providers will host a Shallow
Subsidy Joint Webinar for SSVF Grantees, HVRP Grantees and
other Workforce and Community Partners on October 15, 2021 at
12pm EST. The webinar will provide an overview of the SSVF Shallow Subsidy
service, HVRP and DoL programs
and services, and opportunities for strategic coordination. Grantees who
have been involved in strategic coordination efforts will present on lessons
learned, strategies, and promising practices, which can be applied to VA’s
Shallow Subsidy expansion efforts across the country.
Please
register using the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/200640399385083152 After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar.
REMINDER: HMIS End
of Year Close Out
As
a reminder: Final SSVF HMIS uploads are due October 1 – October 5 and must
be in the HUD Data Standard in place for the past fiscal year: FY 2020.
After your final upload is completed (no later than October 9), you can work
with your HMIS Lead/HMIS Vendor to implement the changes to the HUD Data
Standards and Reporting for FY 2022 – but not until after your upload for the
fiscal year is complete. HUD is aware of this requirement. CoCs will not be
penalized for accommodating SSVF HMIS uploads on the current data standard
through October 9th; however, SSVF Grantees could be penalized for not being
able to upload the final dataset of the year.
Please
communicate to ssvfhmis@abtassoc.com if you
foresee any issues with submitting a CSV file October 1st –
October 9th using
the current CSV standard for FY 2020.
RESOURCE: SSVF
Webinar You Tube Page
The
SSVF Webinar You Tube Page is updated and contains past webinar play lists. This
link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8_WCqFkCnDV89sjPQ6Gnw/playlists will
allow Grantees, staff, and Veterans to see all videos after the webinars.
With
Regards,
SSVF
Program Office