VA secretary Dr. David Shulkin recently announced an extension of funding to organizations that applied for Fiscal Year 2018 grants under VA’s Homeless Providers’ Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD), but would be found ineligible due to new program guidelines. The extension will give those organizations a chance to improve the effectiveness of their programs and an opportunity to apply for funding under an upcoming “notice of funding availability, also called a NOFA.”

The year-long extension gives the organizations an opportunity to adjust their program to meet the current needs of Veterans who are homeless or on the brink of it.

The GPD program provides nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies and tribal governments with the resources they need to develop and sustain supportive programs and/or services that help homeless Veterans find stable housing, gain skills to increase their income and gain independence.

In a move to modernize the program, late last year, VA announced to grantees along with issuing a Federal Register notice in December 2016 to announce the end of per diem payments for grantees who received awards under a transitional housing program in fiscal years 1994 to 2016. Rather than simply providing beds, the program’s aim now is to encourage independence.

Not only is VA changing the way it operates the program, it also is showing organizations how they compare with their peers. VA will soon launch a webpage so applicants can review their score online in relation to the scores of all other applications.

We heard that some organizations were not able to fully modernize their programs and, as a result, their applications were not selected for a grant award.. The last thing we want is for Veterans served by those organizations left without a place to turn.

Secretary Shulkin made the decision to give organizations that were not selected another chance to serve Veterans. The reprieve, as some have called it, gives the programs an extra year to tailor their services to the needs of Veterans who are homeless or near homeless.

Making sure that Veterans who unselfishly served our nation have a place to call home is the life’s work for our Homeless Programs team. It is a commitment we all share at VA.

Topics in this story

ending Veteran homelessnessveteran homelessness

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7 Comments

  1. Phlessia September 8, 2017 at 16:14

    There is a huge recently vacated hospital in Wharton, Tx just off of the HWY 59/HWY 69 fwy that would make a great Homeless Veteran home for the far southeast Texas region. (Houston to Corpus, Christi). Why must we be relocated so far from our loved ones? Unless I’m wrong it has not been vacant for longer than two year so renovations will probably be at a bare minimum. With all of the families recently displaced in the greater Houston to Corpus area, this may also be the ideal location to house some families temporarily until they can recover, After the last family vacates the buildiing, WE can transition it into the Veteran’s home…just a thought.

  2. Willie B Hadley August 25, 2017 at 13:49

    Currently, I am a 62 yr old homeless Navy Veteran, who is having a lot of difficulty getting funds to pay the security deposit, because the St. Clair County, Illinois Grants Program (or IGD), still hasn’t received any funding from the State of Illinois. For the past two months I’ve spent all of my Social Security retirement check on shelter and (food, because my SNAP BENEFITS were reduced to $40 a month by The Illinois Department of Human Services even though my income has not increased). My SNSP BENEFITS use to be $194.00, now I am forced to spent benefits check on food. As a Vietnam War Period Navy Veteran, I’m hopeful that someone or some agency will assist me in finding housing the Cahokia, IL area.

  3. Selena Stevens August 25, 2017 at 13:35

    My brother lives in a veterans home because at one time he was homeless. He pays 30 percent of his income to live there. He was promised when he moved in there would be a brand new car that was purchased for this home. When the car arrived it was immediately removed and given to the home next door for mentally handicapped persons of which no veterans live. The van that was being used by the mentally challenged individuals was taken and given to another home for mentally challenged. Does this car belong at the home for the veterans because the grant money was allocated for the vets? Thank You.

  4. Johnny Lee Smith August 25, 2017 at 12:55

    Please provide all information pertaining to helping the homeless veterans, because I was homeless just graduate in human service, a bachelor degree, this October I will be 21 years substance free. I would like to do what ever I can.

  5. ESSAM HELMY August 25, 2017 at 11:07

    Bravo to my government for thier creativity to find solutions to help our homeless or on the brink of homelessness with grants, so that they can start standing or sitting independently. Feel good again about self, make money, and be productive part of our society.
    Also, employment helps them forget about any PTS, or trama they may have faced while fighting for our country. To that may God bless the USA
    In San Francisco, a lot of Vetrans come this sactuary City, to get help etc. I believe if every bussness owner hired one on their team, we can solve part of the homelessness issue. At the beginning the owner might receive tax break, or a kind gesture from our government .

  6. Larry Wayne kinney August 25, 2017 at 10:11

    I am not homeless at this point but I live in Northern Kentucky and I rent a house and I am behind on my rent to the point if I can’t catch up soon I fear that my wife and I may become homeless I am 67 years of age my wife is 60 years old and we are in no physical condition to live on the street I am approximately $1,000 behind on my rent I am trying to catch it up at one hundred extra dollars a month my rent is 675 a month and every month I add an extra hundred dollars but is beginning to take a toll on me and having food on the table and medication for my wife and doctor and hospital bills I just don’t know how long I can continue until my landlord ask me to leave anything you can do to help even a small financial assistance would be most appreciated thank you very much

    • Roberta Lockwood August 25, 2017 at 15:04

      Larry,

      Have you checked into SSVF funded organizations (the one in South Carolina is 180 Place. If they have funds available you can get assistance from them . I currently work with homeless veterans, this is how we get help here in Columbia, SC.

      Bobbie

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