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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 222 / Monday, November 22, 2021 / Notices of supportive services for very lowincome veteran families transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. Consistent with this preference, where other funds from community resources are not readily available for temporary financial assistance, applicants are required to spend no less than 60% of all budgeted temporary financial assistance on participants occupying permanent housing as defined in 38 CFR 62.11.
Waivers to this 60% requirement may be requested when grantees can demonstrate significant local progress towards eliminating homelessness in the target service area. Waiver requests must include data from authoritative sources such as USICH certification, that a community has ended homelessness as defined by Federal Benchmarks and Criteria or has reached Community Solutions Functional Zero.
Waivers for the 60% requirement may also be requested for services provided to rural Indian tribal areas and other rural areas where shelter capacity is insufficient to meet local need. Waiver requests must include an endorsement by the impacted CoC explicitly stating that a shift in resources from rapid rehousing to prevention will not result in an increase in homelessness.
b To the extent practicable, ensure that supportive services grants are equitably distributed across geographic regions, including rural communities and tribal lands. This equitable distribution criteria will be used to ensure that SSVF resources are provided to those communities with the highest need as identified by VAs assessment of expected demand and available resources to meet that demand.
4. Subject to the considerations noted in paragraph B.3 above, VA will fund the highest-ranked applicants for which funding is available.

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VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices: Although subject to change, the SSVF Program Office expects to announce grant recipients for all applicants in the fourth quarter of FY
2022 with grants beginning October 1, 2022. Prior to executing a funding agreement, VA will contact the applicants, to inform them of the amount of proposed funding, and verify that the applicant is still interested in the funding. Once VA verifies that the applicant is still seeking funding, VA
will execute an agreement and make payments to the grant recipient in accordance with 38 CFR part 62 and this NOFO.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

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As SSVF grants cannot be used to fund treatment for mental health or substance use disorders, applicants must provide evidence that they can provide access to such services to all program participants through formal and informal agreements with community providers.
C. Reporting: VA places great emphasis on the responsibility and accountability of grantees. As described in 38 CFR 62.63 and 62.71, VA has procedures in place to monitor supportive services provided to participants and outcomes associated with the supportive services provided under the SSVF Program. Applicants should be aware of the following:
1. Upon execution of a supportive services grant agreement with VA, grantees will have a VA regional coordinator assigned by the SSVF
Program Office who will provide oversight and monitor supportive services provided to participants.
2. Grantees will be required to enter data into a Homeless Management Information System HMIS web-based software application. This data will consist of information on the participants served and types of supportive services provided by grantees. Grantees must treat the data for activities funded by the SSVF
Program separate from that of activities funded by other programs. Grantees will be required to work with their HMIS
Administrators to export client-level data for activities funded by the SSVF
Program to VA on at least a monthly basis. The completeness and quality of grantee uploads into HMIS will be factored into the evaluation of their grant performance.
3. VA will complete annual monitoring evaluations of each grantee.
Monitoring will also include the submittal of quarterly and annual financial and performance reports by the grantee. The grantee will be expected to demonstrate adherence to the grantees proposed program, as described in the grantees application.
All grantees are subject to audits conducted by VA or its representative.
4. Grantees will be assessed based on their ability to meet critical performance measures. In addition to meeting program requirements defined by the regulations and applicable NOFOs, grantees will be assessed on their ability to place participants into housing and the housing retention rates of participants served. Higher placement for homeless participants and higher housing retention rates for at-risk participants are expected for very lowincome veteran families when compared to extremely low-income veteran
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families with incomes below 30% of the area median income.
5. Grantees performance will be assessed based on their consumer satisfaction scores. These scores include the participation rates and results of both the standardized survey offered to all participant households and unannounced visits to assess screening and intake procedures commonly known as a mystery shopper program.
6. Organizations receiving renewal awards that have had ongoing SSVF
program operation for at least 1 year as measured from the start of initial SSVF
services until February 7, 2022 may be eligible for a 3-year award. Grantees meeting outcome goals defined by VA
and in substantial compliance with their grant agreements defined by meeting targets and having no outstanding corrective action plans and who, in addition, receive 3-year accreditation from CARF in Employment and Community Services: Rapid Rehousing and Homeless Prevention standards, a 4year accreditation from COA in Supported Community Living Services, or a 3-year accreditation in The Joint Commissions Behavioral Health Care:
Housing Support Services Standards are eligible for a 3-year grant renewal subject to funding availability. NOTE:
Multi-year awards are contingent on funding availability. If awarded a multiple year renewal, grantees may be eligible for funding increases as defined in NOFOs that correspond to years 2
and 3 of their renewal funding.
VII. Other Information A. VA Goals and Objectives for Funds Awarded Under this NOFO: In accordance with 38 CFR 62.24c, VA
will evaluate an applicants compliance with VA goals and requirements for the SSVF Program. VA goals and requirements include the provision of supportive services designed to enhance the housing stability and independent living skills of very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing across geographic regions and program administration in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines. For purposes of this NOFO, VA goals and requirements also include the provision of supportive services designed to rapidly re-house or prevent homelessness among people in the following target populations who also meet all requirements for being part of a very low-income veteran family occupying permanent housing:
1. Veteran families earning less than 30% of area median income as most recently published by HUD for programs under section 8 of the United States
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