IN THE NEWS

VA Releases NOFA for New Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program Grants

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released new Notices of Fund Availability (NOFAs) under the VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The funding opportunities just announced are intended to strengthen the collaborations between VA health care facilities and community and faith-based organizations that provide services to homeless veterans. Approximately $8.4 million is available for organizations that assist homeless veterans who are women, including those with dependent children, the frail elderly and the terminally ill. Another $7.5 million is available for organizations that provide services to chronically mentally ill homeless veterans. Only current Grant and Per Diem Program participants that are providing these services are eligible to apply for these special needs grants.

Under the “technical assistance” component of the Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, the VA will award $1.5 million for a period of no more than two years to provide technical assistance to community and faith-based organizations that provide supportive services to homeless veterans. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans received the first grant awarded under this program in FY 2003 and we intend to submit again. The deadline for all available VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem grants is August 17. For more information about the grants and application packages, go to www.nchv.org.

Department of Labor Announces FY 2004 New and 2nd-Year HVRP Grant Awards

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced $17 million in grants to train and employ homeless veterans. The grants were awarded under the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP). New grantees were awarded $6.7 million in 16 states, and current program grantees received $10.3 million in second-year funding. HVRP expedites the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. The grants provide homeless veterans with job training and placement assistance. The Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) expects that more than 8,000 homeless veterans will gain employment as a result of these grants. To view the complete list of new and second-year HVRP grantees, click here.

Department of Labor Awards Veterans Workforce Investment Program Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced three Veterans Workforce Investment Program grants totaling $377,677 that will provide training and employment services to veterans in Florida, Oregon and Washington. The grantees are First Coast Workforce Development Inc. of Orange Park, FL, receiving $85,800; County of Clackamus, Marylhurst, OR, receiving $195,609; and the State of Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, Olympia, WA, receiving $96,268. The DOL Veterans Employment and Training Service is awarding these grants through the Workforce Investment Act's Veterans' Workforce Investment Program (VWIP). To view the complete DOL press release, click here. For more information on DOL's unemployment and re-employment programs, go to www.dol.gov.

American Bar Association to Host National Homeless Court Conference in San Diego

In 1989, San Diego started the nation’s first Homeless Court Program, a special Superior Court session held at local shelters to help homeless men and women resolve outstanding warrants and misdemeanor criminal cases. Legal problems are among the most difficult barriers to employment and housing to overcome. Homeless courts, through plea bargaining, alternative sentencing, proof of agency program participation and other innovative approaches, provide homeless people the opportunity to succeed in regaining control of their lives and returning to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens.

The National Conference on Homeless Courts, “Taking the Court to the Streets,” will be held on October 8 at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice in San Diego. Participants will learn about the history of homeless court, their potential roles in operating a program, the process of creating a homeless court, and the benefits of the program – for communities as well as their homeless residents. For program and registration information, visit the American Bar Association at http://www.abanet.org/homeless/homelesscourtconference.html.

Audio Training Focuses on Preventing Homelessness Among People Leaving Prison

Over 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons each year, and thousands more reenter society from local jails each day. On Wednesday, July 21, 2004, from 3 to 4 p.m. EDT, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and Volunteers of America will jointly present an audio training on the barriers these individuals face in attempting to reintegrate into society and how such barriers can be overcome. The training will focus in part on preventing homelessness by providing SSI application assistance to persons leaving jails and prisons, discussion of the Social Security Administration's pre-release program, a model pre-release program, and the SSA's efforts to sign a pre-release agreement with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to cover all federal prisons. For more information on "Barriers to Re-entry: Access to Benefits and Housing,” including directions on how to register, visit http://www.nlchp.org/Events/.

RESOURCES

VA and NCHV Offer Workshops on Resource Development, Funding Proposals

The Department of Veterans Affairs and National Coalition for Homeless Veterans are offering a training program designed for emerging and existing community and faith-based homeless service organizations that want to expand their programs to better serve homeless veterans. The goal of the workshop is to give participants information on the basic components of resource development plans, how to develop a competitive funding proposal, and an introduction to veteran-specific resources and how to access them. For more information on locations and registration, click here.

State-By-State Directory to Low-Income Benefit Programs Now Online

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has put together a state-by-state directory of state-administered low-income benefit programs for convenient web access. Among the programs included are Food Stamps, Medicaid, SCHIP, Child Care, and TANF. The directory includes links to official state websites, which may offer descriptions of each program, application forms, eligibility screening tools, and policy and procedure manuals used by state agency caseworkers. To view the directory, go to: http://www.cbpp.org/1-14-04tanf.htm.

Aetna Announces Grants Focused on Disparities in Health and End-of-Life Care

The Aetna Foundation, the philanthropic arm of insurance company Aetna, has announced the Quality of Care Grants Program to support initiatives focused on disparities in health – programs to improve the quality of health care delivered to racial and ethnic minority populations; and end-of-life care – programs to enhance care and services for both caregivers and patients at the end of life. Grants will be made only to nonprofit organizations with evidence of IRS 501(c)(3) designation or de facto tax-exempt status. Multi-year requests (up to three years) will be considered. Awards will range from $25,000-$100,000 annually. Proposal abstracts may be submitted using the Aetna Foundation's online submission process and are due by October 1. Visit http://aetna.com/foundation/ for complete eligibility and program requirements.