Grant and Per Diem Application Q&A Session

Q: When you say $34 per day, does means $34 per day per person?

A: That is correct.

Q: Could you be more specific about goal number three: to obtain greater self determination?

A: This can be based on the needs where an organization is located. So each program is going to look different. If you’re in a city versus a rural town, the types of services and needs are going to differ. Your organization may talk about how you’re going to help veterans assimilate back into society and feel like they are being productive citizens and doing things in that regard. Most of the things that would be included are how to interview for a job, balancing a checkbook, etc.  

Q: Is there a CHALENG coordinator that I can get in touch with?  

A: CHALENG is done locally each year and conducted by each VISN. Points of contact are listed within the report.

Q: How often do NOFAs come out?

A: It’s usually once a year in March or April.

Q: The best place to get data on the number of homeless veterans that need to be served would be from your local VA medical center?

A: The CHALENG Report, yes. That’s done through your local VA.

Q: We have a building and a home that we would probably like to use for housing. Could you expand on how the VA provides 65% of funding for a project?

A: You would be allowed to do renovation and rehabilitation. The house must meet the Life and Fire Safety Codes. They’re a little more stringent than your local codes. If you’re building or rehabbing something, you need to speak with your local VA liaison so you can get the specifics of the codes. Sixty-five percent of funding can come from the VA. The remaining 35% of matching funds must come from a private and/or nongovernmental agency.

Q: Is the 24-month limit concurrent? For example, if we have a man who is in the program for four months, leaves for a medical reason, then comes back, does the time continue from when he left? Can it be spread out like that?

A: It gets really tricky with those kinds of situations. It’s usually when they’re enrolled in your program. If they leave for medical reasons, they’re not receiving services within your program. They’re not going to be enrolled in your program at that time so you won’t receive payment for them. Most programs are consecutive. If an individual leaves the program, he is considered no longer in the program.

Q: Regarding per diem, on the application, do we specify the amount, or is it designated based on the application?

A: What you’re going to want to do is talk about the types of services you want to provide based on the need in your community. When you say that you are going to provide 15 services, keep in mind that the maximum they’re going to allow you to draw down is $34. So you want to do two things: show that you are willing to provide these services in your grant and show how they may be augmented by services offered within your community. Once your application is approved, you will get a per diem rate based on the services that you are going to offer. Keep in mind that if you say you’re going to offer 25 services and it’s going to cost your organization $150 a day to provide those services, the VA’s will only give you a maximum of $34. You will have to have to fill in the gap and still provide those services. It’s a really fine line of making sure you’re able to provide those services and making sure that you aren’t bankrupting your organization. The rate is calculated once your application is approved. It’s based on the services you list in your application.

Q: We have an existing facility. It’s an overnight shelter. Would it come under review for the Life and Fire Safety codes?

A: Yes, it would have to be underneath those requirements. Your local GPD liaison will be able to provide specifications of the codes. If you are going to build a facility to house 100 individuals, the VA will allow you to make 75 of those beds be veteran-specific. The other 25 beds can be for spouses and children of veterans. The VA will not pay a per diem for these individuals.  

Q: Some organizations are not able to take homeless veterans because they are substance abusers. Is this criterion the same under the GPD program?   

A: In this instance, it’s not just a shelter. It wouldn’t be just a day program. It would be a residential facility so it’s going to differ from a night shelter where people come in at night and leave in the morning. This would be for individuals who may have substance abuse problems. They would be enrolled in your program and given services based on their needs. These services can be referrals or provided in-house.

Q: Is there a likelihood that the per diem will be issued without the capital grant?

A: It really depends. If there is a larger amount of funds, the VA will try to do a capital because of the fact that if organizations are going to build a program, they would like to include per diem with that. It really depends on the VA’s budget and what their priorities are. To be honest with you, we really don’t know what that may be until the NOFA comes out.

Q: When my organization fills out our application, can I report the CHALENG data for the area where the residents would be coming from (where there is high need for veteran transitional housing) instead of where our office is located (where there is low need)?

A: You would need to explain what you just explained to me and say how you’re going to be getting referrals for homeless veterans from an area different from where your office is located, specify their needs and why you are targeting that group. Just make sure that is clear in your application. Describe what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and who you are going to provide services for.

Q: When you’re applying for capital grant funding, even if your matching is contingent, you add that into the application?    

A: You will want to include that in your appendices. In regards to your budget, there is a narrative portion of the budget. For example, you could say, “Please reference Appendix A in regards to our matching funds. The bank has said if we get these funds (the 65%), then they will match with this much money.” If you get the funds, then they’re going to give it to you.

Q: If someone is going to donate property or land to build on, is this also something that can be added in the appendices to say, provided we have this funding to rehab this, then this donor is going to donate land?

A: You can match. But it would have to be like to like. For example, in your budget, you have land fees and architect fees. These are usually the most expensive fees that can be donated or have a reduced fee for. If they are going to give you land, that can be considered a match. You would just have to document that this is the fair market value of the land, this is how much they’re willing to give it to you for, and then the difference would be what the match is.

Q: If you’re doing a program that is specifically for women veterans, what’s the wording to use in the application?

A: One of the first questions they ask is how many beds you are asking for and how many of those will be for veterans. There is a space asking if they are not veterans, who they will be. You can write that they will be for family members and/or children of the veterans enrolled in your program.

Q: My challenge has been getting data about how women veterans are being serviced in Georgia. The existing data doesn’t necessarily support that the women are there because they’re being serviced in different programs that may not report their veteran status. How do I show that there are women veterans who are not being counted, per say?

A: The two big populations that this refers to right now are women veterans, being the biggest one, and women veterans with dependent children as well as returning veterans. Always reference the CHALENG data. You want to show that you understand the CHALENG information, and explain why it’s right or wrong. They’re not going to look negatively on you for that as long as it’s truthful and you can validate that within your statement of the targeted need. Find something else that will help support your claims. Work with local programs to see if they can start asking women if they’re veterans and create your own study/survey to put in your application.

Q: Some of the programs have turned away women veterans. Is there a way to get that information? Is it just asking them, also?

A: Yes, it would just be a matter of asking them about tracking that information or for an estimate of what that may be. You’re always going to want to site where you are getting your data from. There should be some logic behind it.

Q: Is there anything you can think of that most people miss on their applications?

A: In the next call that we’re going to have, we’ll go over some of the biggest things that people mess up. Mainly it’s just not reading the instructions.

Q: I have an existing facility that was completed three months ago. Would I be eligible to apply for capital funding? Our group provided the financing ourselves.
A: No, it would have to be a new program, not one that is already in existence. It would be eligible for per diem funding.