On January 25, the National Program Office of the Grant and Per Diem Program, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, released NOFAs for two funding opportunities—the Capital Grant and the Per Diem Only (PDO) Grant.

Under the Capital Grant, $24 million is available to fund capital projects in which applicants create 1,000 new transitional beds for homeless veterans through acquisition, renovation, or construction projects.  You may also request a van.  Vans must be directly connected to a new Capital Grant project and will be limited to one per project number.

Funding priorities for Capital grants:

1. Women veterans and women veterans with care of dependent children only (includes women whose veteran husbands have died but only if they are receiving VA medical benefits) (30 beds or less) (approximately $3 M)
2. Indian Tribal Governments or non-profit agencies that will provide transitional housing and services on Indian Tribal property (approximately $2 M)
3. All others—state and local governments, Indian Tribal governments, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the US, or faith-based and community-based organizations (approximately $19 M)

Under the PDO Grant, $15 million is available to fund 1,200 community-based transitional beds for homeless veterans.

Funding priorities for PDO grants:

1. Women veterans and women veterans with care of dependent children only (includes women whose veteran husbands have died but only if they are receiving VA medical benefits) (30 beds or less) (approximately 200 beds)
2. Indian Tribal Governments or non-profit agencies that will provide transitional housing and services on Indian Tribal property (approximately 100 beds)
3. All others—state and local governments, Indian Tribal governments, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the US, or faith-based and community-based organizations (approximately 900 beds)

Applications for both Capital and PDO Grants must be received in the Grant and Per Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 31, 2010.  For a copy of the application package, please see the VA’s Grant and Per Diem Program website:  http://www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp; or www.grants.gov.  If you have questions, please call our office at toll-free 1-877-838-8221 or the National Program Office at toll-free 1-877-332-0334. If you are interested in obtaining a critical but constructive review of your application, please submit your application to us electronically by March 17.  You may submit your application to either David Zell or Kristy Termina.