Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) Ken Fenner NAEH Conference 1

Legislative Authority 38 U.S.C. Section 2021, which provides that, “Secretary of Labor [the Secretary] shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness, literacy, and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force”. Public Law , the “Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013’,’ reauthorizes HVRP through

Primary Objectives 1) to provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force; and 2) to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. 3

President’s Job-Driven Agenda Applicants must now demonstrate active engagement with industry/employers to determine skills needed to pursue in- demand jobs. Training must be targeted to specific industries, occupations, and skills in demand. Training strategies must be geared towards providing skills for jobs currently available. Work-based learning opportunities- - registered apprenticeships, OJT, work experience, customized training. 4

Grant Structure 1 year grants with potential for 2 option years; Competitive awards will range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $300,000 for each Urban grant; and From a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $200,000 for each Non-Urban grant. HVRP grants perform on a Program Year Schedule (July 1 through June 30). Urban areas are Metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the list of the 75 largest MSA in population according to the 2010 U.S. Census. All Urban HVRP grant applicants must provide written documentation and maps, if available, which demonstrate that the proposed area to be served has a population of at least 698,030. 5

Program Year 2014 Awards 156 total HVRP grants awarded in 2014 Includes 18 Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families; and 1 grant awarded to a Native American Tribe VETS awarded 2 Cooperative Agreements in these are 1 year awards with potential for 3 option years 6

Budget 7

Homeless Veterans Served Program YearServedPlaced ,7777,859 (57.0%) ,3998,472 (58.8%) ,9569,447 (59.2%) ,41210,744 (65.5%) ,48011,317 (64.7%) Totals78,02447,839 (61.3%) 8

Stand Downs “Stand Down” is a military term referring to an opportunity to achieve a brief respite from combat. Troops assemble in a base camp to receive new clothing, hot food, and a relative degree of safety before returning to the front. A Stand Down is a local community event where homeless veterans are provided a wide variety of services and incentives- - hot meals, clothing, employment information, local housing information, providers coordinate with VA for health assessments and benefits. VETS provides Stand Down funding in the form of non- competitive grants that are awarded on a first-come, first- served basis until available funding is exhausted. 9

Contact Information: Ken Fenner, Competitive Grant Lead Phone: