1. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) HOMELESS PROGRAM OFFICE (HPO)
FLORIDA SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SUMMIT
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) HOMELESS PROGRAM OFFICE (HPO)
Jeff
Good day to you and welcome to our Grant and Per Diem Case Management Grant Feedback webinar for the Fiscal Year This is Jeff Quarles, Director of the Grant and Per Diem National Program Office. I am joined by Chelsea Watson, Deputy Director who will also be presenting with me today. We have pre-recorded this webinar, so we can get this information out to the field as quickly as possible, and so you can access the information at your convenience.
As a reminder this NOFA was for a Case Management grant. This is the first offering of this grant, which is a two year award. The purpose of the grant is to enhance housing retention for formerly homeless Veterans and Veterans at risk for homelessness.
Jeffery Quarles, MRC,LIDC
Grant and Per Diem National Director

2. Veterans Health Administration- Homeless Program Office
Veteran Homelessness
Supportive Housing
Rapid Rehousing/Prevention
Transitional Housing
Treatment
Employment
Outreach/ Referral
The Homeless Program Office provides a variety of services to meet the needs of homeless Veterans
There are a number of ways to think about all the different programs that we have;
We have Supportive Housing services through our partnership with HUD, in the HUD-VASH program (FY ,509 Vouchers, with 84,130 vouchers in use, over 78,000 housed the remainder in actively seeking housing, or reserved for Veterans undergoing PHA validation )
We have rapid rehousing and prevention services,
with the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF),
as well as our Veterans Justice programs. We recently added housing retention services in the Grant and Per Diem Program ( $30 million case management grant)
Our transitional housing includes HCHV contracted residential services (3,763) and Grant and the Per Diem Program (about 12,500 beds)
The Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program is a Mental Health Residential Treatment program that provides services to homeless Veterans (2,067 beds)
Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACT) are in 56 locations nationwide
Employment
Homeless Veterans Community employment services
Outreach and Referral
HCHV also provides outreach to Veterans 139,655 Veterans reached in FY 2018)
Community Resource and Referral Centers -31 locations
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (made over 56,000 referrals to local VAMC Points of Contact in FY 2018)
Research/Education/ Dissemination
National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans

3. Transform Our Overall Goal
An end to homelessness does not mean that no one will ever experience a housing crisis again. An end to homelessness means that every community will have a systematic response in place that ensures homelessness is prevented whenever possible or is otherwise a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience.
Transform
Adrienne
You can see from our visual that our work continues after we have reached milestones like Community Solution’s Functional Zero and/or the Federal Criteria and Benchmarks. Bigger picture: We are trying to transform systems (not just checking things off a checklist) which leads to transformations for the Veterans who we serve.
We are working together.

4. No Wrong Door

5. System Response to Homelessness and Persons at Risk of Homelessness
Other Tools: Shallow Subsidy, Landlord Contingency Funds, etc.
Doubled Up
Rapid Resolution (Diversion and Rapid Exit)
Housed
Entry into Homeless System
Coordinated Entry Systems
PH Offer
Housing Retention
Support
(Could be through continuation of PSH,RRH GPD CM or through new service)
Diversion
Crisis Response:
Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Contract Residential Services
Jeff- Here is one way to look at our system now where there is energy placed prior to persons entering the homeless system. Fewer barriers to access, meeting Veterans where they are at, offering a variety of resources to meet the individual needs for the Veterans.
The GPD Case Management NOFA represents one more tool for communities. As you can see, systems (community together with VA) are constantly evaluating the needs of the people experiencing homelessness in their system (each community has its own unique constructs and context). Innovation is key. Just as SSVF and HCHV have been supporting the new work of rapid resolution, GPD has a role in supporting housing retention through the new Case Management NOFA. As you are working with community partners, it is important to really understand where we as VA can support. This might mean needing additional crisis response resources or it might mean really helping folks to stay in housing (or a combination). There are some great tools like the VA Gaps Analysis Tool-CoC Version and the VA, HUD, and USICH Community Planning Survey that can help along with community dialogue.
Rapid Exit
Rapid
Re-Housing,
PSH, with family
and/or friends, Self-Resolve, Other
Traditional Prevention
Source: Adapted from SSVF Rapid Resolution Position in System Image

6. What is HUD-VASH?
Collaborative program with HUD, who provides Housing Choice Vouchers allocated to participating Public Housing Authorities (PHA) to assist with rental payments.
VA provides clinical case management and services to assist Veterans to obtain and sustain permanent housing while also assisting Veterans with access to treatment and other supportive services that promote their quality of life
Operates utilizing the principles of Housing First
Targets and prioritizes the most acute and vulnerable homeless Veterans first
Primary goal is to move Veterans and their families out of homelessness into permanent supportive housing while promoting maximum Veteran recovery and independence in the community

7. HUD- VASH -Evidence Based Clinical Models
Housing First – Treatment is not required for program
Case management participation is required
Clinician expected to work at highest level of licensure/ competencies
Clinical engagement depends on:
Clinician’s training
Veteran’s needs
Veteran’s goals
Threats to the Veteran’s housing stability/overall stability

8. Tenant-Based Vouchers
Voucher Types
Tenant-Based Vouchers
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV)
The HCV program allows very-low income families to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owed rental housing
Project-Based Vouchers
Component of the PHA’s housing support program
PHA enters into an assistance contract with the owner of a property for a specified number of units and for a specified term
Assistance is tied to the rental unit
Nationally there is a shortage of safe and affordable housing, not just for homeless individuals and families
Creating project-based HUD-VASH, where there are housing units dedicated for Veterans, can help address this shortage
Allows for sub-populations served in HUD-VASH to have additional services
Elderly
Seriously Mentally Ill
Project-based HUD-VASH is developed through partnerships with the PHAs and the VA Medical Center
Existing tenant based HUD-VASH vouchers have to be converted to project based

9. Basic Program Information
FY ,509 Vouchers, with 84,130 vouchers in use,
Over 78,000 housed
Remainder in actively seeking housing, or reserved for Veterans undergoing PHA validation
VA currently has approximately 4,100 staff working in HUD-VASH (not including contracts)
Anticipate adding up to 200 additional staff to support the FY19 vouchers that are being allocated

10. Grant award announcements
SSVF award announcement
Will award approximately $426 million in awards to 271 grant programs
Awards announcement can be found
GPD Case Management grant to support housing retention
September 5, 2019 announcement $30 million for 128 awards
Awards announcement on
GPD case management grants- 128 awards, 9 of which were in FL
Press release and awards listing on our GPD website

11. Preparing for GPD FY 2020 NOFA
GPD Grantee
VA Medical Centers
CoCs and Community Partners
Program Change
Learning impacting future actions/plans
Two years of learning new models
System Change
For those who would be interested in applying or those communities thinking about what resources may be needed in their communities, now is certainly the time to think about this
Use the last couple of years of learning toward actions going forward to improve programs and systems

12. VA Homeless Program Website www.va.gov/homeless
Resource Information
VA Homeless Program Website
Variety of information about Veteran Homelessness and links to our various programs
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (877)
Available 24 hours per day 7 days per week
Veterans Crisis Line (800) Press 1
Additional Information call, chat, or text
National call center free help for homeless Veterans- Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness—and their family members, friends and supporters—can make the call to or chat online with the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, where trained counselors are ready to talk confidentially 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that’s available to anyone, even if you’re not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care. The caring, qualified responders at the Veterans Crisis Line are specially trained and experienced in helping Veterans of all ages and circumstances