(SSVF) Program Update Friday April 24th, 2020

From: Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2020 3:13 PM
Subject: SSVF Program Update Friday April 24th, 2020

Topics:
1. NEW: Third-Party Solicitations of SSVF Providers 

2. NEW: CARES Funding Budget Requirement – Now in GIFTS 

3. UPDATE: No Longer Required – Tracking Form for SSVF Emergency Housing Assistance weekly submission to Regional Coordinators 

4. ATTACHMENT: Updated List of Additional SSVF Resources Available During COVID-19 Crisis 

5. REGISTER NOW: SSVF Office Hours – CARES Act SSVF Funding and Resources Available May 1, 2020 at 12:00 EST

NEW: Third-Party Solicitations of SSVF Providers

Several grantees have informed us that they have been contacted by third-party organizations representing themselves as subcontractors or researchers requesting information about grantee spending and budgets. The SSVF Program Office does not endorse these venders as we have official subcontractors working directly with our program to provide technical assistance and auditing services. Grantees should treat unsolicited third-party offers with caution. In particular, any offer of assistance with CARES spending, such as brokering apartments or hotels that require the transfer of funds to unknown entities, could result in fraud. Grantees are encouraged to report suspicious emails to their Regional Coordinators.


NEW: CARES Funding Budget Requirement – Now in GIFTS

The SSVF Program Office has distributed $201.5 million in supplemental funding for FY2020 to all grantees with renewable awards. These additional funds have been provided through the CARES Act, so SSVF can provide enhanced emergency housing assistance, increase homelessness prevention, and support HUD-VASH placements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These supplemental funds are now available in a specially designated PMS account for use over the next 3 months and your existing PMS account will be frozen until these funds are exhausted. Once these funds are exhausted, grantees will revert to drawing from existing FY 20 awards for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Budgets will need to be submitted through the GIFTS online account portal at https://grantrequest.com/SID_2115. Grantees will need to use Exhibit I to submit a 3-month budget for these supplemental funds. Grantees must also provide a detailed description of each line item contained in this budget and the underlying assumptions associated with each line item amount (Exhibit II). It is expected that much of this supplemental funding will be committed to TFA, therefore the 50% budget cap on overall TFA has been waived.

If your agency does not need these additional funds, please contact your Regional Coordinator to arrange their return.


UPDATE: No Longer Required – Tracking Form for SSVF Emergency Housing Assistance weekly submission to Regional Coordinators

As of April 21, Grantees are no longer required to keep an excel spreadsheet of the number of Emergency Housing Assistance referrals received and placements made since March 18. The SSVF Program Office will be requesting this information from SSVF Grantees via the GIFTS system. The tracking form may be used as a local tool, should communities choose.


ATTACHMENT: Updated List of Additional SSVF Resources Available During COVID-19 Crisis 

The Program Office has offered a host of new flexibilities to help SSVF grantees provide critically needed support to Veterans. These supports are summarized in the attached document. We must continue to stress the urgent and immediate need to expand emergency housing capacity as the risks to homeless Veterans are significant. Please work with local hotels/motels to expand capacity so we can protect vulnerable homeless Veterans. This information can also be found on the SSVF website at:

https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/ssvf/docs/SSVF_COVID_19_Additional_Resources.pdf


REGISTER NOW: SSVF Office Hours – CARES Act SSVF Funding and Resources Available 

The SSVF Program Office will host a Webinar to review the CARES Act funding questions and guidance on expanding emergency housing assistance on May 1st at 12:00, EST; please register for the webinar using the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3469520343026026509

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


Thank you,

SSVF Program Office