61.13—Rating criteria for capital grant applications.

(a) Applicants that meet the threshold requirements in § 61.12 of this part, will then be rated using the selection criteria listed in this section. To be eligible for a capital grant, an applicant must receive at least 600 points (out of a possible 1,200) and must receive points under criteria in paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (i) of this section.

(b) Quality of the project. VA will award up to 300 points based on the following:

(1) How program participants will achieve residential stability, including how available supportive services will help participants reach this goal;

(2) How program participants will increase their skill level and/or income, including how available supportive services will help participants reach this goal;

(3) How program participants will be involved in making project decisions that affect their lives so that they achieve greater self-determination, including how they will be involved in selecting supportive services, establishing individual goals and developing plans to achieve these goals;

(4) How permanent affordable housing will be identified and made known to participants upon leaving the transitional housing, and how participants will be provided necessary follow-up services to help them achieve stability in the permanent housing;

(5) How the service needs of participants will be assessed on an ongoing basis;

(6) How the proposed housing, if any, will be managed and operated;

(7) How participants will be assisted in assimilating into the community through access to neighborhood facilities, activities, and services;

(8) How and when the progress of participants toward meeting their individual goals will be monitored, evaluated, and documented;

(9) How and when the effectiveness of the overall project in achieving its goals will be evaluated and documented; and how any needed program modifications will be made based on those evaluations; and how program modifications will be reported to VA; and

(10) How the proposed project will be implemented in a timely fashion.

(1) The extent to which the project is designed to serve homeless veterans living in places not ordinarily meant for human habitation (e.g., streets, parks, abandoned buildings, automobiles, under bridges, in transportation facilities) and those who reside in emergency shelters; and

(2) The likelihood that proposed plans for outreach and selection of participants will result in these populations being served.

(d) Ability of applicant to develop and operate a project. VA will award up to 200 points based on the extent to which the application demonstrates experience in the following areas:

(1) Engaging the participation of homeless veterans living in places not ordinarily meant for human habitation and in emergency shelters;

(2) Assessing the housing and relevant supportive service needs of homeless veterans;

(3) Accessing housing and relevant supportive service resources;

(4) If applicable, contracting for and/or overseeing the rehabilitation or construction of housing;

(5) If applicable, administering a rental assistance program;

(6) Providing supportive services or supportive housing for homeless veterans;

(7) Monitoring and evaluating the progress of persons toward meeting their individual goals;

(8) Evaluating the overall effectiveness of a program and using evaluation results to make program improvements, as needed; and

(9) Maintaining fiscal solvency as evidenced by providing their last complete yearly financial statements.

(e) Need. VA will award up to 150 points based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates:

(1) Substantial unmet needs, particularly among the target population living in places not ordinarily meant for human habitation such as the streets, emergency shelters, based on reliable data from surveys of homeless populations or other reports or data gathering mechanisms that directly support claims made; and

(2) An understanding of the homeless population to be served and its unmet housing and supportive service needs.

(f) Innovative quality of the proposal. VA will award up to 50 points based on the innovative quality of the proposal, in terms of:

(1) Helping homeless veterans or homeless veterans with disabilities to reach residential stability, to increase their skill level and/or income, and to increase the influence they have over decisions that affect their lives;

(2) Establishing a clear link between the innovation(s) and its proposed effect(s); and

(3) Establishing usefulness as a model for other projects.

(g) Leveraging. VA will award up to 50 points based on the extent to which the applicant documents resources from other public and private sources, including cash and the value of third party contributions, have been committed to support the project at the time of application.

(h) Cost-effectiveness. VA will award up to 100 points for cost-effectiveness. Projects will be rated based on the cost and number of new supportive housing beds made available or the cost, amount, and types of supportive services made available, when compared to other transitional housing and supportive services projects, and when adjusted for high-cost areas. Cost-effectiveness may include using excess government properties (local, State, Federal), as well as demonstrating site control at the time of application.

(i) Coordination with other programs. VA will award up to 200 points based on the extent to which applicants demonstrate that they have coordinated with Federal, State, local, private and other entities serving homeless persons in the planning and operation of the project. Such entities may include shelter transitional housing, health care, or social service providers; providers funded through Federal initiatives; local planning coalitions or provider associations; or other program providers relevant to the needs of homeless veterans in the local community. Applicants are required to demonstrate that they have coordinated with the VA medical care facility of jurisdiction and VA Regional Offices of jurisdiction in their area. VA will award up to 50 points of the 200 points based on the extent to which commitments to provide supportive services are documented at the time of application. Up to 150 points of the 200 points will be given to the extent applicants demonstrate that:

(1) They are part of an ongoing community-wide planning process within the framework described above which is designed to share information on available resources and reduce duplication among programs that serve homeless veterans;

(2) They have consulted directly with the closest VA Medical Center and other providers within the framework described above regarding coordination of services for project participants; and

(3) They have coordinated with the closest VA Medical Center their plan to assure access to health care, case management, and other care services.

Code of Federal Regulations

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2061, 2064, 7721 note)

CFR

61.13—Rating criteria for capital grant applications.

Code of Federal Regulations