Tribal HUD-VASH Expansion

Description

The Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing (Tribal HUD-VASH) demonstration program was established under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113-235, approved December 16, 2014) (2015 Appropriations Act), and provides grants to Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) eligible to receive block grants under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA). Grantees use funding towards rental assistance and supportive services for Native American Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, living on or near a reservation or other Indian areas. Under Tribal HUD-VASH, Indian Tribes and TDHEs must partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide case management and supportive services, including healthcare assistance, to eligible Native American Veterans. On March 2, 2016, HUD published a Federal Register Notice (81 FR 10880) entitled “Tribal HUD–VA Supportive Housing Program Awards, Fiscal Year 2015” notifying the public regarding HUD’s funding decisions under the Tribal HUD-VASH program for Fiscal Year 2015. In total, 26 Indian Tribes and TDHEs were selected to participate in the demonstration program. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31, approved May 5, 2017) (2017 Appropriations Act) provided HUD with $7 million for the Tribal HUD-VASH demonstration program. Congress directed HUD to use this funding to provide renewal grants to the original Indian Tribes and TDHEs that received funding under the demonstration program. After awarding renewal funding, Congress authorized HUD to use any remaining amounts appropriated to fund new grants. In September 2018, HUD provided the original 26 Indian Tribes and TDHEs participating in the program with $3,765,568 of the $7 million in renewal funding. In accordance with the 2017 Appropriations Act, this NOFA establishes the criteria HUD will use to award the remaining $3,234,432 for new grants. The 2017 Appropriations Act requires HUD to make awards based on need and administrative capacity. On June 3, 2019, HUD issued a “Dear Tribal Leader” letter (https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/Tribal%20Vash%20Expansion%20June%203.pdf) to all tribal leaders and TDHEs. The letter sought tribal feedback on how HUD should assess need and administrative capacity. HUD proposed awarding new grants to some of the original Indian Tribes/TDHEs already participating in the program that demonstrated the capacity to administer the program effectively and that have unmet need for housing and supportive services for eligible Veterans. HUD also proposed awarding new grants through a competition to expand the Tribal HUD-VASH program to new Indian Tribes and TDHEs. HUD recognizes the overall, severe affordable housing shortage in Indian Country. In January 2017, HUD released a study entitled “Housing Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas: A Report From the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs.” Among the findings, the study found that tribal households are substantially worse than other U.S. households, with overcrowding in tribal areas being especially severe. The study noted that in the 2013-2015 period alone, 68,000 new units would have been necessary to help eliminate overcrowding and replace physically deteriorating units. Additional information and subsequent reports are available at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-research-022117.html. Given these considerations and based on feedback received from the “Dear Tribal Leader” letter, HUD is using this opportunity to award new Tribal HUD-VASH grants to address both the concerns identified in the study and to provide housing assistance and supportive services to Native American Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Since the 2017 Appropriations Act also requires HUD to coordinate with the VA when awarding new grants under the program, the Departments met throughout the planning process and jointly established the rating factors and requirements detailed in this NOFA. These were driven based on HUD and VA's experiences to-date, including assessing the demonstration program's achievements, areas for improvement, and feedback from both HUD-Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) and VA case managers. As such, HUD and VA remain committed to providing critical case management services and technical assistance, both for existing grantees and the additional Indian Tribes and TDHEs based on this competition. This NOFA announces the availability of the remaining $3,234,432 in FY 2017 funding for new Tribal HUD-VASH grants to both Indian Tribes and TDHEs currently participating in the demonstration program, and to eligible Indian Tribes and TDHEs that have not previously received a Tribal HUD-VASH grant. HUD will give priority to applicants that demonstrate the capacity to leverage other funding sources to increase the number of new housing units available for eligible Veterans under the program. HUD invites applicants to apply for this funding opportunity in accordance with the criteria established in this NOFA.

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