To continue to meet the evolving needs of homeless Veterans, the VA’s Homeless Providers GPD Program is undergoing a transformation which involves implementing a competitive and time-limited grant process that will require currently funded GPD community providers to reapply for funding so that GPD grantees are located where their services are needed most by homeless Veterans. The GPD program provides nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies and tribal governments with the resources they need to develop and sustain supportive programs and/or services that help homeless Veterans find stable housing, gain skills to increase their income and achieve independence. The new competitive process will give VA greater flexibility to allocate resources and the agility to respond to evolving best practices for homeless services and programs.
Applications will be rated based on a variety of factors including the extent in which the agency is a part of an ongoing community-wide process and how it is interacting with the local Continuum of Care (CoC). GPD providers have been encouraged to reach out to CoCs and CoCs are equally encouraged to proactively reach out to local GPD providers to discuss how to better integrate their efforts into the CoCs overall efforts to end Veteran homelessness.
Message from VA Secretary Robert McDonald
The VA recently released a video-message from VA Secretary Robert McDonald announcing a concentrated 30-day effort by VA staff and partners to house as many homeless Veterans in their communities as possible. To accomplish this, Secretary McDonald charged VA’s network of federal, local, and nongovernmental partners to target available housing and supportive services to the nation’s most vulnerable Veterans. Some of the actions highlighted included prioritizing unsheltered Veterans for immediate placement into safe housing and organizing homeless stand downs and rapid rehousing events.
For more information on how to help Veterans in your community find permanent housing over the next 30-days, please download this one-page overview of the 30-day surge and contact your local VA medical center to find out about specific needs of homeless Veterans in your community. | 
