Notice2021-16723
Rental and Utility Assistance for Certain Low-Income Veteran Families
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 5, 2021
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program has enabled grantees to augment available housing options for homeless Veterans in high rent-burden communities by increasing rental assistance for up to 2 years before recertification. This notice will establish locations where the SSVF grantees can place Veterans in housing with this rental subsidy.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 148 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 148 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42979-42980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16723]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Rental and Utility Assistance for Certain Low-Income Veteran
Families
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program
has enabled grantees to augment available housing options for homeless
Veterans in high rent-burden communities by increasing rental
assistance for up to 2 years before recertification. This notice will
establish locations where the SSVF grantees can place Veterans in
housing with this rental subsidy.
DATES: SSVF grantees can place Veterans in housing with the rental
subsidy described in title 38 CFR 62.34(a)(8) in the newly described
areas effective the date of this Notice publication date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Kuhn, Homeless Program
Office, Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program Office, 810
Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420; 202-632-8596. (This is not a
toll-free number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a document published in the Federal
Register on August 28, 2019, VA published a final rule, which revised
its regulations that govern the SSVF Program, which is authorized under
38 U.S.C. 2044, 84 FR 45074. This rule, which amended 38 CFR
62.34(a)(6) and (8), enables SSVF grantees to provide rental assistance
where the limited availability of affordable housing makes it difficult
to reduce a community's population of homeless Veterans. The lack of
affordable housing in the United States has been widely documented with
its effect becoming more pronounced during the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition maintains a
detailed database that shows there is a shortage of affordable housing
across every state. As the lack of affordable housing is a national
crisis, VA is expanding access to the SSVF resources described in
sections 62.34(a)(6) and (8) to all counties and equivalents within the
50 United States (U.S.); the District of Columbia; Puerto Rico; the
U.S. Virgin Islands; and Guam. Through these subsidies, the pool of
available housing can be expanded as program participants have access
to a broader rental market. Section 62.34(a)(8) states that extremely
low-income Veteran families and very low-income Veteran families who
meet the criteria of section 62.11 may be eligible to receive a rental
subsidy for a 2-year period without recertification. Section
62.34(a)(8) further states that the applicable counties will be
published annually in the Federal Register. As stated in the notice, a
family must live in one of these applicable counties to be eligible for
this subsidy. The counties will be chosen based on the cost and
availability of affordable housing for both individuals and families
within that county.
On September 28, 2020, VA published the applicable counties for
fiscal year (FY) 2021. As the COVID-19 health emergency has
significantly increased the population of Veteran families at-risk of
homelessness, SSVF is expanding the applicable counties in FY 2021 to
include every county and equivalent in the 50 United States; the
District of Columbia; Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Guam.
This expansion will enable all eligible Veteran families to access this
housing option.
Locations: This rental subsidy will be available in all counties
and equivalents within the 50 United States; the District of Columbia;
Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this
document on July 30, 2021, and authorized the undersigned to sign and
submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for
publication
[[Page 42980]]
electronically as an official document of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Luvenia Potts,
Regulation Development Coordinator Office of Regulation Policy &
Management, Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-16723 Filed 8-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 5, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.