COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Veterans’ Homelessness and Transition Grant was established on October 16, 2023, to provide funding to organizations that serve homeless Veterans or Veterans at imminent risk of being homeless with resources to obtain permanent housing. The Veterans Homelessness and Transition Grant Program is funded through an appropriation by the South Carolina General Assembly and managed by the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs (SCDVA).

The grant aims to enhance nonprofit organizations and state agencies' housing assistance programs for Veterans. The South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs will award a grant to nonprofit groups and state governmental agencies that assist eligible South Carolina Veterans with housing assistance, utility or rental assistance, drug addiction treatment and transitional housing programs.

The minimum grant award is $50,000, and the maximum grant award amount is $250,000 per grant cycle. Veteran eligibility is under Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, defining a Veteran as “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.”

Eligibility Information

For purposes of this grant, organizations must meet the requirements listed below and submit a complete application on the due date for award consideration. Grant applications will only be accepted via electronic submission (Not to exceed 12 pages) from February 1, 2024, to March 15, 2024. Only one application per organization will be accepted: please visit the South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs website Resources | Veterans' Affairs (sc.gov).

To be eligible for the program, an organization must be a South Carolina government entity, or a Nonprofit with the following:

1. Registered and in good standing with the Division of Public Charities with the Secretary of State for a minimum of 5 years;
2. Recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) or (19) tax-exempt organization (must provide a copy of their IRS designation or affirmation letter);
3. Public or non-profit private entity as defined in 38 CFR § 79.10;
4. Physically located and operate in South Carolina;
5. Member of the South Carolina Veteran Coalition;
6. Must have the technical and administrative abilities and resources to administer the grant successfully;
7. Applicants must provide sufficient eligibility information to allow SCDVA to evaluate their application for scoring purposes;
8. Award recipients must maintain their status as a 501(c)(3) or (19) non-profit, state, or local government for the entire award cycle;
9. Faith based organizations are eligible on the same basis as any other organization.

Application Process

Grant applications must include a cover page on the official organization letterhead and the following documents not to exceed 12 pages:

1. The organization must follow all state and federal laws and be free of tax liabilities.
2. Program Detail Narrative
3. Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (List of specific objectives, goals, and timeline that the grant will accomplish or achieve)
4. Organization Summary and Organization Chart
5. Organization anti-discrimination policy
6. Copies of the organization's articles of incorporation and bylaws
7. By signing and applying, the applicant agrees to accept the terms and conditions if awarded.

Evaluation Criteria

Eligible grant proposals will be evaluated in the following categories:

1. Organization History
2. Staff Qualifications
3. Efficacy of Programs
4. Need for Program
5. Outcomes
6. Financial Capability and Plan

SCDVA will award points based on the applicants past performance and projected outcomes during the grant cycle.

Scoring Criteria for Past Performance

1. Organization History

• Applicant’s and any identified subcontractor’s background and organizational history relevant to providing services to homeless Veterans or at risk or homeless Veterans.

• • Applicant and any identified subcontractors maintain organizational structures with clear lines of reporting and defined responsibilities.

• • Applicant and any identified subcontractors of a history of at least 5 years of complying with agreements and not defaulting on financial agreements.

2. Staff Qualifications

• Applicant’s staff and any identified subcontractors’ staff have experience working with homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness.
• Applicant’s staff have experience administering, at least 5 years, programs like this grant.
• Applicant and any identified subcontract have a case manager is able to effectively provide case management. Ideal ratio is 1 case manager working with no more than 10 Veterans.

3. Efficacy of Programs

• • Applicant and any identified subcontractor have at least 3 years of experience working with homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness, including women and minority Veterans.
  • Applicant and any identified subcontractor demonstrate effective programs by placing homeless Veterans in stable housing for at least 12 months.
  • Applicant and any identified subcontractor demonstrate effective programs by providing financial assistance for utilities or rent to Veterans at risk of homeless of homelessness.

Scoring Criteria for Projected Outcomes During the Grant Cycle

1. Need for Program

• • Applicant has shown a need among eligible Veterans in the area or community where the organization will provide services.
  • Applicant understands the unique needs of eligible homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness (i.e., substance abuse, mental health, digital literacy).

• • Applicant has a feasible outreach and referral plan to identify and assist eligible homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness. The plan should include a description of how the applicant will ensure services are provided to eligible Veterans.
  • Applicant has a plan to process and receive referrals from eligible Veterans.
  • Applicant has a plan to assess and accommodate the needs of eligible Veterans.
  • Applicants program concept, size, scope, and staffing plan are feasible.

2. Outcomes

• • Applicant’s program is designed to meet the housing needs of homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness in the applicant’s service area where the program will be based.
  • Applicant’s program will be implemented in a timely manner and housing services will be delivered to eligible homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness as quickly as possible and within 60 days of award of grant.
  • Applicant has the sufficient staff, resources, and capacity to support the program during the grant cycle.
  • Applicant will identify the number of eligible homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness in the organizations service area.
  • Applicant has created clear, realistic, and measurable metrics that align with the grant’s aim of addressing housing needs for eligible Veterans in the organizations service area.

Financial Capability and Plan

• Applicant has adequate controls in place to regularly monitor the program, to include any subcontractors, for compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines.
• Applicant has adequate financial and operational controls in place to ensure the proper use of this grant.
• Applicant has a plan for ensuring the applicant’s staff and any subcontractors are appropriately trained and comply with the requirements of 38 CFR Part 79.
• Applicant’s program management team has the capability and system in place to provide the SCDVA accurate reports quarterly or when given a 30-day notice.
• Applicant has a realistic plan for obtaining all funding required to operate the program for the period of the grant.
• Applicant’s program is cost effective and can be effectively implemented on budget.

Application Selection

SCDVA will only score applications that are:

• Complete and submitted on time, to include any requests for additional information.
• Meet the definition of 38 CFR part 79.30.
• The activities for which housing services grant are requested are eligible for funding.
• The applicant’s proposed participants are eligible to receive housing services under this grant.

In the event of a tie score between applications, SCDVA will determine at its discretion how to handle selection decisions (for example, awarding multiple applicants less than the requested amount). SCDVA will consider the intent of this notice of funding opportunity to fund housing services to assist homeless Veterans or Veterans at risk of homelessness. All grant award decisions are final.

The score sheet used for evaluating proposals is attached for your reference. The Department will award grants at the funding level stated in the proposal. When available Veterans’ Homelessness and Transition Grant funds are inadequate to fund a qualified proposal fully, the proposal will be disapproved. Partial grants will not be awarded. The grant administrator performs an initial screening of each application to determine eligibility and the application being complete. Ineligible applications will be returned to the organization with no action.

Incomplete applications will be returned with instructions on how to complete the application packet. Incomplete packets will have five business days to make corrections and return to the Department to continue processing. Eligible packets will continue through the approval process. Applications are evaluated by a committee of board members appointed by the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs. This group determines funding recommendations utilizing an objective scoring tool and considering both the monies available to allocate and geographic distribution factors. Final decision authority for awarding grants under this program rests with the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs.

To access the Veterans' Homelessness and Transition Grant Application CLICK HERE. 

To access the Housing Grant Budget Sheet CLICK HERE.