38 U.S.C. § 2061: Grant program for homeless veterans with special needs

The Secretary shall carry out a program to make grants to health care facilities of the Department and to entities eligible for grants and per diem payments under sections 2011 and 2012 of this title in order to encourage development by those facilities and entities of programs for homeless veterans with special needs. women; frail elderly; terminally ill; chronically mentally ill; or individuals who have care of minor dependents. A recipient of a grant under subsection (a) may use amounts under the grant to provide services directly to a dependent of a homeless veteran with special needs who is under the care of such homeless veteran while such homeless veteran receives services from the grant recipient under this section. From amounts appropriated to the Department for “Medical Services” for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2026, $5,000,000 shall be available for each such fiscal year for the purposes of the program under this section. The Secretary shall ensure that funds for grants under this section are designated for the first three years of operation of the program under this section as a special purpose program for which funds are not allocated through the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation system. veterans who are homeless; veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning to permanent housing; and veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program at not fewer than five locations selected by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program. In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose described in subsection (a). For purposes of this section, an eligible entity is any entity that is providing transitional housing services to veterans as of the date on which the entity applies for a grant under this section. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that are recipients of grants under sections 2012 and 2061 of title 38, United States Code, as of the date on which the entity applies for a grant under this section. The Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, grant amounts awarded under paragraph (1) are equitably distributed among eligible entities across geographic regions. in rural communities; on Tribal lands; and in areas where there is a significant population of veterans aged 55 years old and older. The Secretary may establish intervals of payment for the administration of grants under this section and a maximum grant amount to be awarded, in accordance with the services being provided by staff hired using grant amounts and the duration of such services. shall use grant amounts for the hiring of appropriately qualified medical staff to care for veterans described in subsection (a) who require assistance with activities of daily living or need consistent medical attention and monitoring; and may use such amounts for supplies, administrative support, and infrastructure needs associated with the duties of such staff and the needs of such veterans. Each entity receiving a grant under this section shall notify the recipients of services provided pursuant to grant amounts that such services are being paid for, in whole or in part, by the Department. coordinate with the Secretary with respect to the provision of clinical services to eligible individuals or any other provisions of the law regarding the delivery of health care by the Secretary; inform each veteran who receives assistance under this section from the entity of the ability of the veteran to apply for enrollment in the patient enrollment system of the Department under section 1705(a) of title 38 , United States Code; and if such a veteran wishes to so enroll, inform the veteran of a point of contact at the Department who can assist the veteran in such enrollment. The Secretary shall require each eligible entity awarded a grant under this section to submit to the Secretary a report that describes the services provided or coordinated with amounts under such grant. The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program during the five-year period beginning on the date on which the pilot program commences. Not later than one year after the date on which the first grants are awarded under this section, and annually thereafter until the program terminates, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the effectiveness of the program. geographic location; sex; age; race and ethnicity; whether or not a veteran received health care from the Department during the two-year period preceding the date on which the veteran began participating in the program; the number of veterans who transitioned into permanent housing as a result of participation in the program; with respect to veterans who did not transition into permanent housing as a result of participation in the program, the main reasons for not so transitioning; discharge status; and eligibility for health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.”