(a) Eligibility documentation. Prior to providing supportive services, grantees must verify and document each participant's eligibility for supportive services and classify the participant under one of the categories set forth in §62.11. Grantees must recertify the participant's eligibility as a very low-income veteran family at least once every 3 months.

(b) Confidentiality. Grantees must maintain the confidentiality of records kept on participants. Grantees that provide family violence prevention or treatment services must establish and implement procedures to ensure the confidentiality of:

(1) Records pertaining to any individual provided services, and

(2) The address or location where the services are provided.

(c) Notifications to participants.

(1) Prior to initially providing supportive services to a participant, the grantee must notify each participant of the following:

(i) The supportive services are being paid for, in whole or in part, by VA;

(ii) The supportive services available to the participant through the grantee's program; and

(iii) Any conditions or restrictions on the receipt of supportive services by the participant.

(2) The grantee must provide each participant with a satisfaction survey, which the participant can submit directly to VA, within 30 days of such participant's pending exit from the grantee's program.

(d) Assessment of funds. Grantees must regularly assess how supportive services grant funds can be used in conjunction with other available funds and services to assist participants.

(e) Administration of supportive services grants. Grantees must ensure that supportive services grants are administered in accordance with the requirements of this part, the supportive services grant agreement, and other applicable laws and regulations. Grantees are responsible for ensuring that any subcontractors carry out activities in compliance with this part.

(f) Habitability standards.

(1) Grantees using supportive services grant funds to provide rental assistance, payments of utilities fees, security deposits, or utilities deposits, as set forth under §62.34, on behalf of a participant moving into a new (different) housing unit will be required to conduct initial and any appropriate follow-up inspections of the housing unit into which the participant will be moving. Such inspections shall ensure that the housing unit meets the conditions set forth in 24 CFR 583.300(b) and do not require the use of a certified inspector. Inspections should occur no later than three (3) working days after the housing unit has been identified to the SSVF grantee, unless the Alternative Inspection Method is used to meet the requirements of this paragraph.

(2) Alternative inspection method. An inspection of a property will be valid for purposes of this paragraph if:

(i) The inspection was conducted pursuant to the requirements of a Federal, State, or local housing program (including, but not limited to, the Home investment partnership program under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act or the low-income housing tax credit program under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986);

(ii) If the inspection was not conducted pursuant to the requirements of a Federal housing program, the public housing agency has certified to the Secretary that such standard or requirement provides the same (or greater) protection to occupants of inspected dwelling units;

(iii) Pursuant to the inspection, the property was determined to meet the requirements regarding housing quality or safety applicable to properties assisted under such program; and

(iv) The inspection was conducted within the past 2 years.

(g) Continuum of Care coordinated assessment. Grantees must participate in the development, implementation, and ongoing operations of their local Continuum of Care's coordinated assessment system, or equivalent, as described in the McKinney-Vento Act, as amended by the HEARTH Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).

(The Office of Management and Budget has approved the information collection provisions in this section under control number 2900-0757)

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 2044)

[75 FR 68979, Nov. 10, 2010, as amended at 80 FR 9612, Feb. 24, 2015; 82 FR 41526, Sept. 1, 2017]