The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the availability of funds under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program for fiscal year 2026. The SSVF program provides grants to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives to offer supportive services to very low-income Veteran families either residing in or transitioning to permanent housing. The program is designed to prevent the imminent loss of a Veteran's home or to quickly re-house Veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness. The SSVF follows a Housing First approach, prioritizing stable housing as the key factor in addressing homelessness among Veterans.

The total funding available for this grant cycle is approximately $799 million, with individual award amounts ranging from $118,000 to $6,800,000. More than 200 grants are expected to be distributed. The application process is open to both new and renewal applicants, with priority given to organizations that serve tribal and rural communities, as well as U.S. territories. Additional priority is given to existing grantees that hold specific accreditations such as those from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), the Council on Accreditation (COA), or The Joint Commission (JC).

Eligible applicants must be private nonprofit organizations or consumer cooperatives that can demonstrate the capacity to provide supportive services to eligible Veteran families. These services include case management, housing counseling, rental assistance, utility assistance, childcare, transportation, legal services, and financial planning. Veterans must meet specific income and housing instability criteria to qualify for assistance. Organizations are required to establish relationships with local community resources to support the delivery of services and must participate in coordinated community planning efforts to address homelessness.

The grant application deadline is March 3, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Applications must be submitted electronically through the SSVF website. Late submissions will not be considered. Applicants must ensure they have a valid registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before submitting their application. Additionally, letters of support from local Continuums of Care (CoC) are strongly encouraged, particularly for organizations applying to serve tribal and rural communities.

Applications will be evaluated based on the applicant’s experience in providing supportive services, capacity to meet program requirements, demonstrated financial and operational stability, and ability to meet VA's programmatic goals. VA will also consider geographic distribution to ensure equitable allocation of funding across communities, with a focus on areas with high needs. Award announcements are expected to be made in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, with grants commencing on October 1, 2025.

For further information, applicants may contact Ms. Adrienne Nash Meléndez, Director of the SSVF Program Office, via email at ssvf@va.gov. Additional details on the application process and requirements are available on the SSVF program website.