Title 38 U.S.C. Section 2021
"...the Secretary of Labor shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force."

The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program

The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program1 (HVRP) is an employment focused competitive grant program of the Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS), the only federal grant to focus exclusively on competitive employment for homeless veterans. Initially authorized in 1987 under Section 738 of Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, HVRP and its companion programs are currently authorized under Title 38 U.S.C. Sections 2021, 2021A and 2023. Over the years, HVRP's targeted approach has been very successful. In Program Year 2016 over 22,000 homeless veterans were served in American Job Centers, HVRP served over 16,000 participants in 2016, with roughly 8,000 being co-enrolled in American Job Centers.

The Dual Purposes of HVRP: Reintegrating Individuals into the Workforce and Building Strong Systems

HVRP has two core objectives: 1) to provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force, and 2) to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. HVRP grantees accomplish these objectives through a variety of core services:

Knowledge of Population - Grantees understand the unique needs of the veterans they serve and structure to meet those needs.

Outreach - Grantees use a flexible, non-threatening approach to meet veterans where they are which often includes hosting a Stand Down. Outreach also includes activities to engage partners and employers.

Assessment / Intake - Grantees assess each veteran to determine program eligibility and to gage job readiness and willingness to engage in employment services.

Case Management - Grantees use a veteran-centered approach to develop an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) based on individual's strengths, barriers, and preferences.

Job driven Training and Placement - Grantees provide training that is targeted to the specific industries, occupations, and skills that are in demand locally. Training services can be provided in-house, through partners in the community, or through the American Job Center.

Collaboration - Grantees collaborate with public and private partners at all levels (federal, state and local) to provide supportive services and access to housing.

National Priorities and Goals, Local Implementation

For Program Year 2018, DOL-VETS identified three specific veteran populations as priorities for receiving HVRP services: 1) chronically homeless veterans; 2) homeless female veterans and veterans with families; and 3) incarcerated veterans, and a set of national goals for the overall program2, see the 2018 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Each HVRP grantee plays a part in these larger goals by placing veterans in these priority groups into competitive employment at the local level.

  1. Includes Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP), Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program (IVTP), and Homeless Female Veterans' and Veterans' with Families Program (HFVVWF), collectively referred to as HVRP.
  2. 2018 HVRP FOA, page 3.
    *Placement rate is calculated by dividing the total number of exiters who have been placed into employment in one or more jobs in the reporting period by the total number of exiters during the same period.
    *Placement rate for the chronically homeless is calculated by dividing the total number of chronically homeless participants employed in one or more jobs in the reporting period by the total number of chronically homeless exiters during the same period.

 

General Information:

Program Documents:

Program Resources and Partners:

HVRP Performance

PY 2019 (July 1, 2019- June 30, 2020) Quarterly Reporting Forms


PY 2018 (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019) HVRP National Targets and Outcomes (as of 06.30.19)

 

Outcomes

All HVRP Participant Placement Rate

63.9%

Cost per Participant

$2,165

Average Hourly Wage at Placement

$14.52

Source: Quarterly grantee performance reports

Grant Application:

Eligible Applicants: Applications for funds will be accepted from State and Local Workforce Investment Boards, local public agencies, for-profit/commercial entities, and non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations. Applicants must have a familiarity with the area and population to be served and the ability to administer an effective and timely program.

Note that entities organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code are not eligible to receive funds under this announcement. Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Public Law 104-65, 109 Stat. 691 (2 U.S.C. 1611) prohibits instituting an award, grant, or loan of federal funds to 501(c)(4) entities that engage in lobbying.