The Department of Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program started in 1992 as a pilot program to provide funding for time-limited transitional housing for veterans and was permanently authorized in 2006. GPD provides capital grants to cover up to 65 percent of the cost of creating service centers or transitional housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Per diem reimbursements cover ongoing operating costs and are not limited to capital grant recipients, although recipients of capital grants receive priority consideration for the program’s funding, which is awarded on the basis of a competition.
The VA’s Veterans Health Administration solicits and reviews applications and selects grants. Eligibility is open to nonprofit organizations, including community service providers, faith-based organizations, and veteran service organizations; state and local governments; and tribal governments.
In 2016, VA began a major transformation that is shifting the GPD program to a Housing First model, in keeping with an overall move within the department.
Visit the VA’s GPD program page
View a PowerPoint presentation on recent changes to the GPD program