[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 10, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 62482-62486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24496]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 62
RIN 2900-AR15
Supportive Services for Veterans Families
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs
ACTION: Interim final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its
regulations that govern the Supportive Services for Veteran Families
(SSVF) Program. This interim final rule will provide a more effective
subsidy to veterans in high-cost rental markets; increase the cap on
General Housing Assistance to reflect increased costs; and extend the
ability of SSVF grantees to provide emergency housing for the most
vulnerable, unsheltered veterans and their families.
DATES:
Effective date: This interim final rule is effective November 10,
2021.
Comment date: Comments must be received on or before January 10,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through www.Regulations.gov.
Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN
2900-AR15--Supportive Services for Veterans Families.'' Comments
received will be available at regulations.gov for public viewing,
inspection or copies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Kuhn, National Director,
Supportive Services for Veteran Families. 810 Vermont Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20420. (202) 632-8596 (this is not a toll-free telephone
number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA is amending its regulations that govern
the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program under
section 2044 of title 38 United States Code (U.S.C.), which requires
the Secretary to provide financial assistance to eligible entities,
approved under that section, to provide and coordinate the provision of
supportive services for very low-income veteran families occupying
permanent housing.
VA implements the SSVF Program in 38 CFR part 62. Through the SSVF
Program, VA awards supportive services grants to private non-profit
organizations or consumer cooperatives to provide or coordinate the
provision of supportive services to very low-income veteran families
who are residing in permanent housing and are at risk of becoming
homeless. We note that, for the purposes of this section, permanent
housing means community-based housing without a designated length of
stay where an individual or family has a lease in accord with State and
Federal law that is renewable and terminable only for cause. Examples
of permanent housing include, but are not limited to, a house or
apartment with a month-to-month or annual lease term or home ownership.
A very low-income veteran family will be considered to be occupying
permanent housing if the very low-income veteran family: Is residing in
permanent housing and is at risk of becoming homeless but for the
grantee's assistance; is lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence, is at risk of remaining in that state if they do
not receive the grantee's assistance, and is scheduled to become
residents of permanent housing within 90 days; or meets one of the
conditions listed above after exiting permanent housing within the
previous 90 days to seek other housing that is responsive to their
needs and preferences.
Part 62 of 38 CFR details how the program is administered, to
include the types of services, the application and scoring process, and
other requirements and limitations associated with the program. This
rulemaking amends 38 CFR 62.34, which establishes other supportive
services that grantees may provide, which are necessary for maintaining
independent living in permanent housing and housing stability.
Specifically, this rulemaking will provide a more effective subsidy to
veterans in high-cost rental markets; increase the cap on General
Housing Assistance to reflect increased costs; and extend the ability
of SSVF grantees to provide emergency housing for the most vulnerable,
unsheltered veterans and their families.
Most critically, this rulemaking amends 38 CFR 62.34(a)(8) to
provide a more effective subsidy to veterans in high-cost rental
markets. A more effective subsidy is considered urgent and time
sensitive as it will significantly improve the level of rental support
available to homeless and at-risk Veterans. These Veterans currently
face substantial risks of eviction and potential homelessness which
constitutes a serious and imminent risk to their health. These risks
are now prevalent and, with the end of eviction moratoriums, cannot be
forestalled. Delays in issuing this interim rule will delay a
potentially life-saving intervention.
38 CFR 62.34(a)(8)
A shallow subsidy offered recurring rental assistance at a fixed
rate for a longer period in comparison to Rapid Rehousing. The
expectation was that this sustained support would expand housing
options and increase the Veteran households' ability to meet other
costly living expenses. As a result, the SSVF Program Office embarked
on an initiative in October 2019 to offer the Shallow Subsidy service
in select communities.
The provision of shallow subsidy funds was implemented under 38 CFR
62.34(a)(8). VA is amending the fifth sentence of 38 CFR 62.34(a)(8) to
provide a more effective subsidy to veterans in high-cost rental
markets. We are also reorganizing current Sec. 62.34(a)(8) for
clarity, without changing the meaning of such section.
[[Page 62483]]
Paragraph (a) establishes the types of rental assistance that may
be provided, such as payment of rent, penalties, or fees, to help the
participant remain in permanent housing or obtain permanent housing.
Paragraph (a)(8) currently states, in part, that extremely low-income
veteran families and very low-income veteran families who meet the
criteria of Sec. 62.11 may be eligible to receive a rental subsidy for
a 2-year period without recertification. The existing paragraph further
states that the maximum amount of rental subsidy is 35 percent of the
applicable Fair Market Rent (FMR) published by Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).
First, we are increasing the subsidy from 35 percent to 50 percent
in Sec. 62.34(a)(8). We have received strong feedback from the
community that increasing the Shallow Subsidy rate up to a maximum of
50 percent is necessary to provide meaningful assistance to the very
low and extremely low-income Veteran households eligible for SSVF
services. The housing affordability gap for these households is too
wide to be bridged with a 35 percent subsidy. The National Low Income
Housing Coalition (``The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes'',
https://reports.nlihc.org/gap/about) reports that 70 percent of all
extremely low-income families pay more than half their income on rent
(HUD defines affordable housing as paying no more than 30 percent of
income on housing costs) due to the acute shortage of affordable
housing. Increasing the subsidy to a maximum of 50 percent will bring
more private sector housing units into the range of housing
affordability for SSVF participants. Grantees will have the option of
setting a subsidy rate of less than 50 percent, as 50 percent will be
the maximum for the rental subsidy, on the condition that the subsidy
rate set by the grantee is sufficient to sustain housing up to the 50
percent level. As these subsidies only support rent (utilities for
instance are not supported through this subsidy), and can be set at a
rate of no more than 50 percent of the rent, the overall subsidy is
still less than half of the veteran's housing costs. The term shallow
subsidy is consistent with this approach as the veteran will still be
responsible for most of the housing costs. This change is expected to
promote housing stability, which is central to SSVF's mission, and will
support VA's goal of ending homelessness among Veterans.
We are also amending the basis for the rental subsidy for eligible
participant families to be a maximum of 50 percent of the reasonable
rent as defined in Sec. 62.34(a)(4). VA defines rent reasonableness in
Sec. 62.34(a)(4) to mean the total rent charged for a unit must be
reasonable in relation to the rents being charged during the same time
period for comparable units in the private unassisted market and must
not be in excess of rents being charged by the property owner during
the same time period for comparable non-luxury unassisted units.
The reasons for this change are several. First, VA has received
feedback from SSVF grantees in California stating that using the FMR
reduces the amount of subsidies payable to participants because HUD's
FMR rental rates consistently lag behind the true rental rates in the
market, resulting in a subsidy of less than the intended 35 percent of
the rental rates in the market. HUD sets the FMR at the 40th percentile
of gross rents for typical, non-substandard rental units occupied by
recent movers in a local housing market, meaning 60 percent of units
will have rental costs that exceed the FMR. Furthermore, HUD counts
households who moved in within the past 15 to 22 months as recent
movers for purposes of determining the FMR. This results in rates that
do not include the impact of recent rental inflation. Together, these
policies set the FMR at below market rates.
In responding to the COVID-19 health emergency, SSVF obtained a
modification under section 301 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141) to employ a
reasonable rent standard instead of the FMR. On March 31, 2020, HUD,
also responding to the COVID-19 health emergency, issued a waiver of
the Continuum of Care (CoC) program regulations at 24 CFR 578.49(b)(2)
which prohibit CoC program recipients from using CoC funds to lease
units above the FMR. In implementing the waiver of the FMR restriction,
CoC program recipients were still required to ensure that units leased
with CoC funds meet the CoC program's rent reasonableness standard. HUD
explained that its waiver of FMR restriction will ``assist recipients
in locating additional units to house individuals and families
experiencing homelessness and reduce the spread and harm of COVID-19.''
VA agrees with the SSVF grantees and believes that using a
reasonable rent would more accurately represent the rental rates by
providing a real time measure of rent for comparable units within the
same rental market. VA also believes that the reasonable rent standard
should continue to apply after the COVID-19 public health emergency. In
addition, SSVF already uses rent reasonableness for purposes of
determining rental assistance paid by grantees to its participants
under Sec. 62.34(a)(4) and proposes to apply that definition to Sec.
62.34(a)(8) to support internal consistency and reduce administrative
errors and burdens as this allows grantees to have a single standard
for determining allowable rental assistance.
38 CFR 62.34(e)(2)
VA is amending 38 CFR 62.34(e)(2) in order to increase the cap on
general housing stability assistance. Paragraph (e) establishes the
general housing stability assistance. Paragraph (e)(2) currently states
that a grantee may pay directly to a third party (and not to a
participant), in an amount not to exceed $1,500 per participant during
any 2-year period, beginning on the date that the grantee first submits
a payment to a third party for certain types of expenses. The current
cap of $1,500 was set with the publication of Sec. 62.34(e)(2) on
February 24, 2015. See 80 FR 9611. Due to inflation, the value of that
cap has eroded with time.
The Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is a
measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban
consumers for a variety of goods and services. It provides indexes for
various geographic areas and price data for food, clothing, shelter,
fuels, transportation, medical care, drugs, and other goods and
services that people buy for day-to-day living. General housing
stability assistance funds can be provided for some of the goods and
services measured by the CPI-U such as uniforms, tools, kitchen
utensils, and bedding. The CPI-U is a useful indicator of the
increasing annual costs of these items. Between 2015 and 2021 the
cumulative CPI-U, not corrected for compounding, was 14.4 percent.
Assuming an annual CPI of 3 percent for 2022, and including a modest
effect for compounding interest, we are increasing the $1,500 cap to
$1,800 so that the purchasing power of the $1,500 cap set on February
24, 2015 is restored. Additionally, there will be an automatic
adjustment to this cap so that it increases annually based on the CPI-
U.
38 CFR 62.34(f)
Currently, 38 CFR 62.34(f)(2) states that placement for a veteran
and his or her spouse with dependent(s) in emergency housing may not
exceed 45 days. We are amending 38 CFR 62.34(f)(2) to provide
additional assistance to vulnerable, unsheltered homeless veteran
families. We note that, for the purpose of this part, veteran
[[Page 62484]]
family means a veteran who is a single person or a family in which the
head of household, or the spouse of the head of household, is a
veteran, as defined in 38 CFR 62.2.
Through the SSVF program, VA is seeking to engage unsheltered
veterans who typically have higher barriers to permanent housing
placement. VA finds that in some high rental markets, particularly when
working with high barrier households, 45 days was insufficient time to
complete a permanent housing placement. To that end, we are increasing
the current 45-day limit, stated in Sec. 62.34(f)(2), to 60 days. This
increase will provide additional time in emergency housing to the most
vulnerable veteran population of unsheltered veterans and their
families.
Administrative Procedure Act
The Administrative Procedure Act (APA), codified at 5 U.S.C. 553,
generally requires that agencies publish substantive rules in the
Federal Register for notice and comment. These notice and comment
requirements generally do not apply to ``a matter relating to agency
management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits
or contracts.'' 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2). However, 38 U.S.C. 501(d) requires
that VA comply with the notice and comment requirements in 5 U.S.C. 553
for matters relating to loans, grants, or benefits, notwithstanding
section 553(a)(2). Thus, as this rulemaking relates to the SSVF, VA is
required to comply with the notice and comment requirements of 5 U.S.C.
553.
However, pursuant to section 553(b)(B) of the APA, general notice
and the opportunity for public comment are not required with respect to
a rulemaking when an ``agency for good cause finds (and incorporates
the finding and a brief statement of reasons therefor in the rules
issued) that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.''
In addition, section 553(d) of the APA requires a 30-day delayed
effective date following publication of a rule, except for ``(1) a
substantive rule which grants or recognizes an exemption or relieves a
restriction; (2) interpretative rules and statements of policy; or (3)
as otherwise provided by the agency for good cause found and published
with the rule.''
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and (d)(3), the Secretary has
concluded that there is good cause to publish this rule without prior
opportunity for public comment and to publish this rule with an
immediate effective date to address the needs of service members and
veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. Delay in
the implementation of this rule would be impracticable and contrary to
the public interest. More than 7 million adults currently live in
households that are behind on rent payments. As of August 30, 2021,
roughly 3.6 million individuals in the U.S. said they are ``very
likely'' or ``somewhat likely'' to face eviction in the next two
months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey.
(https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2021/demo/hhp/hhp36.html). As seven
percent of the population are veterans, this could mean nearly half a
million veterans and their family members face eviction with tens of
thousands becoming homeless. Earlier Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) eviction moratoriums established to ameliorate this
risk are no longer in effect. The results for those facing eviction and
potential homelessness include serious and imminent risks to their
health. The CDC reports, homelessness is closely connected to declines
in physical and mental health; homeless persons experience high rates
of health problems such as HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse,
mental illness, tuberculosis, and other conditions (https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/resources/resources-homelessness.html). Additionally, the CDC reports, ``people
experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by COVID-
19.'' ``Homeless services are often provided in congregate (group)
settings, which could make the spread of infection easier. Because many
people experiencing homelessness are older adults or have underlying
medical conditions, they may also be at increased risk for severe
illness from COVID-19.'' (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/homelessness.html). These risks are now
prevalent and, with the end of eviction moratoriums, cannot be
forestalled. Delays in issuing this interim rule will delay a
potentially life-saving intervention.
On September 4, 2020, the CDC and the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) published an Order under Section 361 of the Public
Health Service Act to temporarily halt residential evictions to prevent
the further spread of COVID-19. 85 FR 55292. This Order was effective
from September 4, 2020, through December 31, 2020, and was extended
until July 31, 2021. 86 FR 34010. On August 3, 2021, CDC issued a
subsequent, more narrowly tailored eviction order to temporarily halt
evictions in United States counties experiencing substantial or high
rates of community transmission of COVID-19. 86 FR 43244. The order was
then challenged in the DC district court, which vacated the order on a
nationwide basis, but stayed its judgment pending appeal. The Supreme
Court then vacated the district court's stay, effectively ending the
moratorium order. See Ala. Ass'n of Realtors v. Dep't of Health and
Human Servs., 594 U.S. (2021).
The Secretary's decision to increase the subsidy in Sec.
62.64(a)(8) from 35% to 50% requires immediate effect to ensure rental
supports are immediately available to very low-income veterans at-risk
of becoming homeless, particularly given that the COVID-19 pandemic,
with its sustained adverse economic consequences, may have reduced or
limited their personal resources.
The U.S. Department of Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance
Program (EARP) primarily pays rental arrears; financial assistance for
prospective rent payments is limited. Unlike the rental subsidy
proposed by this regulation, ERAP would not make rent more affordable.
The increased subsidy would be provided in addition to the ERAP funds.
Other state and local resources to assist veterans with rent, outside
those that are federally supported such as ERAP, are very limited and
not available or insufficient in most areas of the country. Many
veterans and grantees report it has been difficult to access these
resources. By making rent affordable, the rental subsidy proposed by
this regulation allows veteran families to sustain their housing,
giving landlords less cause to proceed with evictions.
Furthermore, widespread reports of soaring rental prices (``Rent
Prices Are Soaring as Americans Flock Back to Cities'' Washington Post,
July 10, 2021) will leave many veteran families at-risk even if rent
arrears stemming from the COVID-19 induced economic crisis have been
paid by programs such as SSVF or ERAP. The low-income families served
by SSVF will need the elevated levels of support to address the growing
gap between their income and rental costs. The risk of becoming
homeless will become particularly acute for many low-income families
now that the CDC eviction moratorium is no longer in effect. Although
eviction moratoriums remain in effect in a few states and
municipalities, these policy responses are temporary and do not provide
a permanent solution for protecting the vast majority of at-risk
veterans who continue to face eviction
[[Page 62485]]
and potential homelessness. Furthermore, eviction moratoriums do not
address the underlying issue of rent affordability that will continue
to place these veteran households at risk once these moratoriums end.
SSVF has used the modification obtained under 42 U.S.C. 5141 for
COVID-19 to increase the resources available through the rental subsidy
that is made available in Sec. 62.34(a)(8). This has allowed SSVF to
use ``rent reasonableness'' as the basis for the rental subsidy, rather
than the FMR. While this effect only modestly increases the level of
rental subsidy, it remains an important change and needs to continue
even once the public health emergency ends.
For these reasons, the Secretary has concluded that ordinary notice
and comment procedures would be impracticable and contrary to the
public interest as delay will have significant negative health
consequences to homeless and at-risk veterans and is accordingly
issuing this rule as an interim final rule. However, the Secretary will
consider and address comments that are received within 60 days after
the date that this interim final rule is published in the Federal
Register and address them in a subsequent Federal Register document
announcing a final rule incorporating any changes made in response to
the public comments.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This interim final rule contains no provisions constituting a
collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501-3521).
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Secretary hereby certifies that this interim final rule will
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5
U.S.C. 601-612. This interim final rule will only impact those entities
that choose to participate in the SSVF Program. Small entity applicants
will not be affected to a greater extent than large entity applicants.
Small entities must elect to participate, and it is considered a
benefit to those who choose to apply. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
605(b), the initial and final regulatory flexibility analysis
requirements of 5 U.S.C. 603 and 604 do not apply.
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, when
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public
health and safety effects, and other advantages; distributive impacts;
and equity). Executive Order 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory
Review) emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and
benefits, reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and promoting flexibility.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has determined that
this rule is an economically significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866. VA has determined that there are costs and
transfers associated with the provisions of this rulemaking. The costs
for Sec. 62.34(a)(8) are estimated to be between a lower bound of
$204.2M in FY2022 and $895M over a five-year period (FY2022-FY2026) and
an upper bound of $291.8M in FY2022 and $1.65B over a five-year period.
The costs for 62.34(e)(2) are estimated to be $720,000 in FY2022 and
$3.8M over a five-year period.
The full Regulatory Impact Analysis associated with this rulemaking
can be found as a supporting document at www.regulations.gov.
Unfunded Mandates
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 requires, at 2 U.S.C.
1532, that agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and
benefits before issuing any rule that may result in the expenditure by
State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for
inflation) in any one year. This interim final rule will have no such
effect on State, local, and tribal governments, or on the private
sector.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers and titles for
the programs affected by this document are: 64.009, Veterans Medical
Care Benefits, and 64.033, VA Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Program.
Congressional Review Act
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of
Management and Budget has determined that this regulatory action is a
major rule under Subtitle E of the Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (also known as the Congressional
Review Act), 5 U.S.C. 801-808, because it may result in an annual
effect on the economy of $100 million or more. 5 U.S.C. 804(2). In
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1), VA will submit to the Comptroller
General and to Congress a copy of this Regulation and the Regulatory
Impact Analysis (RIA) associated with the Regulation. However, for the
reasons explained above, VA has found that there is good cause to
publish this rule with an immediate effective date, pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 808(2).
List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 62
Administrative practice and procedure, Day care, Disability
benefits, Government contracts, Grant programs--health, Grants--housing
and community development, Grant programs--veterans, Health care,
Homeless, Housing, Indian--lands, Individuals with disabilities, Low
and moderate income housing, Manpower training program, Medicaid,
Medicare, Public assistance programs, Public housing, Relocation
assistance, Rent subsidies, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements,
Rural areas, Social security, Supplemental security income (SSI),
Travel and transportation expenses, Unemployment compensation.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this
document on August 26, 2021, and authorized the undersigned to sign and
submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Consuela Benjamin,
Regulations Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy &
Management, Office of General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, we are amending 38 CFR
part 62 as follows:
PART 62--SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN FAMILIES PROGRAM
0
1. The authority citation for part 62 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 2044, and as noted in specific
sections.
0
2. Amend Sec. 62.34 by revising paragraphs (a)(8), (e)(2) introductory
text, and (f)(2) to read as follows:
Sec. 62.34 Other supportive services.
* * * * *
(a) * * *
(8) Extremely low-income veteran families and very low-income
veteran families who meet the criteria of Sec. 62.11 may be eligible
to receive a rental subsidy as follows:
[[Page 62486]]
(i) For a 2-year period without recertification.
(ii) The applicable counties will be published annually in the
Federal Register. A family must live in one of these applicable
counties to be eligible for this subsidy. The counties will be chosen
based on the cost and availability of affordable housing for both
individuals and families within that county.
(iii) The maximum amount of this rental subsidy is 50 percent of
reasonable rent as defined by paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
Grantees must collaborate with their local Continuum of Care (CoC) as
defined at 24 CFR 578.3 to determine the proper subsidy amounts to be
used by all grantees in each applicable county.
(iv) Grantees must provide a letter of support from their local CoC
to the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program Office
when requesting VA approval of this subsidy. The SSVF Program Office
must approve all subsidy requests before the subsidy is used.
(v) Very low-income veteran families may receive this subsidy for a
period of two years before recertification minus the number of months
in which the recipient received the rental assistance provided under
paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(vi) Extremely low-income veteran families may receive this subsidy
for up to a 2-year period before recertification following receipt of
rental assistance under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(vii) For any month, the total rental payments provided to a family
under this paragraph (a)(8) cannot be more than the total amount of
rent. Payment of this subsidy by a grantee must conform to the
requirements set forth in paragraphs (a)(2) through (7) of this
section. The rental subsidy amount will not change for the veteran
family in the second year of the two-year period, even if the annual
amount published changes.
(viii) A veteran family will not need to be recertified as a very
low-income veteran family as provided for by Sec. 62.36(a) during the
initial two-year period. After an initial two-year period, a family
receiving this subsidy, or a combination of the rental assistance under
paragraph (a)(1) of this section and this subsidy, may continue to
receive rental payments under this section, but would require
recertification at that time and once every two years.
* * * * *
(e) * * *
(2) A grantee may pay directly to a third party (and not to a
participant), in an amount not to exceed $1,800, per participant during
any 2-year period, beginning on the date that the grantee first submits
a payment to a third party. This cap will be adjusted annually based on
the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U). This amount
is for the following types of expenses:
* * * * *
(f) * * *
(2) Placement for a veteran and his or her spouse with dependent(s)
may not exceed 60 days.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2021-24496 Filed 11-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P