Virginia Housing Solutions Program (State Grant)

The Virginia Homeless Solutions Program program is designed first to divert households from homelessness by exploring other resources a household might have before issuing financial assistance – and second to offer other assistance such as budgeting. The CoC has developed policies and procedures for the VHSP regarding Centralized Housing Intake, shelter operations, the homeless prevention program, and rapid re-housing.

Eligible VHSP providers include units of local governments, nonprofits, planning district commissions, and public housing authorities that are active participants of a CoC and/or Balance of State local planning group. Eligible activities for VHSP are outreach, emergency shelter operations, rapid re-housing, targeted prevention, centralized/coordinated assessment systems, CoC planning, HMIS, administration, and HOPWA assistance.

The Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant’s goal is to reduce homelessness in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Homeless Reduction Grant comprises up to 20 percent of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. Grant contracts are awarded through a competitive application process to projects coordinated with their Continuum of Care (CoC)/Balance of State Local Planning Group (LPG) strategies and are a part of an effective emergency crisis response system to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Eligible projects include rapid re-housing for literally homeless households, innovative projects for unaccompanied homeless youth or older adults experiencing homelessness, and rental assistance and stabilization services for chronically homeless households residing in permanent supportive housing.