HVRP Grant 2026: $23M in Funding for Homeless Veterans Programs

The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL/VETS) has announced $23 million in funding for the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) for 2026. This competitive federal grant program provides employment-focused services to help veterans experiencing homelessness secure stable, high-paying jobs.

Local governments, including counties, cities, and townships, are eligible to apply for awards ranging from $150,000 to $500,000 annually. With 61 awards expected, this represents a significant opportunity for municipalities to support veterans in their communities while addressing homelessness.

Who Can Apply for the HVRP Grant?

The HVRP grant has broad eligibility, making it accessible to many types of organizations that serve local communities. Eligible applicants include:

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• State and Local Workforce Development Boards (SWDB/LWDB)
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities
• Native American tribal organizations
• Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status
• Private institutions of higher education
• Faith-based organizations
• For-profit organizations and small businesses

Faith-based organizations are specifically encouraged to apply. DOL will not discriminate in the selection of grant recipients based on an organization's religious character, affiliation, exercise, or lack thereof.

Understanding the Three HVRP Grant Categories

DOL/VETS funds three types of competitive grant categories under this announcement. Applicants must identify which category they're applying for:

Category 1: HVRP (General Homeless Veterans)

This category serves veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Applicants may serve populations eligible under all three categories. Most applications fall under this category if you don't specify otherwise.

Category 2: HWVHVWC (Homeless Women Veterans and Veterans with Children)

This category specifically targets homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children. To qualify, you must dedicate 100 percent of grant funding to serve this population as defined in 38 U.S.C. § 101(4). DOL intends to make at least one Category 2 award if competitive applications are received.

Category 3: IVTP (Incarcerated Veterans' Transition Program)

IVTP focuses on veterans transitioning from incarceration or other institutions. To qualify, you must dedicate 100 percent of grant funding to serve veterans who are:

• Transitioning from certain institutions or scheduled to be released within 18 months, or
• Recently released from incarceration (within the last 18 months) and at risk of homelessness

DOL intends to make at least one Category 3 award if competitive applications are received.

What the HVRP Grant Funds

HVRP is an employment-focused program designed to enable veterans experiencing homelessness to reach their full employment potential and obtain high-quality career outcomes. The grant supports comprehensive employment services aligned with the President's Executive Orders to deliver services that help veterans transition from homelessness to stable employment.

Core Services and Activities

Grant recipients accomplish program goals through a variety of core services:

• Outreach to identify and engage homeless veterans
• Intake and assessment to understand veterans' needs
• Case management to coordinate supportive services
• Job-driven training targeted at in-demand occupations
• Job placement and employment services
• Follow-up support to ensure job retention
• Collaboration with community partners

Program Goals and Objectives

HVRP grant recipients are expected to:

1. Deliver career exploration opportunities, placement, and supportive services to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, empowering them to secure employment in stable, high-demand occupations paying wages consistent with the relevant market
2. Establish strong partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations to assist veterans in overcoming barriers to employment
3. Provide job-driven training targeted at in-demand occupations to enable veterans to become employable or seek a higher employment grade

Eligible Participants: Who Can Be Served?

HVRP provides services to veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. According to 38 U.S.C. § 2021, veterans served by this program include:

• Homeless veterans, including those who were homeless but found housing during the 60-day period preceding enrollment
• Veterans who, at the time of enrollment in HVRP, are at risk of homelessness within the next 60 days
• Veterans participating in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) or Tribal HUD-VASH programs
• Veterans receiving assistance through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996
• Veterans transitioning from incarceration (for IVTP category)
• Veterans participating in VA rapid rehousing and/or prevention programs

Understanding Service Delivery Areas and Saturation

One of the most important aspects of the HVRP application is understanding Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) and saturation levels. DOL/VETS uses a Continuum of Care (CoC) framework to ensure appropriate distribution of funds.

What is Saturation?

DOL/VETS calculates saturation by dividing the total number of HVRP planned enrollments in a CoC by the most recent PIT (Point in Time) count for the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in that CoC. Areas with saturation levels of 100 percent or more indicate that current HVRP grant recipients are already planning to enroll more participants than the estimated number of homeless veterans.

Applicants should check the SDA Saturation Map to ensure they're not requesting an oversaturated area, which could result in failing to meet enrollment goals.

CoCs with High Saturation Levels

If you're proposing to serve a CoC with a saturation level of 120 percent or more, you must justify the existence of unmet demand in your Abstract. Failure to provide this justification will result in zero points for the Expected Outcomes and Outputs criteria.

Current Grant Recipients: The 25 Percent Rule

If you are a current HVRP grant recipient and your period of performance ends on June 30, 2027, or June 30, 2028, your application's proposed SDA must not include more than 25 percent of the counties in your current grant's SDA. If it exceeds this limit, the application will be disqualified.

For example, if your current grant's SDA has four counties (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta) and your new application proposes to serve three counties (Charlie, Delta, and Echo), the overlap is 50 percent (2 duplicate counties ÷ 4 total counties), which violates the rule.

Physical Location Requirements

HVRP awardees must maintain one or more physical locations within a 50 continuous driving mile radius of each county in their proposed SDA. The physical location is where Case Managers, Employment Specialists, or equivalent positions will provide services to eligible participants. Many veterans have limited access to technology, making it challenging to receive case management services solely through virtual channels.

Grant recipients must visit each physical co-location at least once a month. VETS staff will verify compliance by confirming that grant staff are physically present and providing services at the addresses listed during on-site reviews.

Allowable Costs Under the HVRP Grant

All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable according to federal guidelines. The Budget Narrative must outline a one-year budget between $150,000 and $500,000 in total costs. Key allowable cost categories include:

Personnel

Salaries for Case Managers, Employment Specialists, Outreach Staff, and personnel positions directly charged to the grant. Personnel salaries must meet or exceed the local wages of the lowest 10 percent of workers for the proposed service area zip codes based on Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmarks.

Participant Support Costs

Direct costs that support participants in their employment journey, including:

• Travel allowances to help participants get to job interviews and training
• Registration fees for job training programs
• Temporary dependent care
• Per diem for eligible participants attending specific HVRP services

Grant recipients should make every effort to leverage other resources (federal, state, or local programs) to fund participant support costs before using HVRP funds.

Participant Wages

HVRP grant funds may be used to pay participant wages, such as On-the-Job Training (OJT), training and education costs for Registered Apprentices, and transitional jobs strategies. The participant must be involved in job training, with the expectation that employers will hire them afterwards. Funds can cover job training wages for up to 90 days and contribute up to half of the participant's wages, based on the county market wage.

Housing Costs for Veterans Transitioning from Certain Institutions

For Category 3 (IVTP) applicants only, HVRP funds may be used for housing, but only for eligible participants who meet the definition of transitioning from certain institutions. Applicants must identify how they will exhaust other housing options before expending grant funds for this purpose.

Childcare Costs for Veterans with Children

HVRP funds may be used to provide childcare services only to participants that meet the definition of homeless veterans with children, limited to 45 days, at a reasonable amount considering the average cost of childcare within the local community.

What's NOT Allowed

DOL/VETS does not allow the purchase of:

• Motor vehicles
• Buildings
• Land
• Construction costs
• Professional liability insurance (errors and omissions insurance)

Required Partnerships

HVRP grant recipients are required to develop partnerships with federal, state, or local programs such as:

• HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) organizations
• American Job Centers (AJC)
• Public, private, and nonprofit organizations to assist participants in overcoming barriers to employment

These partnerships are essential to creating a strong referral system and connecting veterans to supportive services available in their local communities.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Key Dates

• Application Deadline: March 6, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time (applications must be received no later than this date)
• Expected Start Date: July 1, 2026
• Period of Performance: 36 months (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2029)
• Prospective Applicant Webinars: January 27, 2026 (2:00-3:30 PM ET) and February 25, 2026 (3:00-4:30 PM ET)

Application Components

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and consist of four separate and distinct parts:

1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance - The amount requested on the SF-424 must reflect the federal request for the first year of grant operation only and must not be below $150,000 or exceed $500,000
2. Project Budget - Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative. The Budget Narrative must outline a one-year budget and justify all costs
3. Project Narrative - Limited to 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11-inch pages with Times New Roman 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Must demonstrate your capability to implement the grant project
4. Attachments to the Project Narrative - Including the VETS-704 Form (Abstract and Planned Goals Chart) and PY26 Chart of Past Performance

Before You Apply

Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). The EIN must match the legal name in SAM.gov and the legal name on the application's SF-424.

How Applications Are Reviewed

The agency evaluates applications using specific review criteria:

Responsiveness Review

Applications are first checked to ensure they meet basic requirements, including timely submission, proper formatting, and inclusion of all required components.

Review Criteria

Applications that pass the responsiveness review are scored based on:

• Statement of Need (up to 11 points)
• Project Budget and Budget Narrative alignment
• Project Narrative quality and comprehensiveness
• Expected Performance Outcomes
• Past Performance (if applicable)

Risk Review

DOL conducts a risk review to assess the applicant's financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance.

Post-Award Requirements

If your organization receives an HVRP grant, you'll be required to:

• Comply with all federal administrative and national policy requirements
• Submit quarterly performance reports through the VETS Grantee Reporting System (VGRS)
• Participate in on-site reviews to verify compliance
• Maintain physical locations within the approved SDA
• Track and report participant outcomes including employment placement and retention

Resources for Applicants

DOL/VETS provides extensive resources to help prospective applicants:

• HVRP Program Website - General information about the program
• Prospective HVRP Applicant Resources - Technical assistance center with webinar recordings and Q&A documents
• 2025 HVRP Program Guide - Comprehensive application guidance
• Veterans' Program Letter (VPL) 06-24 - HVRP Requirements and Functions
• HVRP Glossary of Terms - Definitions for program-specific terminology

Questions?

For technical questions about this FOA, send an email to HVRPFOA@dol.gov and specifically reference FOA-VETS-26-01.

Why This Grant Matters for Local Governments

According to the 2024 HUD Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR), on one night in January 2024, 32,882 veterans experienced homelessness—an eight percent decrease from January 2023. However, this still represents thousands of veterans who need support.

The HVRP grant provides local governments with the resources to:

• Address veteran homelessness through employment-focused interventions
• Build partnerships with community organizations and service providers
• Provide tailored services using a case management approach
• Connect veterans to job training in high-demand, high-paying occupations
• Support veterans in rural areas with limited access to essential resources

By helping veterans secure stable employment, communities can address both homelessness and economic development simultaneously, creating stronger referral systems and support networks that benefit all residents.

Getting Started with Your HVRP Application

If your local government is interested in applying for the HVRP grant, here are the next steps:

1. Register for the webinar - Attend one of the prospective applicant webinars on January 27 or February 25, 2026, to learn about program requirements and application process
2. Check saturation levels - Review the SDA Saturation Map to ensure your proposed service area isn't oversaturated
3. Assess your capacity - Determine if you can maintain physical locations within a 50-mile radius of each county in your proposed SDA
4. Identify partners - Begin conversations with HUD CoCs, American Job Centers, and other community organizations
5. Prepare your application - Review the 2025 Application Guide and start drafting your Project Narrative and Budget
6. Verify SAM.gov registration - Ensure your organization has an active UEI and SAM.gov registration with the correct EIN
7. Submit by March 6, 2026 - Applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time through Grants.gov

How Avila Can Help

Writing a competitive HVRP grant application requires understanding complex federal requirements, developing detailed budgets, and crafting compelling narratives. Avila's AI-powered platform helps local governments streamline the grant writing process by:

• Automatically tracking grant opportunities like HVRP from federal databases
• Analyzing eligibility requirements and matching them to your organization's profile
• Generating draft narratives based on program requirements and your organizational data
• Ensuring compliance with formatting, budget, and content requirements
• Managing application deadlines and submission workflows

With the HVRP application deadline approaching on March 6, 2026, now is the time to start preparing your application. Contact Avila today to learn how our platform can help you secure this critical funding for your community's homeless veterans.