The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) competitively awards funds for the provision of services to reintegrate homeless veterans into the labor force and to develop service delivery systems that are equipped to address the complex challenges for this population. Eligible applicants for funding include State and local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs); public agencies; for-profit/commercial entities; and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations.

This formative evaluation was commissioned to understand the types of services grantees delivered, promising practices, and the outcomes achieved by grantees. Additionally, the evaluation supplied information for the development of a future impact evaluation of the program. Study findings are based on (a) a literature review, (b) site visits to 12 HVRP grantees, and (c) analyses of HVRP administrative data.

The key findings of the evaluation are as follows:

• The literature review confirmed that a set of risk factors for homelessness is associated with veteran status, but veterans also have additional risk factors related to their combat experience.
• The site visits emphasized the importance of partnering with other service providers and establishing community collaborations in order to bring together the varied resources and services required to transition homeless veterans toward long-term self-sufficiency. Grantees also stressed the need for careful screening and assessment of homeless veterans during the intake process to ensure that new recruits are suitable and ready to benefit from the limited menu of services that could be directly provided with HVRP funding. However, performance measures appeared to effect the screening and enrollment process.
• The analysis of grantee and participant outcomes indicated that nearly two-thirds (62.5 percent) of HVRP participants were placed in employment between PY 2009 and PY 2013. Mean hourly wages of participants rose consistently over the program years analyzed, increasing steadily from $10.21 in PY 2009 to $11.55 in PY 2013, a 13.1 percent increase (an inflation adjusted increase of 3.1 percent).

The evaluation team made several recommendations for further program development and evaluation.

• Consider updating or replacing the VOPAR/TPR data system.
• Consider adding a unique participant identifier to the VOPAR/TPR tracking system (or a replacement system) to allow for tracking of individual program participants across grantee years.
• Consider eliminating the requirement that HVRP grantees submit Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) for exceeding performance standards.
• Consider eliminating requirements that grantees exit participants at the end of each program year, allowing for carryover of participants (as long as the grantee's contract and period of performance continues into the next program year).
• Consider options for future evaluations to determine HVRP participant outcomes and potential impacts.
• Consider eliminating different grant ceilings for urban and non-urban grants.
• Explore the relationship between the federal/state/local goals of eliminating homelessness among veterans (through immediate and early placement of homeless veterans into permanent housing) and potential implications for HVRP grantee recruitment and job placement/retention.
• Consider coordinating HVRP grants with other funding sources targeted on assisting homeless veterans.