Fact Sheet: SSA HOPE Outreach and Application Assistance Funding

What is the SSA HOPE funding? As part of the fiscal year (FY) 2003 federal budget, Congress approved $8 million in SSI outreach and application assistance funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Through the HOPE NOFA, released on September 25, SSA will be targeting these funds towards projects that work to expedite the enrollment of homeless people in the SSI disability program.

How will the funding be distributed? SSA will distribute the $8 million through a competitive grant application process - applications are due to SSA on November 25, 2003. Applications are available via the internet, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/oag/grants/current/opdr-03-2.htm. Grants will be awarded for four years – three years of project work and a fourth year consisting solely of reporting outcome data and cooperating with SSA’s other program evaluation efforts. Approximately 30 grants will be awarded – each at an initial level of roughly $200,000. Grantees will be expected to reduce the funding requested from SSA by 25% in year two, and by 50% in year three.

What groups are eligible to apply for funding? Non-profit service providers and government agencies are both eligible to apply for funding. Individual agencies that apply may choose to sub-contract some of the project tasks to cooperating organizations.

What types of programs does SSA want to provide funding for? SSA is interested in providing funding to innovative, replicable, and sustainable programs that succeed in expediting SSI eligibility for homeless persons. SSA is likely to favor strategies that result in reduced case processing times and fewer denials of initial claims – while also ensuring a high degree of decision making accuracy.

Successful applicants will be able to bring together three broad program components - outreach to homeless persons, development of the medical evidence needed under SSA’s rules to establish disability for homeless persons, and assistance to homeless persons in completing SSI applications and in proceeding through the SSI application process in an expedited manner. Under these broad categories, the NOFA lists a number of specific activities that must be addressed in any grant proposal.

How can I have questions about the application answered? The SSA HOPE application contains the names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of SSA staff who can answer substantive or procedural questions about the SSA HOPE NOFA. You may also call or email Jeremy Rosen at NLCHP, at (202) 638-2535 x207, or jrosen@nlchp.org