Deadline: 10-Apr-23
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) seeks applications for funding to support shelter and transitional housing services for victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.
OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
Categories
Applicants are invited to apply under the following categories:
- Purpose Area 1: Training and Technical Assistance
- Through this solicitation, OVC will support training and technical assistance (TTA) and the development of tools and resources to assist victim service providers in promoting improved outcomes for domestic violence victims by facilitating increased opportunities for shelter and safety for victims and their companion animals.
- The TTA Provider will assist Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance grantees and their partners with implementing programs that allow individuals and their companion animals who are fleeing a situation of domestic violence to find secure, safe housing together.
- At a minimum, the successful applicant will engage in the following activities to support all current and future OVC Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance grantees:
- Review, develop, and update policies and procedures.
- Conduct program consultations and assessments.
- Facilitate relationships between OVC Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance grantees and relevant stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels.
- Provide training either in person or virtually, through webinars or other mechanisms.
- Develop and disseminate TTA materials, including promising practices and policies related to housing domestic violence victims and their pets together.
- Purpose Area 2 & 3:
- The purpose of this program, per 34 U.S.C. 20127(3), is to support projects that provide the following:
- Emergency and transitional shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence victims along with their companion animals. This may include modifications to existing structures to provide for housing animals; operating expenses of newly developed or existing transitional animal shelters for companion animals, regardless of whether such shelter is co-located at a victim housing service provider or is elsewhere within the community.
- Short-term shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence victims with companion animals, including expenses for the temporary shelter, housing, boarding, or fostering of their companion animals and other expenses that are related to securing the safety of such an animal during the sheltering, housing, or relocation of such victims.
- Support services to help persons who are fleeing a situation of domestic violence to locate and secure safe housing with the victim’s companion animal; safe accommodations for the victim’s companion animal; or companion animal-related services, such as transportation, care services, and other assistance.
- Training for relevant stakeholders on the link between domestic violence and the abuse and neglect of companion animals; the needs of victims of domestic violence; best practices for providing support services to such victims; best practices for providing such victims with referrals to victim services; and the importance of confidentiality.
- The purpose of this program, per 34 U.S.C. 20127(3), is to support projects that provide the following:
Goal
The goal of this program is to provide shelter and transitional housing to victims of domestic violence and their companion animals and to provide TTA to program grantees.
Objectives
- The primary program objectives for Purpose Area 1 are:
- Increasing collaboration between and among OVC grantees, other federally funded service providers and programs, community partners, and other stakeholders to enhance victim identification, referrals, service delivery, and assistance.
- Supporting OVC Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance grantees in meeting their award goals and objectives.
- Improving the quality and availability of services provided to domestic violence victims and their companion animals.
- The primary program objectives for Purpose Areas 2 and 3 are:
- To provide shelter and transitional housing to victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.
- To increase the number of shelter beds and transitional housing options in order to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence who need shelter or housing for themselves and their companion animals.
- To conduct training on (1) the link between domestic violence and the abuse and neglect of companion animals; (2) the needs of victims of domestic violence; (3) promising practices for providing, or referring, support services to such victims; and (4) promising practices in designing and delivering services that protect victim confidentiality.
Deliverables
- Purpose Area 1 deliverables include convening OVC grantees annually to share knowledge and facilitate peer support among OVC grantees, and provide training and technical assistance, which will be measured by:
- TTA requests received.
- TTA requests delivered.
- Type of TTA provided.
- Number of organizations and/or persons trained.
- Number of domestic violence victims with companion animals who were served.
- The purpose, amount, type, and duration of assistance.
- Purpose Area 2 and Purpose Area 3 deliverables under this program include the following services for victims of domestic violence with companion animals:
- Providing emergency, short-term, and transitional shelter and housing assistance for victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.
- Assisting with expenses for the relocation or temporary shelter, housing, boarding, or fostering of the companion animals that are related to securing the safety of the companion animal.
- Providing support services to assist a victim who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence to locate and secure safe housing for the victim and the victim’s companion animals.
- Delivering training for relevant stakeholders on the link between domestic violence and the abuse and neglect of animals; the needs of victims of domestic violence; promising practices for providing support services to such victims; promising practices for providing such victims with referrals to victim services; and the importance of confidentiality.
Funding Information
- Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 14
- Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards: Up to $500,000
- Period of Performance Duration (Months): 36 Anticipated.
- Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation: $3,300,000.
- Purpose Area 1: Technical Assistance up to $500,000
- Purpose Area 2: Large Awards up to $400,000; and
- Purpose Area 3: Small Awards up to $100,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants:
- City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, State governments, Other.
- Other
- Any other organization that has a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including:
- A domestic violence and sexual assault victim service provider.
- Domestic violence and sexual assault coalition.
- A community-based and culturally specific organization.
- Any other nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
- Any organization that works directly with pets, service animals, emotional support animals, or horses and collaborates with any organization listed, including:
- An animal shelter.
- An animal welfare organization.
- An applicant entity may submit more than one application, if each application proposes a different project in response to the solicitation. Also, an entity may be proposed as a subrecipient (subgrantee) in more than one application.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
