The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program funds community-based transitional housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. An OIG administrative investigation examined VHA’s oversight of the Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD), a GPD program grantee providing drug treatment and other services.
The OIG found that staff at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (the VA facility) responsible for local oversight of VVSD were aware that in 2021 and through most of 2022, issues with drug sales by non-VA residents, drug use, and insufficient staffing increased risks to veterans co-located there. However, VA facility staff did not take timely or effective action to ensure VVSD remediated these issues. Local facility staff lacked important information related to residents at VVSD who were funded by non-VA entities. Also, a regional official responsible for GPD oversight did not provide adequate support. Finally, the OIG found that the GPD National Program Office could have provided clearer guidance on key issues, such as when certain grantee enforcement measures should be used and how to redress recurrent grant noncompliance issues.
The OIG followed up the initial investigation with a limited review of VHA oversight of VVSD through September 2024, prompted in part by reports that improvements may not have taken hold. The investigation revealed that issues related to veteran care and safety, and a lack of information about co-located non-VA residents, recurred or persisted at VVSD.
VHA concurred with the OIG’s finding and five recommendations to improve governing policies, training, or other guidance, and appropriate follow-up for GPD-funded residents at VVSD who lost access to drug treatment services there. VHA provided acceptable action plans and completion timelines. The OIG will monitor VA’s progress until sufficient documentation has been received to close the recommendations as implemented.
CA
United States
