Transitional Housing Program Tip Sheet

Minimum Application Requirements

There are different stages in the application review process, including an initial review, peer review, and programmatic review. 

OVW initially reviews applications to ensure that they include the required documents and meet the program eligibility requirements. This review may result in an application being removed from consideration if it does not meet these requirements.

OVW reviews an application initially for the following basic minimum requirements:

• Eligible Applicant - The application must be submitted by an eligible lead applicant. If OVW determines that an application has been submitted by an ineligible applicant, the application will not be considered for funding.
• Application Contents  - Applications that do not include the following documents will not be considered for funding:
  • Proposal Narrative;
  • Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative;
  • Signed and currently dated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); and
  • Signed and currently dated Letter of Experience (LOE)

Currently dated means the date must be within the application period (between the NOFO release date and the application due date).

• OVW will not contact applicants if these documents are not included in the application. 

Eligibility Requirements

Before applying, organizations must check their eligibility. By statute, the types of entities listed below are eligible to apply for the Transitional Housing program. If an applicant is determined to be ineligible, the application will be removed from consideration.

• States and territories
• Units of local government (city, county, township, town, borough, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of the state)
• Indian Tribes
• Other organizations that have a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including:
  • domestic violence and/or sexual assault victim service providers,
  • domestic violence and/or sexual assault coalitions,
  • other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations,
  • population-specific organizations, or
  • community-based and culturally specific organizations.

Police departments, pre-trial service agencies, district or city attorneys’ offices, sheriffs’ departments, probation and parole departments, universities, mental health service providers, substance use treatment centers, homeless services organizations, and Community Action Agencies are not eligible to apply.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

The application must include an MOU that includes the mandatory partners identified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and describes the terms of the partnership and the allocation of roles and responsibilities of the parties.

The MOU must be submitted as one document and signed and dated by the Authorized Representative of each proposed partner organization during the development of the application. Separate MOU agreements with individual partners will not be accepted and can disqualify an application from further review. Many applications are removed from further review for not having required signatures or current signature dates. Review a sample MOU

Letter of Experience (LOE)

All lead applicants must document a history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in an LOE. If the lead applicant is an “Other organization” as described above, it must have this documented history of providing specific and targeted services to victims as its primary purpose. If the lead applicant is a State or Territory, unit of local government, or Indian Tribe, the lead applicant must identify a victim service provider that has a history of providing specific and targeted services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking as its primary purpose. The application must include this victim service provider in the proposed project and that partner must write and sign an LOE for the applicant to submit with the application.

• The LOE should not exceed two (2) pages. Any additional pages will not be reviewed.
• The LOE must be a single document, signed, and currently dated. See the NOFO for more information about what must be included in the LOE. Review a sample LOE

Pre-Application Information Session

Every year, applicants are able to view a pre-application webinar to learn more about the grant program. OVW recommends all prospective applicants to attend this session to learn more about the grant program requirements. Information can be found in the section “Pre-Application Information Session” in the NOFO.

Other resources, such as previous pre-application information sessions, the Application Companion Guide, and other templates are available on the website. Review specific grant writing tips

Checklist for a Fully Executed Application Package