Mission Statement: Our mission is coordinating community resources to build a collaborative system that addresses core issues of homelessness and poverty.

Board Members

According to HUD guidelines, a Continuum of Care is established by representatives of relevant organizations within a geographic area to carry out the responsibilities set forth in the CoC Program interim rule.

HUD developed the concept of the CoC in 1995 through its annual competition for homelessness assistance grants. The CoC was envisioned as a local network that plans and coordinates funding for services and housing to assist homeless individuals and families. The HEARTH Act amendments to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act codified in law the role and functions of the CoC; thus each community must establish a CoC in compliance with the new CoC Program interim rule. In some communities, very little will have to change to be in compliance with the requirements of the interim rule, but the rule gives CoCs more ability to formalize and change to better achieve the goals of the CoC Program. In other communities, more structure and formalization will need to be implemented to be in compliance with the program requirements.

When establishing a CoC, communities must bear in mind that CoCs are designed to:

• Promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness
• Provide funding for efforts for rapidly re-housing homeless individuals and families
• Promote access to and effective use of mainstream programs
• Optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness

The composition of each CoC is expected to be tailored to its unique community circumstances, to the extent possible involving all of the players required to further local efforts to end homelessness. The purpose of requiring stakeholder representation from a wide range of organizations within the CoC’s geographic area is to ensure that all community stakeholders participate in developing and implementing a range of housing and services.