The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is a national effort to help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It connects local organizations, charities, and government agencies to provide support and find stable housing for those in need. The program focuses on working together as a community to offer both immediate help and lasting solutions, making sure that people have a safe place to live and the support they need to stay there.
What is the Continuum of Care (CoC)?
The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to help individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness. It provides the proper assistance to these individuals and families in their transition to permanent housing with the goal of long-term stability. Above all, the CoC Program aims to promote community-wide planning and resource management in the fight against homelessness. It also works on enhancing collaboration with mainstream resources and other programs for homeless people.
There are about 400 CoCs in the United States. Each CoC is frequently made up of nonprofit service providers and local government agencies such as health and human services and public housing. This is in collaboration with other stakeholders such as charities and local businesses. In general, a CoC serves every community, and an individual CoC’s territory can include a city, county, metropolitan area, or even an entire state or the “balance of state” that no local CoC serves.
One of the most vital duties of CoCs is the bi-annual census of the homeless population. This is along with an annual examination of the homeless assistance services’ emergency systems, transitional housing units, and beds. These numbers provide an overview of the homeless situation in a CoC. They also provide the data required to change services, funding, and resources as needed. The CoC also manages these services, which include both prevention measures and homeless assistance programs for those at risk of or are currently experiencing homelessness.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements of CoCs?
The only requirement for you to be eligible for this program as an individual or a family is to be homeless or at risk of losing your home. However, you do not normally apply for CoC directly. In case you wish to take advantage of the program’s benefits, you must apply through one of the participating entities. Under the interim CoC Program rule, eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, local government instrumentalities, and public housing agencies.
A qualifying applicant must be designated by the Continuum of Care in order to apply for HUD grant assistance. If the Continuum is designating more than one applicant to apply for money, the Continuum must specify which applicant is the Collaborative Applicant. A Continuum of Care with only one funding applicant must identify that applicant as the Collaborative Applicant. For-profit entities are not eligible to apply for grants or to be sub-recipients of grant funds.
What Are the Main Components of CoC?
According to the interim rule for the CoC Program, funds from the program may be used for specific projects including:
- Permanent housing
- Transitional housing
- Supporting services only
Permanent Housing
Permanent housing is community-based housing with no limit for staying. Formerly homeless individuals and families can live as independently as possible in this type of housing. A participant in the program must be the tenant on a lease (or sublease) that is renewable for at least one year and can be only terminated for cause. Also, leases (or sublet contracts) need to be renewable for at least one month.
The CoC Program provides funding for two types of permanent housing: Rapid re-housing and PSH for people with disabilities. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is long-term housing that includes an indefinite lease or rental assistance as well as supportive services. Its goal is to assist homeless people with disabilities or families with a disabled member in achieving housing stability.
Rapid re-housing (RRH), on the other hand, prioritizes home search, relocation services, and short- and medium-term rental assistance. Its purpose is to get homeless people into permanent housing as soon as feasible.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing provides homeless people and families with temporary stability and support. Consequently, this allows them to successfully relocate to and maintain permanent housing. TH can cover the costs of up to 24 months of subsidized housing. Participants in the program must have a lease (or sublet) or occupancy agreement in place when staying in transitional housing.
Supportive Services Only
The program component supportive services only (SSO) allows recipients and subrecipients to provide services to homeless people who do not live in the recipient’s accommodation. SSO beneficiaries and sub-recipients may use the funds to:
- Conduct outreach to people experiencing homelessness,
- Connect them with housing or other essential resources,
- And provide ongoing help.
Bottom Line
In short, being homeless, regardless of how long it lasts, is a life-altering traumatic event. It causes significant stress in anyone’s life, regardless of age. Preventing such a disaster is a significant responsibility that governments take very seriously.
In fact, the CoC program is a crucial step toward reducing homelessness. The program works by paying non-profits, charities, and public housing agencies, among other entities. Consequently, these organizations use the funds they receive to help homeless people find an adequate place to stay.
