What is the Continuum of Care?
A homeless assistance Continuum of Care (CoC) is a framework for a comprehensive array of housing and services to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
The primary responsibility of a CoC is to help communities plan comprehensive and long-term solutions to the problem of homelessness and to promote community-wide commitment to prevent and end homelessness.
Our local CoC meets regularly at the United Way of Collier County. All are welcome to attend. See calendar for meeting dates. Whether you’re new to the CoC or a long-time member with questions about the roles and responsibilities of the CoC, this recent HUD broadcast will help you understand the current program better HUDBroadcast. An older document, but still relevant is Continuum of Care 101. Additional information on the CoC program is available from HUD’s OneCPD website.
Collier County’s Continuum of Care
A homeless assistance Continuum of Care (CoC) is a framework for a comprehensive array of housing and services to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Lead Agency & Collaborative Applicant
The Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County serves as the Lead Agency and has been designated by the CoC as the Collaborative Applicant to apply for the HUD CoC grant on behalf of Collier County’s Continuum of Care. As the Lead Agency, the Hunger & Homeless Coalition also has operational and planning duties with respect to the CoC.
HMIS Lead
The CoC is responsible for designating a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and a Lead Agency responsible for its management. The Hunger & Homeless Coalition of Collier County is the designated HMIS Lead Agency.
Who is the CoC?
The CoC represents a communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness and agencies whose core missions are to provide services to those who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness form the core of the CoC.
The Act that authorizes the CoC has broader purposes: to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to the homeless and communities by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.
The CoC is expected to offer a “seat at the table” to representatives of relevant organizations and HUD expects representatives of these organizations to “take a seat” at the table to become a full participant in the Continuum of Care. In addition to nonprofit homeless assistance providers, we are:
- Victim Services Providers
- Faith-Based Organizations
- Governments
- Businesses
- Advocates
- Public Housing Agencies
- Hospitals
- Universities
- Affordable Housing Developers
- Law Enforcement
- Organizations that Serve Veterans
- Homeless and Formerly Homeless Individuals
Should you or your organization be seated at the CoC table? Please attend our next CoC meeting or email executivedirector [@] collierhomelesscoalition.org to learn how you can become involved in the CoC.
State of the State
Click the link Homeless in Florida to see homelessness information throughout the State of Florida.