Creating a community-wide effort in the planning and strategic allocation of resources to address homelessness.
What is a Continuum of Care?
The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is developed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The CoC Program provides funding to states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to provide permanent housing, transitional housing, supportive services, Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), and, in some cases, homelessness prevention.
Where is My Continuum of Care Located?
A Continuum of Care covers a specific geographic area, usually along county or municipality lines. Every community in the United States is covered by one of the nearly 400 Continuums of Care that operate nationwide. Larger states, like California, can have up to 44 CoCs; whereas smaller states, like Rhode Island, have only one CoC that covers the entire state. New Hampshire is covered by 3 CoCs, the Manchester CoC (MCoC), Greater Nashua CoC (GNCoC), and the Balance of State CoC (BoSCoC). The Manchester CoC exclusively covers the needs of the municipality of Manchester. These 3 CoCs regularly collaborate to provide state-wide care and coverage for people experiencing homelessness.
How is the Manchester CoC Managed and Run?
The Manchester CoC is a collaborative of community partners and member organizations who work together on an on-going basis. The MCoC consists of a general membership body that is headed by an elected Leadership Committee, a Leadership Board (10 -20 community representatives), and 6 specialized committees: the Community Care Team, Coordinated Entry, Homeless Outreach Collaborative, Veterans Committee, Youth Committee, and Data and Evaluation Committee. MCoC Leadership typically meets on a monthly basis, and general assemblies are held for all members on a bi-monthly basis.
Each year, these groups work together to determine funding needs and apply for HUD grants that will be allocated to the programs and organizations that meet those needs.
Review our Governance Charter
Learn more about our Leadership or join us for an MCoC General Assembly Meeting
Who Can be a Member of the Continuum of Care?
The MCoC is open to anyone interested in becoming more involved in their community’s response to homelessness. The philosophy behind the creation of a CoC is that the issue of homelessness is multifaceted, so participation, coordination, and collaboration from all community members in a particular region is required to solve the issue. Everyone is welcome to join the MCoC because everyone is impacted by homelessness in some way. Members can include, but are not limited to:
Government entities like elected officials, city agencies, law enforcement, fire departments, public schools, judicial/legal entities, or penal institutions;
Healthcare providers like hospitals, clinics, mental health orgs., and substance use treatment facilities;
Housing providers like non-profits, public housing agencies, real estate developers, and local landlords;
Social service providers like social workers, case managers, therapists, educators, and child care providers;
Financial Institutions like local businesses, financial institutions, and other for-profit entities;
Community organizations like faith-based orgs., youth programs, schools, and advocacy agencies; or
Private citizens like concerned residents or persons with lived experience in homelessness (PLEs).
Non-members can attend any General Assembly Meeting. To become and remain a member, you, or a representative of your agency, must attend at least 2 General Assembly Meetings in a given calendar year (there are usually 5 to 6 per year).
