Continuum of Care Programs (COC)

A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals.

Across the Commonwealth there are 12 CoCs eligible to apply for money from HUD to help homeless people.

Each of the 12 CoCs serves a unique geographic area with HUD asking the state (EOHLC) to be responsible for addressing homelessness in their area. 

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) manages 1 of the 12 HUD approved Continuums of Care across the Commonwealth and applies for homeless assistance funds annually in what is known as the Balance of State CoC.  CoC membership is open to anyone interested in ending homelessness in the CoC’s area.  Members include other state agencies, many private non-profit homeless service provider organizations, other private non-profit organizations, faith based organizations, and individuals.

Continuum of Care Service Areas

About Our Continuum of Care

The Balance of State CoC works to address homelessness in a number of ways including Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing and Transitional Housing, Supportive Services for those who are homeless, and by collaborating with the many organizations serving this population throughout our CoC geography. One of the ways we identify this population is through an annual survey most often undertaken in the last week of January. Each year EOHLC counts all of the homeless people reported by homeless service providers together with collected counting of homeless people on the streets by local police departments and volunteer groups.  This is our annual Point in Time Count of homeless people in the 115 Balance of COC communities to identify the most important needs for services and types of housing.  Generally, the most important need identified is determined to be to move homeless people from the streets and emergency shelters into safe permanent housing with ongoing support services.

Through the CoC, EOHLC and its partners, in endeavoring to end homelessness:

• Fund permanent supported housing for over 800 formerly homeless individuals and families.
• Conduct street outreach to homeless people living in places people would not normally live (abandoned buildings, under bridges, in their cars, etc.) in an effort to get them into a safer environment.
• Work with CoC members in an effort to help better coordinate homeless services in the CoC jurisdiction.
• Increase the number of housing units to be made available by leveraging other local and state resources to provide the services.

Additional Resources

Written Standards and Policies and Procedures for ESG and CoC Funded Programs

Who is Eligible?

Homeless individuals and families who are homeless, living in shelter, or living in places not meant for human habitation.

How Can CoC Resources Be Accessed?

To apply for housing in a CoC-funded program within the Balance of State, applicants need to access the Coordinated Entry System (CE). This process ensures that access to the finite resources available is equitable and provided to those who are most vulnerable first. Applicants can begin with their local homeless service provider. If it is unclear who that might be, you can reach out to the CE Regional Navigator who oversees the access point in your region. 

For help in accessing an emergency shelter, either speak with a local homeless service provider, if you know of one, or follow this link to the Service Provider Listing.

Funding

Much of the funding for the CoC programs comes from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

As part of the process for accessing this funding, HUD asks us to rank projects for funding priority.

FY23 NOFO Rankings

This was a particularly daunting process this year, and the Project Evaluation Committee met for nearly three hours carefully evaluating the scores and projects to ensure that our ranking prioritizes projects that have the greatest potential for meeting the needs within the CoC. Our Advisory Group was presented with two options, and chose the ranking below. Please see the 2023 NOFO Review Brief with additional details about the 2023 applications and review process. 

Project Name	Application Amount	Component	Rank
Tier 1
Coordinated Entry	$1,366,560	CE	1
DV CE	$261,465	CE	2
HMIS Dedicated	$608,490	HMIS	3
E-Nav BoS	$1,496,930	PH-RRH	4
New Dawn	$2,160,222	Joint TH & PH-RRH	5
Emmaus Rapid Rehousing Program	$285,142	PH-PSH	6
Welcome Home 1 Expansion	$788,033	PH-PSH	7
Home Again/Fresh Start	$242,541	PH-PSH	8
LINCOLN ST	$109,727	PH-PSH	9
Brookline Rental Assistance for the Chronically Homeless	$73,132	PH-PSH	10
JRI Supportive Housing-Hope for Families Program	$144,598	PH-PSH	11
Emerson Street Shelter Plus Care	$130,157	PH-PSH	12
Proyecto Opciones	$311,787	PH-PSH	13
Crossroads 1 (Reallocated PDPR)	$204,522	PH-PSH	14
Julie House	$136,250	PH-PSH	15
YWCA Fina House Project	$146,465	PH-PSH	16
Advocates Supported Housing Consolidation	$793,237	PH-PSH	17
Housing Pronto	$875,577	PH-PSH	18
Journey to Success	$862,142	PH-PSH	19
TSS PH-RRH Transition	$609,365	PH-RRH	20
Greater Boston Mobile Stabilization Team	$198,955	SSO	21
Greater Boston Sponsor Based S+C	$312,681	PH-PSH	22
Turn the Key	$1,589,472	PH-PSH	23
Disabled Family Leasing	$695,203	PH-PSH	24
North Star Housing	$705,034	PH-PSH	25
Tri-City Rental Assistance Project	$192,596	PH-PSH	26
Wayside Shortstop Transitional Housing Program	$232,500	TH	27
Metrowest Leased Housing Consolidation	$554,841	PH-PSH	28
Community Housing Initiative	$128,400	PH-PSH	29
Community Housing S+C	$954,343	PH-PSH	30
Respond PH-RRH DV Bonus	$488,978	PH-RRH	31
Greater Boston Tenant Based S+C	$1,499,882	PH-PSH	32
CTI Youth TH-RRH	$201,468	Joint TH & PH-RRH	33
Mystic Valley Homeless to Housing Consolidation	$2,245,732	PH-PSH	34
Tier 2
Mystic Valley Homeless to Housing Consolidation	$6,359		34
Greater Boston Rental Assistance for the Chronically Homeless	$455,490	PH-PSH	35
Campus Apartments Consolidation	$720,845	PH-PSH	36
Welcome Home Expansion 2.5	$839,136	PH-PSH	37
North East Scattered Site Tenancy S+C	$234,958	PH-PSH	38
NEW BEGINNINGS	$146,748	PH-PSH	39
Pathfinder PH Program	$289,945	PH-PSH	40
CTI PH-RRH	$84,556	PH-RRH	41
Disabled Family Leasing Expansion	$985,002	PH-PSH	42
New Dawn Expansion	$339,119	Joint TH & PH-RRH	43

 

 Not Ranked

YHDP Burlington YHDP RRH		$277,587
Burlington YHDP Youth Navigator		$90,118
CTI YHDP Crisis Transitional		$1,139,551
CTI YHDP TH RRH		$594,153
CTI YHDP Youth Navigation		$466,970
RESPOND YHDP TH-RRH		$299,331

 

Planning - $1.315,814

Information about the FY2023 NOFO Application Process

Please Note, the 2023 Application Deadline has passed. 

• 07/12/2023 – FY23 NOFO Overview
  • PowerPoint slides – FY2023 HUD CoC NOFO
  • Video recording – Please email [e-mail] for a link to the recording.
• 08/02/2023 – Renewal, Expansion, and New Applicants
  • PowerPoint slides – FY2023 NOFO Renewal and Expansion Application Guidance
  • Video recording – Please email [e-mail] for a link to the recording.

Important dates: 

• 08/16/ 2023 – Project applications due in ESNAPS.
• 08/24/2023 – Final submissions with attachments due in ESNAPS.
• 09/12/2023 – All applications accepted or rejected by CoC. Notification of acceptance, rejection, or reduction of project applications, and ranking position in the Priority Listing in writing. 
• 09/22/2023 – Full NOFA response available on CoC and partner websites for public review. 

Additional meeting resources:

FY23 HUD Continuum of Care NOFO 

Working Calendar

FY2023 Ranking Tool

FY2023 Collaborative Application and Priority Listing

The Balance of State CoC has announced the approved collaborative application for Fiscal Year 2023 CoC program competition and priority listing. Please review these documents here:

CoC-Approved Priority Listing 

COC-Approved Consolidated Application

For comments or questions about approved application please email [e-mail]

How to Get Involved

The Balance of State Continuum of Care hosts a general membership meeting, virtually, the first Wednesday of every month at 10:00 AM. There are also several committees that work to address unique issues of subpopulations within the Continuum of Care. Membership is open to anyone interested in preventing and ending homelessness in the CoC’s geographic area. New participation is always welcome. Individuals with lived expertise and experience of homelessness are encouraged to become involved. We seek to maintain a diverse membership with representation and participation from the Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and persons with disabilities communities.

If your agency is part of the BoS CoC we would like to hear from you regarding your DEI policies, procedures, and initiatives. Please note this form is to be filled out to reflect organizations not individuals or specific programs.

For more information on general membership or committee membership please contact the following: 

• General Membership – [e-mail] 
• Persons with Lived Expertise and Experience of Homelessness (PLEE) Committee – [e-mail] 
• Racial Equity Committee –[e-mail]  
• Coordinated Entry Committee –  [e-mail] 
• Veterans Committee –  [e-mail] 
• Domestic Violence Committee –  [e-mail] 
• Youth and Young Adult Committee –  [e-mail]