Since 1994, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been encouraging communities to address the problems of housing for homeless in a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic fashion. HUD introduced the Continuum of Care concept to support communities in this effort. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) codified the CoC planning process into law.
A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a collaborative funding and planning approach that helps communities plan for and provide, as necessary, a full range of emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for homeless and other service resources to address the various needs of people experiencing homelessness. The Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York (HHC) acts as the Continuum of Care Lead and United Way of Central New York is the Collaborative Applicant. The CoC lead is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the CoC planning efforts, and has the authority to certify and submit the CoC homeless assistance funding application. The CoC has grown significantly since its original inception.
In March 2015, the Syracuse/Onondaga County CoC and the Oswego County CoC merged and in May 2016, Auburn/Cayuga County CoC merged thus creating a more regional CoC.
The major responsibilities of the CoC lead are to operate the CoC, to develop a strategic planning process that works toward the goal of ending homelessness in Central New York and to coordinate the application process for the HUD Continuum of Care Program Competition.
Read our Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.