What is a CoC?

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

According to HUD, a CoC is “a community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximize self-sufficiency. It includes action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness.” HUD identifies four necessary parts of a continuum:

• Outreach, intake, and assessment in order to identify service and housing needs and provide a link to the appropriate level of both;
• Emergency shelter to provide an immediate and safe alternative to sleeping on the streets, especially for homeless families with children;
• Transitional housing with supportive services to allow for the development of skills that will be needed once permanently housed; and
• Permanent and permanent supportive housing to provide individuals and families with an affordable place to live with services if needed.