What are CoC Funds?

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Among other changes, the HEARTH Act consolidated the three separate McKinney-Vento homeless assistance programs (Supportive Housing program, Shelter Plus Care program, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation SRO program) into a single grant program known as the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

The CoC Program is designed to assist individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help them move into transitional and permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. More broadly, the program is designed to promote community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness; improve coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness; improve data collection and performance measurement and allow each community to tailor its program to the particular strengths and challenges within that community.

Each year, HUD awards CoC Program funding competitively to nonprofit organizations, States, and/or units of general-purpose local governments, collectively known as recipients. In turn, recipients may contract or subgrant with other organizations or government entities, known as sub-recipients, to carry out the grant’s day-to-day program operations.

Eligible Uses

As designated in 24 CFR 578.37, CoC funds may be used for projects under five program components: Permanent Housing, Transitional Housing (only available for renewal projects), Joint Transitional Housing/Rapid Re-housing, Supportive Services Only, HMIS, Homelessness Prevention (must have approval from HUD and have a High Performing CoC designation). Around the fall of each year, HUD releases a Notice of Funding Opportunity which highlights priorities and potential bonuses. For agencies wanting to become involved in CoC funding please reach out to HCD staff prior to the release of NOFO.

For more information on the Continuum of Care program, please visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development webpage. 

Monitoring Tools

• Wellness Check

Compliance

Required Forms

• Environmental Review: An environmental review must be conducted for all projects for which CoC Program funds are being requested before those funds (including non-HUD funds) are committed to the project. This review will be conducted after the project has been conditionally selected by HUD and prior to the execution of the grant agreement. CoC environmental reviews are typically good for five years if no program changes have taken place and no changes to the surrounding environment have occurred. If the agency has a project that has been renewed, the environmental review should be placed in each program year file, designated by CoC award year and grant number. HCD will complete environmental reviews for sub-recipient.
• Homeless Verification: To be eligible for CoC-funded programs, case workers must verify a participant's homeless status. The golden standard is to get third-party verification (3PV). See template and instructions. If 3rd party verification cannot be obtained there are additional options including street outreach verification and self-certification of homelessness. HUD offers training on obtaining Homeless Verification.
• Income Verification or Zero-Income Affidavit:
• Housing Inspection:
• Rent Reasonableness:
  • Checklist
• Lead-Based Paint Screening, Information Pamphlet, & Certification from Tenant:
  • Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Certification_English

For additional resources on maintaining compliance with CoC requirements and regulations visit: CoC Virtual Binder on HUD's website.