What is a Continuum of Care (CoC) and what does it do for our community? A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. In Clark County, that body is made up of over 100 people including service providers, advocates, and community members. The group is facilitated by a steering committee and coordinated by Council for the Homeless. In addition to continuing education and developing partnerships, the CoC is responsible for submitting the annual nationally-competitive funding application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
CoC FY2018 Funding Application Announcement: 
On behalf of the Continuum of Care Steering Committee, please see important information below regarding the FY2018 Continuum of Care (CoC) funding opportunity for new, expansion, consolidated, and renewal projects.
The FY2018 Continuum of Care (CoC) Funding Application from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has been released. Annually, HUD releases a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for federal funding for CoC Homeless Assistance Programs funding. It is a collaborative application process – each CoC submits a Consolidated Application, which includes an individual project application for each program for which we hope to receive CoC funding per their identified process. All programs must submit their application through their local CoC – HUD will not review any applications that are submitted independent from a CoC.
Click here for details on project funding opportunities, application process, deadlines, contact persons, and other helpful information. CoC funding is an essential element of our local homeless crisis response system. For FY2018, Vancouver/Clark County CoC has the ability to apply for $1,931,121 in renewal projects or if there are renewal projects that are reallocated in part or in whole, that money can be used for new projects.
In addition, our local CoC can apply for $115,867 of new funding under the Bonus funds and $76,983 under the Domestic Violence bonus. The NOFA lists what types of new projects are eligible for funding. Please note that the types of projects are more restrictive for the Bonus and Domestic Violence bonus funds than for new projects created through reallocation. We encourage organizations to apply for new funds, as we will competitively rank those applications against renewal applications and will help determine if reallocation is in the best interest of the community.
If your organization is considering applying for these funds and you have not received HUD funding before through this process, we encourage you to e-mail (please do not call) Kate Budd, executive director, Council for the Homeless, to learn more the process.