CoC Program Toolkit - Introduction to the CoC Program

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act As Amended by S.896 HEARTH Act of 2009

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009, consolidates three of the separate homeless assistance programs administered by HUD under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act into a single grant program. The HEARTH Act also codifies into law the Continuum of Care planning process, a longstanding part of HUD’s application process to assist homeless persons by providing greater coordination in responding to their needs. It also revises the Emergency Shelter Grants program and renames it the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program

Date Published: May 2009

CoC Program Interim Rule Amendment to § 578.51(c): Increasing Mobility Options for Homeless Individuals and Families With Tenant-Based Rental Assistance

This Interim Rule Amendment amends the CoC Program regulations to allow individuals and families to choose housing outside of a CoC's geographic area, subject to certain conditions, and to retain the tenant-based rental assistance under the CoC Program. In addition to allowing individuals and families to choose housing outside of the CoC's geographic area, this amendment exempts recipients and subrecipients from compliance with all nonstatutory regulations when a program participant moves to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This relaxation of conditions is consistent with the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, directing greater protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Date Published: June 2016

Defining "Chronically Homeless" Final Rule

This final rule establishes the definition of “chronically homeless” that will be used in HUD's CoC Program and in the Consolidated Submissions for Community Planning and Development (CPD) Programs. This definition has been the subject of significant public comment which has guided HUD in establishing the definition of “chronically homeless” that will be used in its homeless assistance programs. The final rule also establishes the necessary recordkeeping requirements that correspond to the definition of “chronically homeless” for the CoC Program. Historically, other programs within HUD, as well as other agencies such as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), have adopted HUD's definition of chronically homeless and may also choose to adopt the definition of “chronically homeless” included in this final rule; however, it is not required.

Date Published: December 2015

Updated Version of the CoC Program Interim Rule

The updated version of the CoC Program Interim Rule, which was originally published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2012, includes revisions to section 578.51(c) regarding mobility options for individual and families with tenant-based rental assistance; section 578.99(j) regarding protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and section 578.3 incorporating the final definition of chronically homeless. The Original CoC Program Interim Rule, with the preamble, is also available on the HUD Exchange.

Date Published: July 2012

Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH): CoC Program Interim Rule

This interim rule, published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2012, establishes the regulations for the CoC Program and focuses on regulatory implementation of the CoC Program, including the Continuum of Care planning process. The existing homeless assistance programs that comprise the Continuum of Care Program are the following: the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the SRO Program. The final Homeless Definition is in effect for administration of the CoC Program interim rule.

Date Published: July 2012

Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH): Defining “Homeless” Final Rule

This final rule on the definition of homelessness, published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2011, integrates the regulation for the definition of "homeless," and the corresponding recordkeeping requirements for the Shelter Plus Care Program and the Supportive Housing Program. HUD has incorporated this definition into the Continuum of Care. This final rule also establishes the regulation for the definition "developmental disability" and the definition and recordkeeping requirements for "homeless individual with a disability" for the Shelter Plus Care Program and the Supportive Housing Program.

Date Published: November 2011

CoC Program Competition Archive

This page contains an archive of past and current CoC Program Competition pages, which contain the official notices from each year.

FR-5476-N-04: CoC Program Notice for Further Comment on the PPRN Formula

This notice announces the re-opening of the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program interim rule for further comment on the Preliminary Pro Rata Need (PPRN) formula.

Date Published: July 2016

Notice CPD-12-009: Use of IDIS to Submit the Consolidated Plan

This Notice describes changes to the Consolidated Plan, within current statutory and regulatory provisions, for a new process for electronic submission including a required template and other improvements.

Date Published: April 2012

CoC Program Start Up Training Webinars for FY 2013 Funds

This training assists recipients and subrecipients of CoC Program funds awarded under the CoC Program interim rule (24 CFR part 578) to gain an understanding of the requirements and responsibilities related to operations and grant administration. This training applies to projects awarded with FY 2013 funds under the FY 2013/FY 2014 CoC Program Competition and any future competitions awarded under the interim rule.

Date Published: June 2014

CoC Program Roadmap Prezi

This presentation provides an introduction to HUD’s CoC Program online training curriculum. It includes a brief tour of the CoC Program regulations, as well as information and resources available through this online curriculum.

Date Published: September 2013

Introduction to Continuum of Care 2.0 Video

This video kicks off the new online curriculum for HUD’s homeless assistance programs under the HEARTH Act, and introduces the HUD online training materials available to communities.

Date Published: September 2013

Introduction to the CoC Program Broadcast

This broadcast provides an overview of the CoC Program and priorities and introduces the next generation of HUD training and guidance.

Date Published: September 2013

Implementing the HEARTH Act: The New Continuum of Care Program Webinar

This prerecorded webinar provides an overview of the CoC Program. Regulatory implementation of the interim rule and the CoC planning process are discussed in detail to help CoCs, recipients, and subrecipients administer CoC Program funds.

Date Published: July 2012

Introductory Guide to the CoC Program

This document provides a high-level introduction to the CoC Program and the requirements found in the CoC Program interim rule.

Date Published: July 2012

Recovery Housing Policy Brief

This policy brief aims to provide clear guidance regarding the expected and effective operation of the subset of HUD-funded Recovery Housing programs in order to strengthen performance and improve the achievement of outcomes by these programs. Programs serving people with substance use disorders that are not currently operating with the practices and policies described within this brief, or do not currently meet the standards described here, may use this brief as a guide for making changes within their programs.

Date Published: December 2015

Family Options Study Brief

This policy brief outlines the Family Options Study's key findings and delves further into the policy implications for CoCs and ESG Program recipients, as well as Public Housing Agencies (PHAs).

Date Published: July 2015

Coordinated Entry Policy Brief

This policy brief summarizes HUD’s views on goals for the coordinated entry process. This brief does not establish requirements for Continuums of Care (CoCs), but rather is meant to inform local efforts to further develop CoCs’ coordinated entry processes.

Date Published: February 2015

Housing First in Permanent Supportive Housing Brief

This policy brief provides an overview of the principles and core components of the Housing First model. It also provides information to permanent supportive housing providers about how they can implement a Housing First approach if they are not already doing so. Housing First is an approach to quickly and successfully connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements.

Date Published: July 2014

Rapid Re-Housing Brief

This policy brief provides an overview of the core components and practice considerations of the rapid re-housing model generally, and not under a specific funding type. Rapid re-housing is an intervention, informed by a Housing First approach that is a critical part of a community’s effective homeless crisis response system.

Date Published: July 2014