Each year, HUD awards over $2.65 billion to homeless services providers through an annual funding competition, known as the Continuum of Care Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (CoC NOFO).  The Continuum of Care Program is designed to:

1.  Promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness

2.  Provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse   homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless   individuals, families, and communities by homelessness

3.  Promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families, and

4.  Optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness

 

Each CoC has a lead agency, also known as a "Collaborative Applicant", that is responsible for preparing the annual application on behalf of their geographic area.  The CoC NOFO application describes the CoC's strategies for addressing homelessness, provides HUD with data on key homeless system performance measures, and includes a list of housing and service projects the CoC is requesting HUD funding for.  The Maryland Balance of State Continuum of Care has designated the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development as its lead agency and Collaborative Applicant.

 

To prepare the application, the CoC solicits new and renewal project proposals from service providers in their local community, scores and ranks the projects according to performance and priority, and determines which projects will be included in the CoC application.  The Collaborative Applicant agency provides staffing support and facilitates the RFP process, while the CoC Performance Review Committee and Board determine which projects will be included in the community's application to HUD.  Agencies that are interesting in applying for new or renewal project funding are encouraged to look through the materials posted below for prior competition years to learn more about the NOFO, what project types can be funded, how projects are scored and ranked, and what information must be provided during the local proposal process.  Please note that individual homeless services providers cannot apply directly to HUD for funding - they must apply through the local CoC process.

 

The NOFO funds a wide range of homeless interventions, including:

• Permanent Supportive Housing - Long-term subsidized housing coupled with supportive services for people with disabilities and chronic experiences of homelessness. Housing may be site-based or located in private rental units throughout the community.

• Rapid Re-Housing - Short to medium-term subsidized rental housing in the household's community of choice, coupled with supportive services focused on quickly returning to stable housing and increasing earned income and access to mainstream benefits.  Housing types include regular single-family rental units and shared housing/roommate arrangements. Length of rental subsidy and services are customized to fit the needs of the household.

• Transitional Housing - Short-term shelter services at a site-based facility, typically focused on serving populations with specific on-site service needs such as youth and young adults, domestic violence and human trafficking survivors, and individuals in recovery.  Transitional housing focuses on immediate restabilization and participants may stay for up to 2 years.

• Joint Transitional & Rapid Re-Housing - Provides short-term transitional housing to help households address barriers to housing or offer immediate shelter, followed by placement in community-based housing under the rapid re-housing model.  Households may choose to immediately enter rapid re-housing or stay at the transitional housing program first.

• Coordinated Entry Supportive Services - Direct services to people at-risk of immediately entering the homeless system, those living unsheltered, and households living in shelters or transitional housing.  Services include assessing individuals for housing barriers, problem solving housing crises, prioritizing and placing in emergency shelter, or navigating individuals from homelessness into CoC permanent housing resources.

• CoC System Administration - The NOFO provides funding to CoC lead agencies for staffing, operational needs, developing and operating the Coordinated Entry System, and administering the Homeless Management Information System.

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CoC Competition Resources