What is a Continuum of Care?

Communities across the county establish a Continuum of Care (CoC) to:

  • assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and

  • to provide the services needed to help such individuals move into transitional and permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability.

More broadly, the CoC 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.

These activities are defined by the Continuum of Care Interim Rule, published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Our CoC is comprised of member agencies and individuals working together towards our vision of a community in which all persons have access, support and opportunities to reach their full potential.

Our Continuum of Care is this group of over 60 nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, faith-based organizations and individuals. serving Rutherford County. The CoC has several areas of leadership:

The Continuum of Care General Membership (Also referred to as Continuum of Care) is a year-round planning body of representative stakeholders in the community’s work toward ending homelessness. Its work includes gathering and analyzing information in order to determine the local needs of people experiencing homelessness, implement strategic responses, and measure results.

  • The Continuum of Care Board is a group of elected and appointed leaders of the CoC who have authority to make decisions on behalf of the Continuum of Care.

  • The Continuum of Care Committees are the action planning components of the CoC. In the Committees, strategies are developed, deepened and expanded.

  • The Continuum of Care Lead Agency provides technical, administrative and meeting support to the CoC, it’s Board and the Committees. The Housing, Health and Human Services Alliance of Rutherford County (H3ARC) serves as our Lead Agency.

  • The Collaborative Applicant is designated by the CoC to prepare and submit the CoC funding application to HUD each year.

  • The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead is designated to provide oversight and implementation support to the CoC’s HMIS database.