Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Continuum of Care Technical Assistance

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act programs require the development of a "Continuum of Care" system in the community where assistance is being sought. These programs are administered by HUD and are awarded competitively. A continuum of care system is designed to address the critical problem of homelessness through a coordinated community-based process of identifying needs and building a system to address those needs. The approach is predicated on the understanding that homelessness is not caused merely by a lack of shelter, but involves a variety of underlying physical, economic, and social unmet needs.

HUD's Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program is the agency's primary mechanism for funding homeless housing and supportive services. The grant application requires an extensive community needs assessment, including an inventory of existing resources and determination of unmet needs. The grant application must demonstrate involvement from a wide range of community stakeholders including; homeless service providers, government agencies, not-for-profit agencies, and homeless and formerly homeless persons in the development of the application. Proposals from local providers must address the needs identified in the needs assessment, and are ranked based on merit, participation, and past performance of the agency requesting renewal funding.

Since 1997, CARES has assisted communities in the Capital Region in acquiring Continuum of Care funding, serving as the

author of Continuum of Care applications on behalf of the Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Saratoga/Hamilton/ Warren/Washington County Continuums. CARES has also provided technical and grant writing assistance to other communities in New York State.

In the past four years alone, CARES has assisted these communities in acquiring more than $26,628,200 in funds through the HUD Continuum of Care process.

For more information, please contact:
Adam Kirkman
(518) 489-4130 x104
akirkman@caresny.org