The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates funding to local programs working to prevent homelessness. The CoC Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, States, and local governments to quickly re-house homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and to optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Agencies in Somerville and Arlington that received funding from HUD last year include the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Heading Home, CASPAR, Wayside, the Somerville Housing Authority, Catholic Charities, the Housing Corporation of Arlington, and Just-a-Start. Click here to view programs, funding amounts and program types funded from the HUD 2015 Competition.
The City of Somerville serves as the Continuum of Care (CoC) Lead for these agencies and for other local agencies that decide to apply to HUD for CoC competition funding to end homelessness in Somerville and Arlington. Currently, within our CoC, programs include Permanent Supportive Housing, Transitional Housing and Supportive Service Only. The CoC welcomes and encourages participation from programs and providers working to address homelessness in Somerville and Arlington. Please contact Heidi Burbidge, Housing Programs Coordinator, hburbidge@somervillema.gov if you would like information about how to apply for HUD funding and how to participate in Somerville-Arlington CoC.
The CoC holds monthly meetings the third Tuesday of each month from 2-3:30 at the Somerville Homeless Coalition at 1 Davis Sq, Somerville MA 02144. The CoC discusses homelessness, housing trends and issues, and works collaboratively to serve homeless needs within the community. Meetings are open to the public, and all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Agendas are set in advance and minutes are taken at the meeting and disseminated to all CoC members for review and approval. Agendas and minutes of all meetings are available to the public upon request.
On June 28, 2016, HUD released the 2016 Continuum of Care (CoC) competition Notice of Funding Availability. A copy is available here. Instructions for renewal applications can be found here, and instructions for new projects can be found here. On Friday July 22, 2016, HUD released the 2016 Collaborative Application, and it can be viewed here. The 2016 CoC Program Competition deadline is Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 7:59:59 EDT.
At the July 19, 2016 CoC Meeting, members voted to approve the following internal deadlines:
Internal Deadlines for Somerville-Arlington CoC Program
Aug. 9 — deadline for all project applications, including Permanent Supportive Housing Bonus Application and Reallocation Applications

Aug. 23 — next full CoC meeting for ranking and discussion

Aug. 29 — deadline for CoC Lead to notify agencies if the CoC board will accept/include applications as part of the Collaborative Application

Sept. 14 — NOFA due date
Update (8/30/2016)

The Somerville-Arlington MA-517 Continuum of Care (CoC) has been in the process of preparing funding applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support local programs serving those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. HUD asks the CoC to rank applications in order of priority. Click to view the Priority Listing of applicant agencies, the applicant Ranking Tool that was used by the CoC, the Ranking Spreadsheet and the CoC Consolidated Application.
HUD’s website with information about the CoC program: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/
General information from HUD about homelessness: https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/