education, resources, and advocacy
education, resources, and advocacy
Local Homeless Coalitions
Local Homeless Coalitions
Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs) are groups of organizations, individuals, and leaders interested in ending homelessness that meet face-to-face locally within Texas Balance of State communities. Local Homeless Coalitions make plans to address homelessness in their communities, pursue Continuum of Care goals, and lead local initiatives. There are approximately 31 Local Homeless Coalitions across the Texas Balance of State at this time. We recommend reaching out to the local homeless coalition’s primary contact person to ask for a meeting schedule.
Click here to access current Local Homeless Coalition contact information
No Local Homeless Coalition (LHC) near you?
Email lhc@thn.org to learn how to get a coalition started in your community.
Have a question about Local Homeless Coalitions?
Let us know by following this link: Local Homeless Coalitions Question Submission Form – Click Here
Resources for Local Homeless Coalitions
Local Homeless Coalition Requirements
Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs) are responsible for meeting or working to meet requirements set by the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) Board. Meeting the requirements positions LHCs to build and maintain effective homeless crisis response systems that meet local need. Click here to download a checklist to help your coalition meet the LHC requirements, here to view guidance on infusing LHC requirements into LHC bylaws, and click here to view the CoC Board approval documentation.
- Appoint an LHC Chair or contact person to serve as the liaison between the coalition and the TX BoS CoC lead agency, Texas Homeless Network (THN)
- LHC Chairs or another LHC representative must attend CoC General Meetings (registration links to the CoC General Meetings are included in the TX BoS CoC newsletter – subscribe for the newsletter here)
- Meet at least quarterly (four times per year)
- Keep attendance and take meeting minutes (see LHC meeting minutes template and examples)
- Submit meeting minutes and membership lists to the TX BoS CoC lead agency (lhc@thn.org)
- Lead the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in the designated LHC coverage area
- Educate LHC members about the annual Housing Inventory Count (HIC) and refer relevant agencies within the LHC coverage area to the TX BoS CoC lead agency to participate in the HIC (THN can assist with this task; email lhc@thn.org for more information)
If any projects within your LHC’s coverage area receives any of the following funding types, there are additional requirements of the LHC (listed below): Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), Runaway Homeless Youth Act (RHY), and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
- Educate LHC members about the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) (THN can assist with this task; email lhc@thn.org for more information)
- Educate LHC members about Coordinated Entry (THN can assist with this task; email lhc@thn.org for more information)
- Vote to approve a Coordinated Entry Planning Entity (CEPE) (THN can assist with this task; email lhc@thn.org for more information)
Local Homeless Coalitions Training & Resources
Local Homeless Coalition leaders, members, and interested parties meet regularly to discuss topics related to addressing homelessness and running local homeless coalitions. Below are links to materials and/or recordings of past trainings. For more information or to be invited to future meetings, email lhc@thn.org.
- Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care Financials and Regional Network Proposal
- An exploration of how federal funding for the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) is spent and a look at the proposed Regional Network to better facilitate collaboration among communities in the TX BoS CoC.
- Analyzing your Point-in-Time Count and Housing Inventory Count Data with your Local Homeless Coalition
- This session guides you through analyzing your Point-in-Time Count (PIT) and Housing Inventory Count (HIC) data. Learn how to identify trends and patterns that reveal the state of homelessness in your area and the first steps to map your local homeless crisis response system, highlighting key services, resources, and gaps in support.
- Local Homeless Coalition Requirements & Bylaws
- Discussion on incorporating LHC requirements into coalition bylaws.
- Local Homeless Coalition Bylaws
- Discussion on Local Homeless Coalition bylaws best practices.
- Partnering with Aging and Disability Resource Centers
- Learn about area Aging and Disability Resource Centers and how to partner with them to address homelessness from experienced coalition leads.
- Partnering with Community Development Departments
- Learn about local government Community Development Departments and how to partner with them to address homelessness from experienced coalition leads.
- Local Homeless Coalition Workgroup Discussion
- In two focus groups, LHCs shared their strengths and challenges so that coalitions working on a similar issue can form a workgroup to strategize and support one another collectively.
- Expanding Point-in-Time Count Coverage & the “15 Percent Solutions” Exercise
- Guest speaker Alex Paredes, THN’s Data Coordinator and PIT Count point-person, discusses expanding count coverage and leads are introduced to the 15% solutions exercise to generate solution ideas with existing resources and capacity.
- Local Homeless Coalitions & Repotting Relationships
- Peers share tactics to build trust and renew (or “repot”) relationships in their communities amidst mistrust among agencies, differing personalities, and differences in addressing homelessness.
- Local Homeless Coalitions & Collective Impact
- Overview of Collective Impact and the unique challenges Local Homeless Coalitions face in their Collective Impact work.
- HUD’s Rehousing & Coordinated Investment Planning Tool (RCIPT)
- Introduction to HUD’s new planning tool designed to help community partners with different funding streams coordinate an investment plan to end homelessness based on local need.
- Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) Strategic Plan & Local Homeless Coalitions
- Overview of the TX BoS CoC’s gaps analysis, strategic plan, and how Local Homeless Coalitions can identify gaps in their own communities and form a plan to address them.
- 2021 COVID-19 FEMA Funding & Local Emergency Rental Assistance
- Summary of FEMA funding available to help communities address COVID and Emergency Rental Assistance available in Balance of State communities.
- Continuum of Care Program Funding & Local Homeless Coalitions
- Overview of how Local Homeless Coalition activities strengthen the Balance of State Continuum of Care as a whole and Continuum of Care program funding.
- Eviction under the 2020 Federal Moratorium: Resource Walkthrough
- Overview of 2020 COVID-19 eviction resources and rules under the federal eviction moratorium.
- Introduction to Media Relations for Local Homeless Coalitions
- Introductory guide to media relations strategy.
- Community Data Worksheet: Introduction & Feedback Session
- Community members shared their feedback on the Community Data Worksheet being developed to help local homeless coalitions track community assets.
- Nonurban Homelessness & the Point-in-Time Count
- Tips from rural and suburban homeless outreach workers and coalitions on how to prepare for the Point in Time Count.
- Homelessness Criminalization Roundtable
- Local Homeless Coalition leaders and law enforcement discuss how an increase in ordinances criminalizing acts associated with homelessness are affecting their communities and their advocacy efforts to curb criminalization.
- Home Together: The 2019 Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness & Local Homeless Coalitions
- Bob Pulster with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness discusses the federal plan to end homelessness and how local homeless coalitions can get involved.
- Suburbanization & Homelessness
- Brief write-up of reflections from Local Homeless Coalition leaders on how rapid suburbanization in their formerly rural community impacted local homelessness.
- Resources for Assisting Clients
- List of sites with information on accessing local resource directories, applying for government benefits, finding affordable housing, resources for ex-offenders, low-cost legal aid, free and low-cost phones, employment support, mental health support, child care assistance, and substance use disorder support.
- Resources on Addressing Homelessness for Agencies
- Various resources in topics including advocacy, education, client intake forms, demographics, poverty data, rural homelessness, finding funding opportunities, running a nonprofit, and others.
- Trainings for Practitioners
- Paid and free trainings and resources from national and international organizations.
- Perspectives from those with Lived Experience of Homelessness
- Media produced by and for persons with lived experience of homelessness and service providers.
Introductory Resources
Addressing Homelessness 101
The playlist linked below briefly introduces the systems and programs in place to help communities address local homelessness. Total playlist runtime: 59 minutes.
Addressing Homelessness 101 YouTube Playlist
Creating a Local Homeless Coalition 101
- Local Homeless Coalitions Quick Start Guide
- Change Starts at Home: Creating a Local Homeless Coalition to Address Community Homelessness webinar recording (presentation slides)
- This recording discusses how to bring together folks looking to make a collective impact on local homelessness by forming a Local Homeless Coalition (LHC), a group addressing homelessness in a designated geographic area, such as a city, county, or cluster of counties.
- Explore all Local Homeless Coalition Tools
- Local Homeless Coalition Toolkit
- Local Homeless Coalition Financial Structures Guidance
- Running a Coalition: Templates & Examples
- Who to Invite – Key players
- Who else to invite: Community Asset Mapping Activity
- Community Action Plan
- Community Data Worksheet
- Local Homeless Coalition Lead Forum: options for a peer sharing space
Coordinated Entry and Local Homeless Coalitions
- Coordinated Entry 101
- Local Homeless Coalition Coordinated Entry Readiness Checklist
- Why should Local Homeless Coalitions establish Coordinated Entry in their communities? Gain understanding by conducting the Joe Client Exercise in-person with your coalition
- Local Homeless Coalition and Coordinated Entry Planning Entity Meetings: Purpose, Activities, Overlap, and Attendees One-Pager
- Coordinated Entry Resources