What is a Continuum of Care?
What is the Balance of State Continuum of Care?
Most CoCs are established to plan services in metropolitan areas. Balance of State CoCs cover the areas of a state that do not have the resources to establish their own CoC. For this reason, the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) is the largest of the 11 CoCs in Texas, and covers 215 of Texas’ 254 counties (See the CoC Map).
The Texas Balance of State CoC (TX BoS CoC) is made up of all service providers, advocates, local government officials, and citizens who work to eliminate homelessness.
Goals of the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC)
Mission Statement:
The TX BoS CoC develops system-level responses and coordinates local community strategies that strategically prevent and end homelessness and increase housing stability.
The TX BoS CoC has adopted the following goals in accordance with the HUD’s stated purpose for the CoC Program:
- Promote community commitment to the goal of ending homelessness
- Provide and/or facilitate funding to re-house people experiencing homelessness
- Assist individuals experiencing homelessness to access and maintain mainstream benefits
- Optimize self-sufficiency to prevent recurrence of homelessness
The TX BoS CoC adopted additional goals related to the evaluation of project and system performance in accordance with the HEARTH Act:
- Reducing the length of time homeless
- Goal of 30 days or less average length of time spent homeless
- Reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness
- Reducing the number of newly homeless
- Reducing returns to homelessness
- Increasing exits to permanent housing
- Increasing income and employment
- Increasing access to the utilization of mainstream benefits.
- Reducing the length of time homeless
Texas Homeless Network's Role in the TX BoS CoC
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- Establishing a planning body and leadership structure for the CoC
- Administering and operating HMIS
- Conducting CoC planning and operations
- Facilitating the application for federal CoC Program funding
How We Function
The TX BoS CoC, in collaboration with THN, has established governance to assist with planning for the CoC. The structure is made up of committees that act under the direction of a board. The TX BoS CoC board also oversees planning activities on a local level through Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs) and Coordinated Entry Planning Entities (CEPEs). Click here for a list of TX BoS CoC Meetings.
CoC Board
The CoC Board is the main decision-making body of the CoC. The CoC board’s main function is to review and approve policies and procedures suggested through the actions of CoC committees, on behalf of the CoC general members.
CoC Committees:
Committees within the TX BoS CoC governance structure are designed to carry out the high-level work of the CoC, ensuring that the CoC fulfills all of the requirements established by HUD. Committees are an opportunity for CoC general members to be directly involved in CoC-wide decision making.
Local Planning Bodies:
There are two types of planning bodies that serve CoC members on a local level:
- Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs), and;
- Coordinated Entry Planning Entities (CEPEs).
Each has a relationship with the CoC lead agency and regularly communicates their activities to the CoC staff.
The CoC also works with Consolidated Planning Jurisdictions (CPJs), to assess communities’ needs when they are developing their Consolidated Plans.
Leading Homelessness Data
Building a Brighter Future
As the lead agency, Texas Homeless Network supports local homeless coalitions, agencies, projects, and communities in planning by helping them:
- Identify trends and assess changes in the homeless population for community planning
- Develop program designs to address gaps in shelter and/or services
- Assist agencies with data needed to apply for additional funding through governmental, community, or private sources
- Measure system performance and establish performance standards
- Conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count
- Establish a Coordinated Entry System (CES)
- Advocate for local leadership to effect policy change
- Accomplish CoC-wide goals
CoC Program Funding
THN serves as the “Collaborative Applicant” for the TX BoS CoC and leads the HUD CoC Grant process. THN provides technical assistance and guidance to agencies and communities applying for funding to create new housing and service programs. Applicants must submit proposals through THN in the annual CoC Program Competition.
For more information visit the Continuum of Care Program section of our website.
Planning
The geographic area of the TX BoS CoC includes 215 counties throughout the state of Texas. Within those counties, approximately 25 Local Homeless Coalitions (LHCs) conduct local CoC planning, housing and service development and delivery, and evaluation, as well as CoC-wide activities through the LHC Chairs, the CoC Board, and CoC committees.
As the lead agency, Texas Homeless Network supports LHCs in planning by assisting communities to:
- Identify trends and assess changes in the homeless population for community planning
- Develop program designs to address gaps in shelter and/or services
- Assist agencies with data needed to apply for additional funding through governmental, community, or private sources
- Measure system performance and establish performance standards
- Conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count
- Establish a Coordinated Entry System (CES)
- Advocate for local leadership to effect policy change
- Accomplish CoC-wide goals
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