Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Partnership Continuum of Care (CoC) Membership and Application Form
What is a Continuum of Care (CoC)?
A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a local group of stakeholders coming together to create, support, and coordinate a regional system for helping people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to find healthy, safe, and stable places to live.
The federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department oversee the Continuum of Care (CoC) program at the national level. The federal Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 and the associated CoC Program Interim Rule outline responsibilities of a CoC.
Core responsibilities of a CoC include:
- Developing and supporting a system of housing and service programs
- Designating and operating a community-wide data system known as HMIS
- Developing and implementing strategic plans to meet the needs of individuals and families at-risk of or currently experiencing homelessness
- Designing and implementing processes for applying for and strategically using CoC-designated funds
The CoC in Santa Cruz County has been called the Homeless Action Partnership (HAP). In 2021, the HAP Board approved a new governance charter that called for the creation of a new CoC entity and CoC structure. The new entity is called Housing for Health Partnership (H4HP). Staff from the Human Services Department Housing for Health Division support the H4HP.
Who should get involved in H4HP?
The Housing for Health Partnership membership is open to any person or organization committed to a collaborative impact effort focused on ensuring all residents within the County have stable, safe, and healthy places to live. HUD suggests a CoC include representatives from a broad range of stakeholders including, but not limited to, nonprofit housing and service providers working with people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, veterans organizations, and people with lived experiences of homelessness.
H4HP Membership provides:
- Regular e-news related to the work of the Partnership
- Invitations to participate, learn, and provide feedback at community meetings
- Chances to express opinions through surveys and voting opportunities
- Opportunities to become a member of a work group or committee working on specific issue areas
- Events to network with others working on a shared goal
- Updates on employment and volunteer opportunities related to health and housing
- Ability to contribute resources in partnership with others to magnify positive impacts
If you are interested in becoming a member and getting added to our mailing list, please complete this survey. It helps us work toward ensuring diverse representation and perspectives in the work of the Partnership.
Thank you for your interest in the Partnership and commitment to ending homelessness!