What is a Continuum of Care?

Continuum of Care (CoC) is the collective networks, institutions, and organizations that provide housing and services to people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. Federally mandated goals of the CoC include:

• Promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness;
• Provide funding for efforts to quickly re-house individuals and families who are homeless, which minimizes the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness;
• Promote access to and effective use of mainstream programs;
• Optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Wake County Continuum of Care – NC 507 

The CoC is governed by a board composed of community members invested in the issue of homelessness. The CoC Board is an independent entity but is not incorporated, so must appoint a local entity to conduct business on behalf of the Board and CoC at large. The Raleigh Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness is appointed as the Lead Agency, Collaborative Applicant, HMIS Administrator, and Coordinated Access System Lead. Please refer HERE for Wake CoC Policies and Procedures.

• Housing First - We recognize that housing is a human right and will not require pre-conditions for access to housing. 
• Trauma-Informed - We use trauma-informed practices in how we work together and serve people experiencing homelessness. 
• Equity and Justice - We work to eliminate discrimination so that race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation are not predictors of who becomes homeless or predictors of outcomes within the homeless system. We are committed to re-envisioning just systems to prevent and end homelessness.  
• Leadership by People with Live Experience - We are accountable to people experiencing homelessness and ensure there are meaningful and accessible ways to participate in shaping decisions. 
• Transparency - We believe in being transparent with people experiencing homelessness and our community. 
• Efficiency - We implement efficient systems that help people experiencing homelessness get housing as quickly as possible because every day a person spends unhoused is a day too many. 
• Collaboration - We know working together is better than working alone.
• Client-Driven - We believe that people experiencing homelessness are experts in their own lives and that service provider’s role is to support strengths and overcome barriers.