BEACH Community Partnership Blog

The Continuum of Care Program (CoC) is designed to assist individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help such individuals move into transitional and permanent housing with the goal of long-term stability.  More broadly, the program is designed to: promote community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness; improve coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness; and improve data collection and performance measurement. The grant application process is coordinated by the BEACH CoC Committee. Electronic applications for CoC funds and further information are available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at http://www.hudhre.info/ . Applicants must register and submit the application through the HUD E-snaps system and also submit six paper copies of the application by noon, Jan. 3

Virginia Beach is in the process of redesigning its homeless services delivery system to implement Goal 2 of the Strategic Plan to End Homelessness: Create a collaborative system of services delivery and access that connects people to services that meet their basic needs and support housing stability . There has been discussion and planning about system changes for several years, initially in response to the proposed relocation of The Lighthouse Center in 2009. Since that time, several new initiatives have resulted in additional planning, studies and recommendations: City Council approved design funds for the Housing Resource Center which will serve as a focus for the community’s efforts to end homelessness through coordination of intake, assessment, services and referrals. Enactment of the Federal HEARTH Act requires significant changes to the way localities deliver services. We must now operate as a cohesive service delivery system rather than as a collection of individually funde