What is the Continuum of Care (COC)?

Who We Are – the “Network”

The MA-511 Quincy/Brockton/Weymouth/Plymouth City and County Continuum of Care (CoC) is the regional planning body that develops strategies and provides a coordinated response to homelessness throughout the South Shore CoC geography. It is known locally as the South Shore Network to End Homelessness (“the Network”).

The Network is made up of a wide array of community partners and conducts CoC activity and governance under a Governance Charter annually updated and approved by the general membership. The Network has established an Executive Committee as the lead decision making entity for the Continuum of Care. It oversees the Network’s implementation of many of the Continuum of Care planning requirements outlined in the HEARTH Act.

The 2023 Annual South Shore CoC invitation was sent to potential members on February 21, 2023. Click here to view the official invitation.

We invite you/your organization to join our CoC to:

Participate in the General Committee and/or one of our subcommittee/s, and
to receive helpful resources shared through our list-serv

Committees of the CoC include:

Executive Committee- members of the Executive Committee come together as the decision-making body of the CoC. This is a voting committee that meets quarterly.

General Committee- the full network of partners is invited to learn about the current and ongoing activities of the CoC, including NOFA process and timeline, collaborations, statistics/demographics that are collected on our population, subcommittee updates, and ways to get involved and increase membership. This committee meets bi-annually.

Subcommittees:

- Racial Equity- community partners review the Point-In-Time Count and American Community Survey data to facilitate analysis of racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness. The members also talk about potential interventions our CoC could take to make an impact. This committee meets1-2 times annually.

- Triage to Housing- using a by-name list, staff identify persons for open housing units, using a HUD approved tool and in accordance with our Coordinated Entry policies. This committee meets monthly however, due to case conferencing or age of participants, this committee is not open to the public.

- Veteran- using a by-name list, Father Bill’s & MainSpring/FBMS, Veteran’s Administration/VA, and Volunteers of America/VOA case conference veterans and identify their housing goals and placement into shelter, Grant Per Diem program and permanent supportive housing. This committee meets monthly however, due to case conferencing or age of participants, this committee is not open to the public.

- Youth- community partners share resources and design strategies to reduce young adult homelessness ages 18-24. This committee meets 4 times annually.

- Youth Action Board- FBMS, Old Colony YMCA collaborate to support authentic youth and young adult involvement region-wide. This committee meets monthly however, due to case conferencing or age of participants, this committee is not open to the public.

Click here to join the South Shore CoC!