From Homeless to Housed: The Continuum of Care Program

On a single night in January 2024, over 770,000 people in the United States were counted as experiencing homelessness—the highest number recorded since the point-in-time count began in 2007. Behind that number are hundreds of thousands of individual stories: the veteran sleeping under a bridge because PTSD makes communal shelters unbearable, the mother and her three children doubling up in a motel after fleeing an abusive partner, the young adult aging out of foster care with no family to turn to, the older adult whose fixed income can no longer cover rising rents, the person with schizophrenia whose illness has made it impossible to maintain housing without support.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Program is the federal government’s primary response to homelessness. Authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the CoC program provides approximately $3.6 billion annually to support housing and services for people experiencing homelessness in every community in the nation. It funds permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, supportive services, and the data systems that help communities understand and respond to homelessness.

The CoC program is not a single monolithic program but rather a framework for community-wide planning and coordination. Approximately 400 local CoC planning bodies across the country bring together homeless service providers, government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, businesses, and people with lived experience of homelessness to develop and implement coordinated responses tailored to their communities’ specific needs. These local CoCs determine priorities, allocate resources, and ensure that people experiencing homelessness are connected with the most appropriate housing and services through a standardized process called Coordinated Entry.

Opportunity Snapshot

Types of Assistance

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Permanent Supportive Housing is the cornerstone of the CoC program, accounting for the majority of CoC funding. PSH combines long-term, affordable housing with intensive supportive services for people with disabilities who have experienced chronic homelessness—defined as being homeless continuously for at least one year, or having at least four episodes of homelessness totaling 12 months in the past three years, while also having a disabling condition.

In PSH, participants sign a standard lease and have the same rights and responsibilities as any tenant. There is no time limit on how long they can stay—the housing is permanent. Rent is typically calculated at 30% of the participant’s income (which may be $0 for someone with no income). The remaining cost is covered by the CoC rental subsidy.

Supportive services are provided on-site or through referral and include case management and care coordination, mental health treatment and counseling, substance abuse treatment and recovery support, primary healthcare and medication management, benefits enrollment assistance (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, SNAP, etc.), employment and vocational services, life skills training (budgeting, cooking, tenant responsibilities), and peer support from individuals with lived experience.

Research has conclusively demonstrated that PSH is the most effective intervention for chronically homeless individuals. Studies consistently show that PSH achieves housing retention rates of 85-90% after one year, dramatically reduces emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and incarceration, costs less than the emergency services (ERs, jails, shelters) that chronically homeless individuals would otherwise use, and significantly improves health outcomes, mental health, and quality of life.

Rapid Rehousing (RRH)

Rapid Rehousing is designed for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness but do not have the severe disabilities or chronic patterns that qualify for PSH. The philosophy of rapid rehousing is straightforward: get people into housing as quickly as possible, provide short-term financial assistance and services, and help them stabilize so they can maintain housing on their own.

RRH typically provides help identifying available rental units, security deposit and first/last month’s rent, short-term rental assistance (usually 3-24 months, declining over time), case management to address barriers to housing stability, connections to employment, childcare, transportation, and other resources, and landlord mediation and tenant support.

RRH has become an increasingly important part of the CoC system because it can serve more people per dollar than PSH (since assistance is time-limited), it addresses the most common cause of homelessness—inability to afford rent—directly, it returns families and individuals to stable housing quickly (average of 2-3 months from program entry to housing), and it achieves strong outcomes, with the majority of participants maintaining housing after assistance ends.

Transitional Housing

Transitional housing provides temporary housing (up to 24 months) combined with supportive services for people who need a structured environment to prepare for permanent housing. While HUD has shifted its emphasis toward PSH and RRH, transitional housing remains an important option for certain populations including people in early recovery from substance addiction, survivors of domestic violence, youth aging out of foster care, and people returning from incarceration.

Supportive Services Only (SSO)

CoC funds can also support services without housing for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. SSO projects may provide street outreach to engage unsheltered individuals, case management and service coordination, mental health and substance abuse services, employment assistance and job training, and connection to mainstream benefits and resources.

Coordinated Entry

A key feature of the modern CoC system is Coordinated Entry—a standardized process for assessing, prioritizing, and matching people experiencing homelessness with the most appropriate available housing and services. Every CoC in the country is required to operate a Coordinated Entry system.

Here’s how Coordinated Entry typically works. Access: People experiencing homelessness can access Coordinated Entry through multiple points including shelters, outreach teams, 211 hotlines, community organizations, hospitals, and dedicated access points. There is no single “right” way to enter the system. Assessment: Each person or family is assessed using a standardized tool (commonly the Vulnerability Index–Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool, or VI-SPDAT) that evaluates their housing history, health conditions, mental health, substance use, vulnerability, and other factors. Prioritization: Based on the assessment, individuals are placed on a prioritized list. Those with the highest vulnerability and longest histories of homelessness are prioritized for the most intensive interventions (PSH), while those with lower needs may be matched with rapid rehousing or other assistance. Referral: When a housing opening becomes available, the CoC’s Coordinated Entry system identifies the highest-priority person or family on the list and makes a referral to the housing provider.

Coordinated Entry ensures that the most vulnerable people receive help first, that resources are used efficiently, that people don’t have to “shop around” among providers, and that the community has a comprehensive picture of homelessness and housing needs.

How to Access CoC Services

If you are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of losing your housing, there are several ways to connect with CoC-funded services:

Call 211. In most communities, dialing 211 connects you with local information and referral services that can direct you to the Coordinated Entry access point in your area.

Visit a homeless shelter or drop-in center. Shelters and drop-in centers are common access points for Coordinated Entry. Staff can assess your situation and connect you with appropriate resources.

Contact a street outreach team. If you are living outside (on the street, in a car, under a bridge, etc.), outreach teams are specifically designed to find and engage unsheltered individuals. They can initiate the Coordinated Entry process wherever you are.

Call the local CoC lead agency. Each CoC has a lead agency that coordinates homeless services. You can find your local CoC at HUD Exchange (hudexchange.info/grantees/coc-grantees-contact-information).

Contact your local government’s homelessness office. Many cities and counties have dedicated offices or departments focused on homelessness that can connect you with Coordinated Entry.

Reach out to any homeless service provider. Any organization that serves people experiencing homelessness—whether it’s a food pantry, a faith-based organization, a health clinic, or a community action agency—should be able to refer you to Coordinated Entry.

Special Populations

Veterans

While veterans can access CoC-funded programs, HUD also operates the separate HUD-VASH program specifically for homeless veterans. However, the CoC system serves many veterans who may not qualify for HUD-VASH or who prefer non-VA services. CoC Coordinated Entry systems are required to coordinate with VA homeless services to ensure veterans are connected with the most appropriate resources.

Youth and Young Adults

Youth and young adults (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness have unique needs, and many CoC communities have developed youth-specific programs including rapid rehousing, transitional housing, host home programs, and specialized supportive services addressing the particular challenges faced by unaccompanied young people.

Families with Children

CoC programs serve families with children through both rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. Family programs address the specific needs of parents and children, including school enrollment and stability, childcare, parenting support, and family reunification services.

Survivors of Domestic Violence

Individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking are eligible for CoC-funded programs and receive special protections. Coordinated Entry systems are required to ensure the safety and confidentiality of survivors and to include connections to domestic violence-specific services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be completely “on the street” to qualify? No. You may be eligible if you are sleeping in a shelter, transitional housing, a car, a tent, or any other place not meant for habitation. You may also qualify if you are fleeing domestic violence or are about to lose your housing within 14 days with no subsequent residence identified.

Will I have to pass a drug test? Most CoC-funded permanent supportive housing programs follow a “Housing First” approach, which means there are no preconditions like sobriety, treatment compliance, or service participation required to obtain housing. The philosophy is that people can better address their health and behavioral challenges once they are stably housed.

How long does it take to get housing? Wait times vary significantly by community and the type of housing you need. In some areas, permanent supportive housing may have waiting lists of months or even years. Rapid rehousing may be faster, particularly for families. Coordinated Entry ensures that those with the greatest need are served first.

Can I choose where I live? In rapid rehousing and scattered-site PSH, you typically have choice in selecting a rental unit, subject to availability and program budget limits. In project-based PSH, you would live in a specific building or complex.

What if I have a criminal record? Many CoC-funded programs, particularly those following Housing First principles, do not screen for criminal history. However, individual housing providers may have different policies, and certain criminal convictions (particularly registered sex offenses) may limit options.

How to Get Started

1. Call 211 from any phone for local homeless services
2. Visit hudexchange.info/grantees/coc-grantees-contact-information to find your local CoC
3. Go to any homeless shelter or drop-in center and ask about Coordinated Entry
4. Contact a street outreach team if you are living outdoors
5. Visit your local government homelessness office
6. Call the National Alliance to End Homelessness at endhomelessness.org for resources

No one should have to sleep on the street, in a car, or in a place not meant for human habitation. The Continuum of Care program exists to help people experiencing homelessness find housing and the support they need to keep it. If you or someone you know is homeless or at risk, reach out—help is available.