Welcome to the Bristol County Continuum of Care
(Formerly the New Bedford Homeless Service Provider Network – HSPN)
In May 2024 New Bedford’s Continuum of Care (CoC) and the adjoining CoC known as the Greater Bristol County Attleboro Taunton Coalition to End Homelessness or “GBCATCH” merged and created a larger CoC. Reflecting all of Bristol County’s cities and towns with the exception of Fall River, the Bristol County CoC (BCCC) coordinates a comprehensive response to homelessness using a “Continuum of Care” approach through its active network of providers, members of the faith community, social service workers, state agencies, local non-profits providing a myriad of services, foundations, developers and those with lived experience and expertise.
The BCCC meets regularly to address the most pressing issues around the complexity of homelessness and works toward ensuring every individual and every family has access to appropriate, sustainable safe, decent and affordable housing.
If you are interested in working toward this end, join with us and check out the work the BCCC is doing in Bristol County. Our website is undergoing a transition from the HSPN to the new merged CoC so we thank you for your patience as we rework some of the details of our site.
Need Help?
The Bristol County Continuum of Care has a Coordinated Entry System that focuses on, and works to, assist those CURRENTLY sleeping outside or in an emergency shelter.
Beyond that, we want to remind you of the following resources that may be available to you if you are in a housing crisis:
If you are currently sleeping outside, in a car, in an abandoned building, in other places not meant for human habitation – or – if you are in an emergency shelter already, please contact Coordinated Entry:
Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm
508-501-0900
ce@comcounseling.org
For individuals needing shelter, please contact the shelter directly:
Sr. Rose (men) – New Bedford – 508-997-3202
Grace House (women) – New Bedford – 774.628.9743
Samaritan House – Taunton – 508-824-6497
Domestic Violence – New Bedford – 508.999.6636
For families with minor children or women who are pregnant, please contact the state’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program call center:
Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm
866-584-0653
For those needing rental assistance for past due rent (which typically needs a 14 day notice to quit), please contact:
RAFT – www.nhs.mass.org
Catholic Charities – 508-999-4757
PACE – 508-993-0033
For those seeking subsidized housing/apartment options check out:
HUD Guide for housing opportunities (click on “find affordable housing opportunities near me”)
https://resources.hud.gov/
NB Age Friendly’s Housing Resources Guide
https://s3.amazonaws.com/newbedford-ma/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/20201117102348/AGING-HOUSING-MANUAL.Final_.pdf
New Bedford Housing Authority’s Online Application, State Champs Application and Housing Briefing
https://newbedfordhousingauthority.org/
The BCCC is committed to the concept that each person is entitled to live in dignity and is focused on the elimination of homelessness in Bristol County.
News Now!
COLD WEATHER OVERFLOW SHELTER
WINTER 2025 – 2026 COLD WEATHER OVERFLOW SHELTER: Unfortunately as of this post date, the BCCC had not yet received final word as to the opening of any cold weather overflow shelter or warming center in the Greater Taunton, Greater Attleboro areas or in surrounding towns. We will publish additional information when it becomes available. [ Continue reading. ]
TEMPORARY HOLD ON LOCAL BCCC COMPETITION
HUD WITHDRAWS THE COC NOFO On December 8, 2025–just before a lawsuit was to be heard in court challenging the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)–the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) withdrew its NOFO for the CoC Competition. The link to the relevant HUD website notification is online here: https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/community-coc. This withdrawal will[ Continue reading. ]
THE 2025 COC LOCAL COMPETITION
Although the CoC NOFO has been withdrawn by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and NOFO related litigation is currently underway in the courts, we are confident that HUD will be reissuing a revised NOFO soon. Given that, and in anticipation of the need locally to continue moving forward, the BCCC officially announces the availability[ Continue reading. ]
2025 PIT and HIC DATA PRESENTATION
The City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development, acting in its capacity as the Continuum of Care’s (CoC’s) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) lead, and on behalf of the CoC, has completed its annual “Point In Time” (PIT) count creating a census of those individuals and families experiencing homelessness within the Continuum[ Continue reading. ]
2025 STREETSHEETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
The City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development has released the printed version of the 2025 StreetSheet. The printed version provides resources for and within the Greater New Bedford area. Printed StreetSheets are available upon request by contacting Jennifer.Clarke@newbedford-ma.gov. (Copies are available while quantities last). If you are looking for resources in[ Continue reading. ]
GETTING HELP AROUND HOMELESSNESS
Announcing our Coordinated Entry Flyer that gives you easy access to resources and our Continuum’s “CHAT” Tool that can help you quickly connect to our Coordinated Entry Team.
2024-2025 WINTER OVERFLOW SHELTER
What you should know about… THE 2024-2025 WINTER OVERFLOW SHELTER Once again this year Catholic Charities of the Fall River Diocese (CCFR) is operating an overflow shelter that will be activated when the individual shelter they operate in New Bedford is full AND certain weather conditions exist. The overview, below is prepared by the CCFR[ Continue reading. ]
2024 MA-505 APPROVED CONSOLIDATED APPLICATION PACKAGE IS NOW AVAILABLE!
The MA-505 (New Bedford) Continuum of Care has, through a vote of its membership, accepted the 2024 CoC Collaborative Application and CoC Priority Listing. As a result, this material, as well as the project submissions are all now available here for public review. You may access each of these CoC-Approved documents through the following links:[ Continue reading. ]
