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!
THE 2026 COMPETITION BEGINS…
CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Released by HUD… As anticipated, HUD released this year’s CoC NOFO June 1, 2026. Here are a few important details right out of the gate: What is a NOFO and why do I care? The 2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (commonly referred to as the[ Continue reading. ]
ANNUAL HOMELESS ASSESSMENT REPORT (AHAR) RELEASED
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released Part 1 of the 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, which presents national, state, and Continuum of Care (CoC) estimates of homelessness based on the January 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC). The report, available online here, provides data[ Continue reading. ]
BCCC MOVES MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS TO QUARTERLY SCHEDULE
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Bristol County Continuum of Care (BCCC) Executive Board evaluated and acted favorably upon a change from its monthly membership meetings of the MA-505 CoC (the BCCC) to now quarterly membership meetings. In so doing it was recognized that this meeting move to a quarterly calendar will provide greater flexibility[ Continue reading. ]
MASSHEALTH RELATED REFERRAL INFORMATION FOR SERVICES
Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) allows healthcare dollars to support critical social services, while Accountable Care Organization (ACO)s serve as the bridge connecting eligible MassHealth members to those resources. By addressing the root causes of poor health, HRSN services can help individuals and families achieve greater housing stability, improved nutrition, better management of chronic health conditions,[ Continue reading. ]
EMERGENCY TRANSFERS :: POLICY, PROCEDURES and REQUESTS
The MA-505 Bristol County Continuum of Care (CoC,) is concerned about the safety and well-being of all persons accessing or receiving Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) funded under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through its CoC Program. The CoC Program necessitates certain conditions be met to permit the transfer of PSH project[ Continue reading. ]
2026 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 2026 “Point In Time” (PIT) count creating a census of those individuals and families experiencing homelessness within the Continuum[ Continue reading. ]
2026 STREETSHEETS NOW AVAILABLE!
On behalf of the BCCC, the City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development has released the printed version of the 2026 StreetSheets and StreetSheet SNAPSHOT. The printed versions provide resources within the Bristol County Continuum of Care. Spanish and Portuguese versions of these StreetSheets will be released on this website in late[ Continue reading. ]
2026 BCCC MEMBERSHIP
2026 BCCC (MA-505) Membership Membership in the Bristol County Continuum of Care (BCCC) is open to all! There is no membership fee or dues and all are welcome to join the BCCC! Membership does provide opportunity to more actively engage with the continuum and it is encouraged. Generally organizations, community groups, agencies, and other entities[ Continue reading. ]
