About Us
In late 2023, the New Bedford Continuum of Care (MA-505) formally entered into conversations with the Continuum of Care directly adjoining it, the Greater Bristol (County) Attleboro, Taunton Coalition to end Homelessness (GBCATCH) also referred to as MA-519 to consider the potential for a continuum merger. A vote in October 2023 was held by both CoCs, independent of one another, at which time both continuum memberships unanimously voted to enter into a STATEMENT OF INTENT TO MERGE COCS. In this document, the two CoCs set forth four specific areas requiring review and consideration as to how these particular aspects of a newly merged CoC might be manifested: governance, homeless assistance system and resource allocation, the coordinated entry system and HMIS implementation.
Once the leadership of both CoCs (which included those with lived experience and expertise) completed their respective consideration of a merger along with a review of the condition of the other with both macro and micro lenses, a draft CoC bylaw for a merged continuum was prepared. The draft merged CoC Bylaw was subsequently presented at both the May 2024 HSPN meeting and May 2024 GBCATCH meeting for each CoC’s memberships to review and vote. Following discussion at both meetings, the result of this process led to both memberships from both CoCs unanimously voted to accept both the merger and the new governance document, the BCCCC BY-LAWS. A temporary colloquial name of “Bristol County CoC (or the abbreviated BCCC or BC3) was agreed upon.
During the first meeting of the newly merged CoC convened in June 2024, four additional individuals were nominated and voted onto the CoC’s Executive Board to ensure representation from county towns and its two gateway cities, Attleboro and Taunton. The City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development (OHCD) serves as the convener/coordinator of the CoC in addition to its role as Collaborative Applicant (for competitive federal funding through the HUD CoC “NOFO” process) and its HMIS Lead.
The CoC pursues a comprehensive response to homelessness using a “Continuum of Care” methodology through a community-based network. The BCCC is a membership-driven collective of over 60 organizations, agencies and individuals committed to working together in addressing all variants of homelessness particularly those experiencing chronic homelessness and those unsheltered/unhoused. The continuing mission of the BCCC is:
“…to advocate on behalf of homeless individuals by enlisting the cooperation of homeless providers, to improve the accessibility of existing public resources, to maintain statistical data on the homeless population, and to provide supportive services and empowerment strategies to allow these individuals to be integrated into the community through a compassionate Continuum of Care. The Bristol County Continuum of Care is committed to the concept that each person is entitled to live in dignity.”
The BCCC is the area’s lead entity in developing the region’s plans and strategies to organize and deliver housing and services to successfully meet the specific needs of people who are in the midst of a housing crisis and/or are experiencing homelessness as they move to stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency. A CoC strategy includes action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to homelessness. In particular, all strategies used by the Bristol County CoC are informed by data and rooted in an equity-driven approach.
By meeting regularly to proactively address the most pressing issues around the complexity of homelessness as it works toward ensuring every individual and every family has appropriate, sustainable access to safe, decent and affordable housing, the work of the BCCC focuses on the elimination of homelessness in Bristol County, MA.
If you are interested in working toward this end, join with us and check out the work the BCCC is doing.
