In anticipation of each CoC funding cycle, the City of New Bedford’s Continuum of Care (Homeless Service Provider’s Network or “HSPN”) issues its guidance regarding its policies/process for the reallocation of funding from an existing project to a new permanent supportive housing project. A copy of the CoC’s 2019 Reallocation Plan can be downloaded here: NB COC REALLOCATION PLAN.2019 [ Continue reading. ]
COC COMPETITION TIMELINE.2019
The 2019 Continuum of Care (CoC) funding competition in New Bedford’s CoC begins in July and runs through the September deadline set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Check out the competition timeline for 2019 here: CoC Competition Timeline.2019 [ Continue reading. ]
OPEN COMPETITION: 2019 COC COMPETITION IS OPEN!
On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, the City of New Bedford’s Continuum of Care (CoC), acting through the Office of Housing & Community Development, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) that includes instructions and the application itself for 2019 funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The RFP is available in fillable format here: RFP NB COC 2019 The linked RFP includes an application for renewal projects as well as new projects (those available through bonus and DV bonus funding) made available by HUD in this [ Continue reading. ]
2019 POINT IN TIME INFORMATION RELEASED!
The City of New Bedford has conducted its annual “Point In Time” [PIT] count that creates a census of those individuals and families experiencing homelessness within the city, both sheltered (living in emergency or transitional housing) and unsheltered (on the streets/in places not meant for human habitation). This is a big operation and requires a lot of effort and many hands. The results from the 2019 PIT, initially presented at the HSPN April 18, 2019 meeting and updated on April 29, 2019, are now available here: PIT 2019 PRESENTATION . For a [ Continue reading. ]
City Wins Federal Homeless Assistance Funds!
The City of New Bedford has been awarded $1,758,917 in homeless assistance funding by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of a competitive grant process under the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded approximately $2 billion to renew support to thousands of local homeless assistance programs across the nation. HUD's CoC grants provide critically needed support to local programs on the front lines serving individuals and families experiencing [ Continue reading. ]
2019 POINT IN TIME COUNT!
Here's your opportunity to join in and help out! The 2019 Point In Time (PIT) Count is scheduled for a 24 hour period beginning January 30th and running through early afternoon the next day, January 31st. Volunteers are needed; check out the survey monkey for volunteer registration by clicking here. Donations are welcome and can be made by contacting Lauren Lemieux at LLemieux@cssdioc.org. [ Continue reading. ]
YEAR END REVIEW 2018
As has become tradition, the HSPN reviewed its year of action at its December meeting, focusing on the work it undertook throughout the course of 2018. A copy of the powerpoint presented at that meeting is available here: HSPN ANNUAL SUMMARY.2018. [ Continue reading. ]
US INTERAGENCY COUNCIL at the HSPN
The HSPN was honored to welcome Robert Pulster from the National Initiatives Team of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to its December 2018 meeting. Mr. Pulster presented important information about the USICH's release of the new federal strategic plan, Home, Together. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Pulster emphasized the importance and value of the plan as a guide for moving closer to ending and preventing homelessness and its applicability to the New Bedford Continuum of Care, specifically. Citing the centrality of [ Continue reading. ]
CoC WRITTEN STANDARDS
The HSPN follows a set of written standards in ensuring consistency, best practices and excellence with respect to program and system performance. These standards, memorialized in 2016 were updated by the City's Office of Housing & Community Development on behalf of the New Bedford CoC. The product of that effort is divided into two separate documents: CoC Operational Standards and CoC Performance Standards. As its name implies, Operational Standards (available here: OPERATIONAL STANDARDS) provides guidance and standards for all project types, [ Continue reading. ]
2018 RANKING of PROPOSALS
The City of New Bedford’s HSPN has received, reviewed and voted on the 2018 Final CoC Rank and Order of Projects. The HSPN’s Performance Review Committee (PRC), comprised of HSPN members with no relationship–financial or otherwise–to any of the applicants for funding in the FY2018 round received, reviewed, vetted, evaluated and ranked all applications for the competition. This year one new application under the DV Bonus was received. Eight renewal applications were reviewed, six of which for housing programs, one of which was for the continuum’s Homeless [ Continue reading. ]
