The Continuum of Care (CoC) is a process sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The CoC was created to address the needs of homeless individuals and families in a comprehensive manner across the nation. According to HUD, there are four necessary parts of a continuum:

• Outreach, intake, & assessment in order to identify service & housing needs as well as provide a link to the appropriate level of both.

• Emergency shelter to provide an immediate & safe alternative to sleeping on the streets, especially for homeless families with children.

• Transitional housing with supportive services to allow for the development of skills that will be needed once permanently housed.

• Permanent supportive housing to provide individuals & families with an affordable plan to live with services if needed.