Maine Continuum of Care

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History of the Continuum Of Care

To address the growing problem of homelessness in the US, in 1987, Congress passed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, later renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. One of the many purposes of this Act was to authorize funding for Homeless Assistance programs administered by federal agencies, including and most notably the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These resources (collectively referred to as McKinney Homeless Assistance funds), and the programs funded by them, have formed the backbone of systems designed to address the many needs of homeless individuals and families in states and communities across the nation.

In 1994, with input from stakeholders throughout the country, HUD introduced the Continuum of Care model to encourage communities to address the problems of housing and homelessness in a more coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic fashion. Unlike previous HUD planning documents established by an act of Congress, the Continuum of Care was created through HUD policy and governed by HUD-established rules and regulations. With the introduction of Continuum of Care planning, communities were encouraged to envision, organize, and plan comprehensive and long-term solutions to address the problem of homelessness in their community.

What is the Maine Continuum of Care

At one time the State of Maine had three Continuums of Care: the Greater Penobscot Continuum of Care, the City of Portland Continuum of Care and the Maine Continuum of Care, which includes the entire state outside of Penobscot County and the City Portland. The Greater Penobscot Continuum merged with the Maine Continuum in March of 2012. The Portland Continuum has now also merged with the Maine Continuum, as of April 2017.

MCOC Purpose and Mission:

The mission of MCOC is to end homelessness. MCOC accomplishes this mission by conducting the following activities:

  1. MCOC provides a single, coordinated, inclusive planning effort as well as develops and manages the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) Application process to ensure that MCOC receives the maximum amount of federal McKinney-Vento funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  2. MCOC fosters and promotes comprehensive, cohesive and coordinated approaches to housing and community resources for people and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless through:
  3. Prevention
  4. Outreach services
  5. Emergency shelters and supportive services
  6. Transitional housing and supportive services
  7. Permanent housing and permanent housing with supportive services
  8. Linkages to mainstream resources.
  9. MCOC identifies and prioritizes the housing and service needs of people who are homeless, and gaps within the service area;
  10. MCOC partners with the planning and development efforts of the Statewide Homeless Council and other groups to develop long-term solutions to address these needs and gaps;
  11. MCOC develops goals and specific action steps to address chronic homelessness and other homelessness throughout the service area and participates in planning activities with the Statewide Homeless Council and the Regional Homeless Councils that are implementing Maine’s Plan to End and Prevent Homelessness;
  12. MCOC advocates for necessary funding at the state and federal level to develop needed housing and services for people who are homeless in Maine;
  13. MCOC participates in the development and support of public policy to assist people who are homeless and to end homelessness in Maine; and
  14. MCOC educates the public and advocates for people who are homeless and for support of those agencies who help people who are homeless in Maine.

MCOC Committees:

  1. The mission and purpose of MCOC is carried out through five standing committees and ad hoc committees as assigned. Each committee is run by two Co-Chairs. These committees bring recommendations to the monthly MCOC meeting for vote by the overall membership. It is the expectation of MCOC that members shall participate in at least one standing committee.

Committee descriptions:

  • Steering Committee – The Steering Committee will be comprised of: the three MCOC Chairs; at least one Co-Chair from each of the other Standing Committees; the Coordinator; the Chair of the Statewide Homeless Council (regardless of being an MCOC Chair or a Co-Chair on an MCOC standing committee); and at least one representative from DHHS (regardless of being an MCOC Chair or a Co-Chair on an MCOC standing committee).
  • Data Committee – The Data Committee works to collect information on homelessness throughout the MCOC area and to improve data collection techniques and data analysis methods for use in the MCOC Application and to better inform MCOC members, and the general public regarding homelessness in Maine.
  • Resources Committee – Works to educate and inform MCOC member organizations and the general public on issues regarding availability and access to mainstream resources and to involve the broader community in the Continuum of Care planning activities.
  • Project Committee – The Project Committee will oversee the processes and methodologies used to monitor Renewal Projects that receive ongoing funding through MCOC. The Project Committee will also establish the criteria and protocols used to score and rank New Projects seeking funding through MCOC.
  • Policy Committee – The Policy Committee works to collect and share information regarding Federal & State Legislative Policy in order to Educate and inform MCOC members
  • Ad-hoc Committees – MCOC may vote to create an Ad-hoc Committee in order to address and respond to an emerging issue, to investigate a specific topic, or to perform a specific task.

Web sites for more information on the Continuum of Care and homeless planning in Maine:

COMMONLY USED ACRONYMS

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8X Section 8 Program

A

AARAAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act

ACAPAroostook County Action Program

ADLActivity of Daily Living

AGAttorney General

AGIAdjusted Gross Income

AHARAnnual Homeless Assessment Report

AMIArea Median Income

APRAnnual Progress Report

ASOAIDS Service Organization

AWAPAbused Womens Advocacy Project (now Safe Voices)

B

BEASBureau of Elderly and Adult Services

BLSBureau of Labor Statistics

BOCABuilding Officials and Code Administrators

BOLMBread of Life Ministries

BRAPBridging Rental Assistance Program

BWPBattered Womens Project (now Hope& Justice Project)

C

CAACommunity Action Agency

CAPCommunity Action Program

CCAPCoastal Community Action Program

CCICommunity Concepts, Inc.

CCR Central Contractor Registration

CDBGCommunity Development Block Grant

CEDCoastal Economic Development Corp

CFRCode of Federal Regulations

CHAMPCreative Housing Alternatives for Maine People

CHCSCommunity Health and Counseling Services

CHDOCommunity Housing Development Organization

CHOMCommunity Housing of Maine

CoCContinuum of Care

COIConflict of Interest

ConPlanConsolidated Plan

CPDCommunity Planning and Development

CSBGCommunity Services Block Grant

CSICounseling Services, Inc.

D

DECDDept. of Economic & Community Development

DEPDepartment of Environmental Protection

DHHSDepartment of Health and Human Services

DoCDepartment of Corrections

DOEDepartment of Energy

DOEDepartment of Education

DoLDepartment of Labor

DUNSData Universal Numbering System

DV Domestic Violence

E

EAEnvironmental Assessment

ECEnterprise Community

EEOEqual Employment Opportunity

EHOPEqual Housing Opportunity Plan

ELIExtremely Low Income (<30% AMI)

EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency

ESACEmergency Shelter Assessment Committee

ESGEmergency Shelter (Solutions) Grant

EZ Empowerment Zones

F

FAMEFinance Authority of Maine

FCSFamily Crisis Services

FDAFamily Development Account

FedHOMEHUD's HOME Investment Partnership Act

FEMAFederal Emergency Management Administration

FHAFederal Housing Administration

FMRFair Market Rent

FONSIFindings of No Significant Impact

FPCFrannie Peaboby Center

FSSFamily Self Sufficiency Program

FTEFull Time Employee

FUPFamily Unification Program (under Section 8)

FVPFamily Violence Project

G

GFCCHGreater Franklin County Coalition for the Homeless

GISGeographic Information System

GLBTQGay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning

GPCOCGreater Penobscot Continuum of Care

GRGross Rent

H

HAPHousing Assistance Payments

HASHomeless Services of Aroostook

HCIHome Counselors, Inc.

HCVHousing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)

HDXHomeless Data Exchange

HEARTH Act

Homeless Emergency Assistance & Rapid Transition to Housing

HFAHousing Finance Authorities

HICHousing Inventory Chart

HJPHope and Justice Project

HMFAHUD Metropolitan Fair Market Rent Area

HMISHomeless Management Information System

HOHHead of Household

HOMEHousing Opportunities for Maine Fund (“State Home”)

HOPWAHousing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

HPRPHomeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program

HQSHousing Quality Standards

HUDDepartment of Housing and Urban Development

HUDHRE HUD Homeless Resource Exchange

HVJHomeless Voices for Justice

HVWG Homeless Veterans Working Group

I

IATFInter-Agency Task Force to End Homelessness

IDISIntegrated Disbursement and Information System

J

K

KBHKennebec Behavioral Health

KVCAPKennebec Valley Community Action Program

L

LAALocal Administrative Agency (for Shelter Plus Care)

LAASHLewiston Auburn Alliance for Services for the Homeless

LHALocal Housing Authority

LI Low Income

LIHEAPLow Income Home Energy Assistance Program

LIHTCLow Income Housing Tax Credit

LOCCSLine of Credit Control System

M

M/FMulti-Family

MAPS (Step-up) Maine Adoption Placement Services

MCOC CoC Maine Continuum of Care

MCHHMid Coast Hospitality House

MH/MSHA MaineHousing (Maine State Housing Authority)

MMAMaine Municipal Association

MMCAMidcoast Maine Community Action

MMHSMid Maine Homeless Shelter

MoCoMotivational Services

MoHoMobile Home

MOUMemorandum of Understanding

MSAMetropolitan Statistical Area

MV/ McVMcKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance

N

NAEHNational Alliance to End Homelessness

NC/SRNew Construction/Substantial Rehabilitation

NIMBYNot-In-My-Backyard

NOFANotice of Funding Availability

O

OMBOffice of Management and Budget

P

PATHProjects in Assistance for Transition from Homelessness

PBVProject Based Voucher (under Section 8)

PCAPPenquis Community Action Program

PHAPublic Housing Authority

PITPoint-in-Time Count

PROPPeople's Regional Opportunity Program

PUCPublic Utilities Commission

Q

R

RAC +Rental Assistance Coupon Plus

RCAMRural Community Action Ministry

RDRural Development

RFPRequest for Proposal

RGHRumford Group Homes

RIHC /R1HCRegion 1 Homeless Council

RIIHC/R2HCRegion 2 Homeless Council

RIIIHC/ R3HCRegion 3 Homeless Council

S

S/FSingle-Family

SBIState Bureau of Investigation

SHCStatewide Homeless Council

SOSShelter Operating Subsidy

SPC/S+CShelter Plus Care

SROSingle Room Occupancy

SSDISocial Security Disability Insurance

SSISupplemental Security Income

T

TACTechnical Assistance Collaborative

TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families

TBRATenant Based Rental Assistance

TCMHTri-County Mental Health

TICTenant Income Certification

TTPTotal Tenant Payment

U

UAUtility Allowance

USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture

USICHUS Interagency Council on Homelessness

V

VAVeterans Administration

VASHVA Supportive Housing

VAWAViolence Against Women Act

VLIVery Low Income (<50% AMI)

VOA, NNE Volunteers of America, Northern New England

W

WCARC Washington County Association for Retarded Citizens

WCCEHWashington County Coalition to End Homelessness

WCCSAWaldo County Committee For Social Action

WHCAWashington-Hancock Community Agency

WMCAWestern Maine Community Action

WxWeatherization

X

Y

YA/IYouth Alternatives/ Ingraham

YANAYou Are Never Alone

YCCAPYork County Community Action Program

YCHDYork-Cumberland Housing Development Corporation

YCSPIYork County Shelter Programs, Inc.

YFSYouth and Family Services

Z

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