HUD Continuum of Care: the coordinated entry and housing-first framing

The Strategy

HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) program is the largest funder of homeless services in the US. Current HUD priorities are Housing First (permanent housing without preconditions) and coordinated entry (a single assessment process for all homeless services). Proposals that do not align with these priorities are not competitive. The Housing First framing: HUD funds Housing First programs — permanent supportive housing that moves people in directly from the street, without requiring sobriety, treatment completion, or income. If your proposal describes transitional housing or treatment readiness, it is misaligned with current HUD priorities. Frame your program as permanent housing with voluntary services. The coordinated entry requirement: every CoC has a coordinated entry system — a standardized assessment process (typically using the VI-SPDAT) that prioritizes the most vulnerable. Your proposal must show how your project participates in coordinated entry — accepting referrals from the coordinated entry system, not screening people out. The…