Continuum of Care Program

CONTINUUM OF CARE PROGRAM

The Columbia Housing Authority Continuum of Care Program (COC) provides affordable housing and support services to homeless people living on the street. The Continuum of Care Program was created under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.  Continuum of Care is designed to promote permanent housing with supportive service to persons with disabilities coming from the streets and emergency shelters.  Continuum of Care grants require a supportive services match equal to, or greater than, the Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 rental assistance award.

To be eligible for the program, a person must be homeless (see definition below), with a mental illness, substance abuse problem, HIV/AIDS or a dual diagnosis. In addition to receiving a rental subsidy, Continuum of Care participants receive support services through a network of local partnering service agencies and must be referred to us by one of those Agencies. Applications received from these agencies are reviewed for Continuum of Care eligibility.

Homeless includes a family or individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; and has a primary nighttime residence that is:

1. A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); or
2. An institution that provides a temporary residence for persons intended to be institutionalized; or
3. A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (street, park, hallway, freeway underpass).

For more information about this program, please contact Chanee Edwards, Special Programs Specialist at 573-443-2556.

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