Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
The CoC Program funds permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, supportive services, HMIS and planning through one Consolidated Application per CoC. The FY2026 NOFO protected only 60% of annual renewal demand in Tier 1, set aside about $1.3 billion for new transitional housing and supportive services only projects, and moved scoring weight toward treatment, recovery, service participation and employment income. The competition has been in active litigation since 2025, so CoCs should track court orders alongside the NOFO.
Program facts
- Agency
- Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS), Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Assistance Listing
- 14.267
- Statutory authority
- Subtitle C of Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381-11389); program regulations at 24 CFR Part 578
- Award ceiling
- Set by each CoC's pro rata need; FY2026 CoC Bonus capped at 15% of final pro rata need, with a $500,000 floor and $5 million ceiling for most CoCs
- Awards
- The FY2026 competition made about $4.04 billion available; FY2025 first- and second-quarter renewals alone covered 2,448 projects
- Period of performance
- Renewal grants are generally one-year terms; new project terms vary by component as set in each NOFO
- Cost share
- 25% match on all grant funds except leasing costs (24 CFR 578.73), cash or in-kind
- Cycle
- The annual NOFO has recently posted in late spring or summer. The FY2026 NOFO posted June 2, 2026 and closed August 26, 2026 (Los Angeles extended to October 14); a district court vacated it August 7, and on September 16 the First Circuit stayed that order pending appeal, letting the competition proceed with awards expected around December 2026
Program goals
- Promote community-wide commitment to ending homelessness
- Rehouse individuals and families quickly while minimizing trauma and dislocation
- Increase access to mainstream programs, treatment and recovery services
- Increase employment income and self-sufficiency among people experiencing homelessness
Scoring rubric
CoC coordination and engagement122
Governance, coordinated entry, coordination with housing, healthcare and law enforcement partners, treatment and recovery services (up to 20 points), required participation in supportive services (up to 8 points) and local policy alignment with the NOFO's priorities.
System performance64
HMIS bed coverage, Point-in-Time count quality, length of time homeless, returns to homelessness and increases in employment income (up to 12 points for employment-only income).
Project capacity, review and ranking14
Objective, published local ranking criteria, a transparent selection process, reallocation of low performers and monitoring of project capacity.
Totals reflect the FY2026 CoC Application structure (200 points: 122, 64 and 14) as summarized by HUD's detailed instructions and CoC briefings, plus up to 20 bonus points (mergers or UFA status, Opportunity Zones, and prohibiting illicit drug enablement). Sub-item values can change with court-ordered NOFO revisions; confirm against Section V.B of the current NOFO.
Eligibility
- Nonprofit organizations, states, local governments and instrumentalities of state or local government, including public housing agencies
- Federally recognized Tribes and tribally designated housing entities in some components
- Project applicants must be ranked by their local CoC and submitted in the CoC's Consolidated Application by the Collaborative Applicant
- Only the Collaborative Applicant may apply for CoC planning funds
Required attachments
- CoC Consolidated Application and CoC Priority Listing in e-snaps (Collaborative Applicant)
- Project Applications in e-snaps for each new and renewal project
- Local competition public posting, scoring tool and ranking results with notification dates
- Coordinated entry and governance charter evidence
- HMIS and Point-in-Time data reports and System Performance Measures submission
- Match and leverage commitment letters for each project
- SF-424 and HUD certifications in e-snaps
Formatting rules
- All content is entered into e-snaps screens with character limits per question
- Attachments must be uploaded as PDFs labeled to match HUD's attachment list
- Local deadlines for project applications usually fall 30 or more days before HUD's national deadline
Why applications lose points
- Local ranking materials not posted publicly or projects not notified in time, costing project review points
- Weak system performance data due to low HMIS coverage or incomplete Point-in-Time counts
- Renewal projects falling into Tier 2 because the CoC did not reallocate underperformers
- Match letters missing or not covering 25% of non-leasing costs
- Project narratives that do not address the FY2026 emphasis on treatment, recovery and employment income
How ELIXIR CONSUMERS helps with HUD CoC
- 1.Drafts project application narratives from your HMIS exports and APR data, citing each outcome to the report it came from
- 2.Builds match calculations per project that exclude leasing costs automatically
- 3.For Collaborative Applicants: assembles the local scoring tool, ranking and posting evidence into the attachment set HUD expects
- 4.Tracks NOFO revisions and court-driven changes in a change log so narratives are updated before the e-snaps deadline
Questions, answered
Can a single nonprofit apply directly to HUD?
No. Project applications are submitted in e-snaps but must be reviewed, ranked and included in the local CoC's Consolidated Application.
Is Housing First still scored?
The FY2026 NOFO moved away from Housing First and awards points for treatment and recovery services and for requiring participation in supportive services. Projects should describe their current practice accurately.
What happens to renewals outside Tier 1?
Tier 1 protects 60% of annual renewal demand in FY2026. Renewals ranked in Tier 2 compete against new projects for the remaining funds.
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