Continuum of Care (CoC) Check-up Review Tool
The Check-up process is an opportunity for CoCs to assess how they function across a wide
cross-section of CoC accountabilities. These accountabilities are organized into the following
four domains, each with their own sub-elements and corresponding indicators:
o
o
o
o
CoC Governance and Structure
CoC Plan and Planning Process
CoC Infrastructure and Administrative Capacity
CoC Housing and Services
This review tool, which is part of Stage 2 of the Check-up process, is designed to assist your
community in analyzing the results of your CoC Check-up aggregated stakeholder assessment
results located at the HUD Homeless Resource Exchange (www.HUDHRE.info) and your CoC
Profile data located at the Homelessness Data Exchange (www.HUDHDX.info). Collectively,
these tools should allow your CoC to assess its readiness for HEARTH implementation. The
review tool contains several tables and accompanying questions that will help you analyze your
data in a cross-cutting manner, draw broader conclusions, and reveal specific areas of
improvement that may be needed in your CoC.
The questions asked in the review tool are only a starting point for your CoC and are not
intended to serve as the final analysis of your CoC Check-up or represent an inclusive set of
questions or relevant Check-up indicators to examine. However, the worksheet does
demonstrate how to analytically translate the findings into actionable steps. Once completed,
the worksheet will assist you in developing a CoC Action Plan (see template located at
www.HUDHRE.info). The CoC Action Plan is the final step in the CoC Check-up process and is
designed to assist communities answer the following questions:
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What areas need improvement in your CoC?
What strategy and action steps will be needed?
Who will be the lead for each strategy and action step?
What is the timeframe needed to complete the action steps?
How do the strategies and action steps align with the Federal Strategic Plan and HEARTH
Performance Measures?
Will the CoC require technical assistance to complete the action steps?
Instructions: To complete the tables on the following pages, locate and fill-in the average score
for each identified indicator. The average score can be found in the CoC Check-up aggregated
stakeholder assessment results located at the HUD Homeless Resource Exchange
(www.HUDHRE.info). Every table contains a question designed to prompt critical analysis of
CoC capacity. Looking collectively at the identified indicators, attempt to answer the question.
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Use the additional questions that follow each table to further analyze the data and identify
possible action steps.
Remember, the questions included in this tool are not intended to be an all-inclusive set of
questions a CoC should use to analyze Check-up data or to suggest a particular prioritization for
review. Rather, these questions are designed as a starting point for analysis and should be used
with other CoC Check-up review processes and questions established by your CoC.
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CoC Check-up: Stakeholder Assessment
Overarching Questions to Consider within Each Domain
What indicators received the highest average score by stakeholders? What indicators received the lowest
average score?
Are there related indicators that are consistently rated high? Consistently rated low?
Considering all Indicators, what are the top issues or concerns for the CoC in this Domain?
How may these concerns impact the capacity or performance of the CoC?
What key issues or concerns merit additional discussion or investigation? What additional information might be
needed to understand this issue? Is there a particular stakeholder or stakeholder group that the issue pertains to
or should be discussed with?
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Domain I: CoC Governance and Structure
Goal: All key stakeholders in the community are involved and participating in a CoC process that has a clear
governing structure and active planning process.
Does your CoC have a clear direction and purpose along with a structure that allows for diverse representation and engagement
of key decision makers in the community?
Indicator #
1.1.1
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.5
1.3.1.1
1.3.1.11
1.3.1.15
1.3.1.16
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
The CoC has a written vision, mission and/or purpose statement
The CoC has a written document describing the roles and responsibilities of the primary
decision-making group.
The CoC primary decision-making group has a fair and transparent process for selecting CoC
administrative agent, fiscal agent and/or UFA (as applicable), and HMIS lead.
The CoC primary decision-making group provides adequate oversight of CoC administration
and infrastructure, including CoC staff (administrative and fiscal) and HMIS.
The CoC primary decision-making group has a written agreement with HMIS lead agency
outlining roles and responsibilities of HMIS lead agency.
Stakeholders participating in CoC governance include representatives from: CoC housing and
service providers
Consumers (persons who are homeless and/or formerly homeless)
Public Housing Authority(ies)
ESG/HPRP Grantee(s)
[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
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Additional Questions to Consider
How effective is your CoC’s primary decision making group at planning to end homelessness in the community?
What steps can be taken to increase this group’s effectiveness?
Are there gaps in the current CoC policies, procedures or protocols? Do stakeholders understand, accept, and
effectively implement the current set of policies and procedures? If not, what steps can be taken to improve
implementation?
What sub-committees could be formed, or restructured, to better help your primary decision making group
perform its duties? Are ESG grantees fully integrated into sub-committees? Inversely, do CoC members actively
participate in other forums that impact homelessness, such as the Consolidated Plan creation process? Are their
certain populations represented in your CoC Profile data that are increasing over time (for example: Vets,
Chronically homeless, youth, etc.)? Is there already a sub-group to discuss remedies?
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Does your CoC’s primary decision making group set performance goals and annually review project and system performance?
Indicator #
1.4.1
1.4.6
1.4.6.1
1.4.7
1.4.8
1.4.11
1.4.12
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
The CoC primary decision-making group has a process for ensuring stakeholders have an
opportunity to provide input into the decision-making process.
The CoC primary decision-making group has a process for evaluating and selecting projects for
inclusion in the annual CoC application for federal funding.
The process has been approved by the CoC primary decision-making group.
The CoC primary decision-making group sets annual performance goals/targets for HUDfunded CoC projects.
The CoC primary decision-making group has a process for periodically monitoring and
evaluating the performance of HUD funded CoC projects (apart from evaluation conducted
during HUD application process).
The CoC primary decision-making group sets annual performance goals/targets for overall CoC
performance.
The CoC primary decision-making group has a process for monitoring and evaluating overall
CoC performance.
[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
Additional Questions to Consider
How does your community currently monitor and evaluate project and system performance in your community?
Are ESG grantees currently a part of this evaluation? Are the results of the evaluations used to guide your
planning decisions for the broader homeless system?
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If your community does not currently monitor projects, what are the steps required to establish a system to
measure performance on a project and system level? If your community already monitors projects, how can the
information be better used or expanded to inform CoC performance improvements under HEARTH?
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Domain II: CoC Plan and Planning Process
Goal: To have a strategic plan for your community that mirrors the goals of the HEARTH Act and the Federal
Strategic Plan, that provides the direction for your CoC to, in an inclusive and transparent process, prevent and
end homelessness in your community.
Does the CoC 10 year plan align with the goals of the HEARTH Act and the Federal Strategic Plan to end homelessness?
Indicator #
2.1.1
2.1.1.4
2.1.1.5
2.1.1.8
2.1.1.14
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
The CoC has a written strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.
The plan is informed by review of local HMIS, PIT, and other data.
The plan incorporates best practices or evidence-based practices that successfully prevent and
end homelessness.
The plan includes leveraging/coordination with other HUD resources accounted for in local
Consolidated Plan(s) (i.e., HOME, CDBG, NSP, and HOPWA) to accomplish CoC
goals/objectives.
The plan includes measurable goals, performance indicators and targets toward achieving
identified goals.
[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
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Additional Questions to Consider
What are the current goals of your plan; do they align to the goals of the Federal Strategic Plan and performance
measures included in the HEARTH Act? If not, could you amend your plan to include them? What other areas of
weakness found in the CoC Check-up could be incorporated into your communities plan?
Does your plan layout clear goals for coordinating with other federal, state, and local homelessness resources?
What are some ways to increase this coordination? Do other providers of mainstream resources participate fully
in your CoC? If not, what steps could be taken to increase their participation?
Are there ways to increase participation in the Consolidated Plan process so that all resources, not simply
McKinney-Vento funds, are used to prevent and end homelessness in your community?
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Domain III: CoC Infrastructure and Administrative Capacity
Goal One: To have a CoC lead agency with adequate capacity to manage the administrative and fiscal
responsibilities required to effectively manage the CoC and meet HEARTH Act requirements.
Goal Two: To use HMIS to make data driven solutions to prevent and end homelessness in the community.
Does your CoC have the staff and capacity required to manage the CoC and meet requirements of the HEARTH Act?
Indicator #
3.1.2
3.1.4
3.2.1
3.2.4
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
The CoC has sufficient staffing (paid or volunteer) to manage the regular administrative tasks
of the CoC, relative to the scope and scale of CoC funding and commitments.
The CoC has capacity, policies, and procedures in place to monitor and ensure that HUDfunded projects are operating in accordance with HUD provisions and the project design set
forth in the application.
The CoC has a method for ensuring HUD-funded project sponsors have developed,
implemented, and are adhering to appropriate internal fiscal control and fund accounting
procedures (e.g., requests audit reports with project applications, self-certification of
adequate accounting practices).
In the last three years HUD-funded project sponsors have been able to obligate/expend funds
and complete projects within specified timelines (i.e., no funds have been recaptured).
[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
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Additional Questions to Consider
What additional staff, or training, will be required for your CoC’s lead agency to effectively manage the CoC and
meet requirements of the HEARTH Act? What are the action steps that will be required for your CoC to achieve
that capacity?
Does your community use HMIS data to monitor homelessness in your community, both at a system and provider level?
Indicator #
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
3.3.5
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
The CoC has policies and procedures in place to ensure the HMIS adheres to the HUD 2004
HMIS Technical Standards.
The CoC has policies and procedures in place to ensure the HMIS is in compliance with the
2010 HMIS Data Standards.
The CoC has written HMIS participation agreements with organizations that enter client-level
data into HMIS.
The CoC has policies and procedures in place to monitor and assure data quality and
compliance with data standards.
The HMIS lead agency generates regular data quality reports.
[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
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Additional Questions to Consider
What improvements are required in order to more effectively use data to create solutions to prevent and end
homelessness in your community?
What tools has your community developed or identified to remedy HMIS data quality issues and ensure
continued improvement? What are additional data quality review procedures that your CoC could implement to
guarantee reliable data is generated by the HMIS?
Does your CoC have participation from all the providers in your community (not just HUD funded projects)? If
not, what can be done to increase participation?
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Domain IV: CoC Housing and Services
Goal: CoC housing and services are reflective of the current needs of the community and operate as an
integrated system, with easy access for all those in need.
Is your homelessness system effective and efficient at stabilizing people experiencing a housing crisis in permanent housing?
Indicator #
4.1.1.5
4.1.6.3
4.1.6.4
4.1.6.6
4.1.6.7
4.1.6.8
4.1.6.9
4.1.7.4
4.1.8.6
4.2.4
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
Homelessness prevention assistance providers are effective at helping persons to maintain or
obtain permanent housing.
Temporary shelter providers assess persons requesting shelter to first determine whether
other appropriate temporary or permanent housing options are available.
Temporary shelter providers divert persons with other appropriate temporary/permanent
housing options to homelessness prevention and/or other community resources.
Temporary shelter providers ensure all persons assisted have a housing goal plan as soon as
possible after admission.
Temporary shelter providers seek to move assisted persons to permanent housing as quickly
as possible.
Temporary shelter providers are effective at linking persons who are homeless to permanent
housing options and resources (either directly or via a housing search/placement provider).
Transitional housing (facility-based) providers only serve persons who cannot otherwise be
more appropriately assisted with transitional services in permanent housing.
Re-housing and stabilization providers are effective at linking persons to permanent housing
options.
PSH providers are effective at assisting PSH residents to move to more independent housing,
when desired and appropriate.
The CoC has an affordable housing database and/or housing locator staff to assist persons
across CoC projects with housing search and placement, landlord/tenant mediation, etc.
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[other indicator(s)
relevant to CoC]
Additional Questions to Consider
To what extent do shelter providers assess persons requesting shelter to first determine whether other
appropriate temporary or permanent housing options are available? Are persons with other options consistently
referred to other homelessness prevention and/or other community resources? Are permanent housing
placement outcomes high and/or improving?
How is transitional housing used in your community? Are permanent housing placement outcomes high and/or
improving? Are income-related outcome high and/or improving? Does most transitional housing in your CoC
quickly and consistently place people into permanent housing? Which projects have a longer than average length
of stay? What steps are necessary to shorten this length of stay?
Are there projects in your CoC that, if converted to another program type, would experience better permanent
housing outcomes? For example, transitional housing projects that might convert to rapid re-housing or
permanent supportive housing?
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Do your community's permanent supportive housing providers have high and/or improving outcomes related to
permanent housing retention or placement and income? Are individuals with more significant issues/barriers
receiving the services required for successful outcomes?
Do local discharge practices contribute to homelessness?
Indicator #
4.1.2
4.1.3
4.1.4
4.1.5
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
Local discharge practices of the foster care system do not result in direct discharge to
homelessness.
Local discharge practices of the healthcare system do not result in direct discharge to
homelessness.
Local discharge practices of the mental health system do not result in direct discharge to
homelessness.
Local discharge practices of the corrections system do not result in direct discharge to
homelessness.
Additional Questions to Consider
How would you characterize your CoC's discharge policies? Are there ways (for example: use HMIS, streamlining
local funding sources, better communications, etc.) to increase coordination? Do these other systems participate
fully in the CoC? If not, how can you encourage or improve their participation?
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Is the homeless response system easy to access?
Indicator #
4.1.1.3
4.1.6.2
4.1.7.2
4.1.8.2
4.2.3.2
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
Persons most at-risk of literal homelessness can easily navigate and access homelessness
prevention assistance across the CoC.
Persons experiencing homelessness can easily navigate and access temporary shelter across
the CoC.
Persons experiencing homelessness can easily navigate and access a range of re-housing and
housing stabilization assistance across the CoC.
Persons who are homeless and disabled can easily navigate and access permanent supportive
housing across the CoC.
The CoC has a central point of contact/triage for persons experiencing a housing crisis.
Additional Questions to Consider
Does the CoC have a centralized or coordinated point of access for persons experiencing a housing crisis? If not,
are there steps that could be taken to improve access and ease of use of the homelessness system, i.e. creating a
unified entrance application, coordinated intake, centralized intake, or standardized program models?
How readily can people receiving one type of CoC assistance access other types of CoC assistance? For example,
are persons residing in emergency shelter screened for and referred to rapid re-housing assistance and is such
assistance easily accessed by shelter clients? Do persons who are homeless and disabled (and staff working
within the CoC) understand how to access permanent supportive housing and is such access streamlined and/or
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coordinated? Are there steps the CoC can take to improve access, for example by reducing the steps it takes to
apply for PSH assistance or centralizing the application process across projects?
Are PSH providers linking mainstream services and housing subsidies to support long term housing stabilization?
Indicator #
4.1.8.3
4.1.8.4
4.1.8.5
4.1.8.6
Indicator or Sub-Indicator
Enter the avg. score from
stakeholder surveys
PSH providers are effective at linking persons to community-based services and mainstream
resources.
PSH providers utilize Medicaid to pay for Medicaid eligible services for residents receiving
Medicaid benefits.
PSH providers partner with local PHA(s) around specific PSH projects (e.g., providing
preferences and/or subsidy set-asides for homeless persons, allocating public housing units
for PSH use, etc.).
PSH providers are effective at assisting PSH residents to move to more independent housing,
when desired and appropriate.
Additional Questions to Consider
How is permanent supportive housing utilized in your CoC? Is the permanent supportive housing targeted to
chronically homeless individuals and families and/or other with the greatest barriers to housing stability? Is it
meeting the housing needs of the target population? Is this reflected in your CoC Profile data report?
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CoC Profile Data
As each CoC’s Profile data will differ, below are some basic questions your community can use as a starting point
for your analysis.
Point-in-Time (PIT) Count
Are your CoC’s overall PIT numbers decreasing over time? Is this trend similar for both sheltered and unsheltered
populations? If unsheltered numbers are drastically higher than sheltered, what can be done in your CoC to
better assist persons who are unsheltered?
Are there any unusually high numbers of sub-populations in your CoC’s PIT or are there certain subpopulations
for whom homelessness is increasing or not declining? If so, which ones? Are they primarily sheltered or
unsheltered? What programs or initiatives could be undertaken to target these individuals – to reduce current
numbers and decrease future incidence of homelessness?
Housing Inventory Count (HIC)
Is the HIC an accurate reflection of beds/units dedicated for persons who are homeless in your CoC? If not, are
certain programs/beds/units missing? Or, are certain programs/beds/units currently included that are not
dedicated for persons who are homeless (and thus should be removed)?
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Are all beds/units represented under the appropriate category? Does the CoC have standard definitions and
policies to ensure annual comparability and does this comport with HUD definitions? What steps could be
undertaken for all providers in the community to fully participate and ensure accuracy?
When comparing the HIC and the PIT data, does the supply of beds/units identified meet the needs of the CoC? If
not, what type of intervention is the CoC missing or in need of? Does the CoC have too much of a given bed/unit
type? How can this data and analysis be used to inform planning and funding decisions? What steps (such as TH
conversion, aligning SSO’s w/ PH providers, etc.) could be taken to correct this imbalance?
Are the number of permanent supportive housing beds/units increasing each year? If not, is there evidence to
suggest that more beds/units are not needed (e.g., very low or no incidence of chronic homelessness, other
permanent housing resources and community supports available, etc.)?
Is HMIS bed participation improving year-to-year? Is there a category (e.g., emergency shelter) or categories of
programs where progress is not being made related to increasing HMIS bed participation?
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Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)
Did the CoC submit usable data in all categories for the latest AHAR? Are rates of missing data improving over
time? Are there data elements that have significantly higher missing data rates than for other data elements?
How do missing data rates impact the CoCs ability to measure performance under HEARTH?
When looking at prior living situation, are there significant issues that arise (e.g., most persons entering
emergency shelter come from their own housing; most persons entering transitional housing come from nonhomeless situations; more than a marginal number of persons entering PSH come from housed situations)?
Are a significant number of persons exiting PSH to homeless situations?
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