Continuum of Care (CoC)
A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional strategic planning body that works on housing and related services with the goal of reducing homelessness. The CoC includes prevention, outreach and assessment, emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing – many partnerships!
In Minnesota, there are 10 CoC’s; St. Louis County happens to be its own CoC where others are more regional (e.g., the Northeast CoC is made up of counties surrounding St. Louis County). Each CoC has governing board (Heading Home Advisory Council in St. Louis County) and a CoC Coordinator who works with partners and community to coordinate HUD funding for various rapid-rehousing, transitional and permanent supportive housing projects. The CoC Coordinator also supports community wide planning and project monitoring and support.
Lived Experience Council
The St. Louis County (SLC) Lived Experience Council (LEC) has been serving as SLC’s Continuum of Care (CoC)’s advisory and action group to work on improving our homelessness response system since 2021. The LEC is comprised of people with lived experience of homelessness and housing instability from across SLC. LEC members provide their valuable time, energy, and expertise to guide SLC CoC. They also work directly with the SLC CoC governing board, the Heading Home Advisory Council (HHAC) and other program areas.
Heading Home Advisory Committee
The Heading Home Advisory Committee is the community-directed entity responsible for oversight of homelessness planning, coordinating, and funding activities in the St Louis County Continuum of Care (CoC).
CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Each year, HUD administers a grant program called the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition, also known as the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This grant was previously called the Notice of Funding Availability or “NOFA”. This roughly $3.9 million grant supports infrastructure and services for people experiencing homelessness within the St. Louis County CoC planning region. St. Louis County has been designated by the Heading Home Advisory Council as the Collaborative Applicant, which is responsible for coordinating the NOF in our community. This website contains relevant information and documentation for the NOFO and will be updated as needed, especially during the competition phase, from July through the Fall.
St. Louis County CoC's Ranking and Review Policy can be found here.
FY24-FY25 COC NOFO Update
HUD made the decision to fund all renewal grants. As a result, no expansions or new projects were funded and consolidations did not occur.
FY26 CoC NOFO
Notice of Court Order
On Friday, August 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island in the related cases State of Washington, et al. v. HUD, et al., 1:26-cv-00439 (D.R.I.), and National Alliance to End Homelessness, et al. v. HUD, et al., 1:26-cv-00436 (D.R.I.), determined HUD’s issuance of its FY2026 Continuum of Care Competition and Youth Homeless Demonstration Program Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity (2026 CoC NOFO) violated the Administrative Procedure Act and vacated it. HUD is currently evaluating the order and considering all legal options, including appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Guidance for Current Applicants
Due to the court’s order, the 2026 CoC NOFO and its August 26, 2026, application submission deadline are no longer in force as HUD is unable to accept applications at this time. HUD will communicate further guidance and additional updates via the SNAPS Competition Listserv and HUD.gov as they become available. A PDF copy of the 2026 CoC NOFO remains available for informational purposes on the CoC competition page on HUD.gov. Questions regarding the 2026 CoC NOFO may continue to be submitted to CoCNOFO@hud.gov.
Click here to see NOFO documents from HUD.