Public Comment: LA BOSCOC New and Renewal Project Scoring Tools - FY 2020

Overview

Purpose

The LA BOSCOC is seeking public feedback on its draft New Project Scoring Tool and Renewal Project Scoring Tool for the upcoming Funding Year 2020 (FY 2020) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Local Competition.

The FY 2020 CoC Program Local Competition will be used to select and rank new and renewal projects to submit to the FY 2020 CoC Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

Note that these drafts are based on the LA BOSCOC’s best projections about the FY 2020 CoC Program NOFA and will not be finalized until the NOFA is released. These drafts will be adjusted as needed to ensure projects are scored in concert with the NOFA and competitive at the national level.

CoC Program Funding

The CoC Program is the single largest competitive grant in the federal government. Last year, it funded more than $2.2 billion nationwide into projects dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

The LA BOSCOC anticipates being eligible to apply for more than $20 million in FY 2020, including approximately $1.5 million in new funding.

For new projects, the CoC Program will primarily fund housing and supportive services for people experiencing literal homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. The CoC Program does not fund emergency shelter.

Changelog

Overview

The following is a condensed list of the most significant changes from last year (FY 2019). It is not intended to be a full list of changes. CoC staff encourage you to read the Tool(s) in their entirety as appropriate.

Changes to Both Tools

• “Evidence-based approach” language removed from the Definitions section and from all questions; in questions where a data-driven approach is appropriate, more specific data questions have been added, while in others, specific requests for data have been removed entirely

• The New Project Supplement and Renewal Project Supplement have been removed; applicants will no longer be required to submit anything other than their project applications to the LA BOSCOC

• Added a threshold criterion, “Equal Access,” which explicitly states that all projects must comply with HUD’s Equal Access in Accordance with Gender Identity Final Rule (2012) and Equal Access to Housing Final Rule (2012); while some of this was previously included in the “Eligible Populations” threshold criterion, the “Equal Access” criterion is both more comprehensive and more clearly signals the CoC’s commitment to serving all people according to their gender, regardless of their gender, and without separating families

• Clarified that domestic violence service providers are required to use an HMIS-comparable database, not “projects that serve people fleeing domestic violence”

• The “Low Barrier” threshold criterion has been replaced by the “Housing First” threshold criterion; this reflects (1) the CoC’s commitment to the Housing First model and (2) the LA BOSCOC’s expectation that the low barrier model from the FY 2019 CoC Program NOFA will be reverted to the Housing First model from the FY 2018 CoC Program NOFA

• Projects no longer receive points for targeting specific subpopulations (i.e. youth, veterans, people experiencing chronic homelessness); by placing general population projects on an equal footing with target population projects, the LA BOSCOC hopes to generate more umbrella projects that can react to evolving needs within its geography

• Questions about monitoring now include LA BOSCOC findings as well as HUD and OIG Audit findings

• Bonus points are now awarded for organizations that send at least one staff member to attend at least one CoC-sponsored training in the last year; the CoC expects to make a free, CoC-sponsored case management training available in May 2020

• Bonus points for “Staff Sustainability” have been removed due to liability concerns

New Project Scoring Tool Changes

• Under “Community Need,” projects are no longer asked to project their outcomes (projects share and are assessed by HUD on common outcomes including exits to permanent housing, increases in income, etc.)

• Multiple narratives now more clearly stress that projects must have a clear, well-developed plan to increase participant income

• “Outreach” has been removed, as asking projects to project their participant in their Region’s outreach network during the project application phase is beyond what many applicants could reasonably project

• “Homeless Services Experience” has been rewritten to put first-time applicants on more even footing with existing recipients

• “Point in Time Count” and “Housing Inventory Chart” have been removed to put first-time applicants on more even footing with existing recipients

• Full points for hiring an outreach worker now requires 1.0 FTE (up from 0.5 FTE)

Renewal Project Scoring Tool Changes

• Scoring thresholds for “Percentage of Participants Exiting to or Maintaining Permanent Housing” and “Percentage of Participants Exiting to Shelter/Streets/Unknown” have been raised due to renewal projects almost universally clearing the scoring thresholds in FY 2019

• Project type-specific criteria that were forecasted in FY 2019 will be included in FY 2020

• “APR Timeliness” simplified

• “Funding Request Timeliness” removed

• “Monitoring Results” is now worth 6 points (up from 2) and has two scoring thresholds (up from one)

Accessing the documents

Click here to download the New Project Scoring Tool.

Click here to download the Renewal Project Scoring Tool.

How to provide public comment

Please submit public comments by email to Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at glevine@lhc.la.gov.

Public comments will be accepted through 4 PM on March 6, 2020.

Board Meetings - Bimonthly Schedule, February 28

Overview

Going forward, the LA BOSCOC will adopt the following practices for its Board meetings:

• All regularly scheduled Board meetings will be announced via the LA BOSCOC website at the beginning of each calendar year at https://laboscoc.org/meetings

• All intermittently scheduled Board meetings will be announced at least one business day in advance (at least 5 business days in advance when practicable) via the LA BOSCOC email distribution list

• The agendas for all Board meetings will be released via the LA BOSCOC email distribution list at least 1 business day in advance (at least 5 business days in advance when practicable)

• The minutes of all Board meetings will be posted on the LA BOSCOC website as soon as is practicable after each meeting here: https://laboscoc.org/meetings

• Agendas and minutes will be maintained online for one calendar year, then removed from the LA BOSCOC website but retained thereafter by CoC staff for public review upon request

All LA BOSCOC Board meetings will continue to be open to the public except for those times when the Board enters executive session pursuant to LA Rev Stat § 42:16.

LA BOSCOC Board Meeting - February 28, 2 PM to 3 PM

The Board will meet by phone on February 28 from 2 PM to 3 PM. Its proposed agenda includes the following items:

• REVIEW: LA BOSCOC Board meeting structure pursuant to Louisiana’s “Open Meeting Law”

• REVIEW AND VOTE: monitoring extension request from Empower 225

• REVIEW AND VOTE: PIT Count participation from Options for Independence

LA BOSCOC General Meeting: April 1, 2020

Overview

The Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) will host its first full membership meeting of the year on April 1, 2020, in Baton Rouge.

Organizations and individuals are invited to the meeting to learn about current and upcoming efforts across Louisiana to end homelessness, including opportunities for collaboration and funding.

The LA BOSCOC is Louisiana’s largest coalition to end homelessness. It serves East Baton Rouge, Calcasieu, Terrebonne, and all their surrounding parishes. For more information about the LA BOSCOC and its service area, please visit its website at https://laboscoc.org/

An agenda will be published at least one week in advance to the LA BOSCOC’s email list. To be added to that list, please contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at the information provided below.

Scheduling

• Date: April 1, 2020

• Time: 9 AM to 11:30 AM

• Location: Hilton Conference Center | 201 Lafayette Street Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Good Standing

Please note that organizations in the LA BOSCOC seeking homeless housing and services funding from a variety of sources including the Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Programs are required to attend at least one of the LA BOSCOC’s two semiannual General Meetings.

This is the only General Meeting that will be held in person. The next General Meeting (est. October 2020) will be held via webinar.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at 225-242-1388 or (by preference) glevine@lhc.la.gov.

Upcoming Board Elections

Overview

Several LA BOSCOC Board seats will be up for re-election in 2020.

Elections will be held during the following local meetings per their currently posted schedules. (If the meeting times change, the elections will move with them.)

For more information about the Board election process and the duties of the Board, please refer to the most recent version of the LA BOSCOC Governance Charter.

Election Schedule

Lake Charles

• Date: March 10, 2020

• Time: 10:30 AM to noon

• Location: Allen P. August Multi-Purpose Annex @ 2000 Moeling Street Lake Charles, LA 70601

Plaquemines/St. Bernard

• Date: May 4, 2020

• Time: 10 AM

• Location: 9069 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA

Houma

• Date: July 16, 2020

• Time: noon to 2 PM

• Location: First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall @ 6109 Highway 311 Houma, LA 70360

Baton Rouge

• Date: November 12, 2020

• Time: 10 AM to noon

• Location: 2415 Quail Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Board Outcomes - February 4, 2020

Overview

The Board met in by conference call on February 4, 2020, for its scheduled bimonthly meeting.

Attendance

Voting Attendance

Brooke Guidry, Start Corporation (Houma Seat)

Gail Gowland, Family Violence Program of St. Bernard (Plaquemines/St. Bernard Seat)

Mariah Wineski, Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV Seat)

Tarek Polite, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (Lake Charles Seat)

Weston Schild, Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless (HMIS Lead Seat)

Non-Voting Attendance

Winona Connor, Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHA Seat) (Chair)

Eboness Black, Volunteers of America - Greater Baton Rouge (General Attendance)

Gordon Levine, Louisiana Housing Corporation (CoC Manager)

Outcomes

Board Meeting Accessibility

The Board considered a proposal to make Board meetings more accessible to non-Board members by posting meeting information (including call-in numbers) on the LA BOSCOC website in advance of each regularly scheduled meeting.

The Board voted by acclamation to table this motion while LHC staff attorneys investigate which Louisiana state laws impose which open meeting requirements, if any, on the CoC.

Board Elections

The LA BOSCOC Governance Charter contains conflicting requirements regarding elected Board seats:

1. Elected Board members shall serve a term of 2 years, and elections for each seat shall be held after 2 years at the next available meeting of that seat’s stakeholders;

2. Elections shall be staggered when possible.

Four elected Board seats are up for election as of February 2020.

The Board voted unanimously (4-0-0) to interpret the Governance Charter as allowing the CoC to stagger elections quarter by quarter as needed and to empower LHC to determine the order in which they are staggered.

Now Available: Technical Assistance Opportunity (FY 2020 CoC Program Funding)

Overview

The LA BOSCOC has released a Technical Assistance Opportunity (TAO) for the upcoming Funding Year 2020 (FY 2020) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition.

The CoC Program is the single largest source of funding in the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) for projects providing housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. Under the FY 2020 CoC Program NOFA, the LA BOSCOC expects to receive more than $20 million, including approximately $1.5 million for new projects (including expansions of existing projects).

The CoC has released this TAO to assist organizations in creating high quality project applications for the FY 2020 CoC Program NOFA, including organizations that have never applied or received CoC Program funding.

The CoC strongly encourages any organization that is considering applying for CoC Program funding to receive technical assistance through this TAO.

TAO details and how to apply

Click here to download the TAO, which includes information about funding availability, technical assistance availability, and how to apply for technical assistance.

Public Comment: LA BOSCOC Monitoring Policy v1.0

Overview

Purpose

The LA BOSCOC is seeking public feedback on its new LA BOSCOC Monitoring Policy (v1.0).

The Monitoring Policy codifies the CoC’s existing monitoring practices, including how the annual monitoring schedule is established, how notice is provided to recipients, and how the post-monitoring process is conducted.

This Monitoring Policy affects all CoC Program recipients and subrecipients.

Accessing the document

Click here to download the LA BOSCOC Monitoring Policy (v1.0) draft.

How to provide public comment

Please submit public comments by email to Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager.

Public comments will be accepted through 4 PM on February 10, 2020.

Membership and Rules Committee Outcomes - Week of January 24, 2020

Overview

The Membership and Rules Committee reviewed and voted by email on the proposed LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool during the week of January 24, 2020.

Attendance

Voting attendance

• Randy Nichols, Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless (Chair)

• Kristin Brooks, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury

Outcomes

LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool

The Committee voted unanimously to recommend the LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool as written to the Board for final review and approval. (2 in favor, 0 opposed, 0 abstaining)

Board Outcomes - January 24, 2020

Overview

The Board met in executive session by conference call on January 24, 2020, to discuss the LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool (2020) and multiple organizations’ request to push back their monitoring dates.

Attendance

The attendance record of this meeting, being in executive session, is redacted.

Enough Board members were present that full votes were conducted (rather than quorum votes).

Outcomes

LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool

The Board voted by acclamation to approve the LA BOSCOC Monitoring Tool as written.

Monitoring Date Changes

Two organizations, O’Brien House and Volunteers of America - Greater Baton Rouge, requested that the CoC push back their monitoring dates.

The Board voted to approve a change to O’Brien House’s monitoring date.

The Board voted to approve a change to Volunteers of America - Greater Baton Rouge’s monitoring date.

Monitoring Policy

The Board instructed CoC staff to develop a Monitoring Policy that governs when and how CoC Program recipients can request changes to their monitoring schedule.

The Membership and Rules Committee will have authority over this policy.

LA BOSCOC awarded nearly $18 million under the CoC Program

Overview

On January 14, 2020, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $17,992,782 to the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) under the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

The LA BOSCOC received 100% of the funding it requested, including full funding for all new and renewal projects.

These awards reflect all Tier 1, DV Bonus, and Planning awards made under the CoC Program. The LA BOSCOC expects Tier 2 funding to follow in the near future. The LA BOSCOC expects to receive full funding for its Tier 2 project, which will fund an additional $1.9 million under the Louisiana Permanent Supportive Housing renewal project.

New project funding by Region

Note: all project funding is projected to be renewed on an annual basis. All funding and projected people/households served are for one year of operations.

Baton Rouge

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (through its subrecipients the Particular Council of St. Vincent de Paul of Baton Rouge and Start Corporation) will provide approximately $225,000 in Coordinated Entry activities. These include:

• St. Vincent de Paul: a full-time Coordinated Entry Navigator who will help those people most likely to be referred to housing via Coordinated Entry become document-ready and remain in contact

• Start Corporation: multiple case managers at the One Stop to provide access to emergency shelter, referral to mainstream benefits and other resources, and case management designed to return people to housing via their existing support networks without a full housing subsidy

Youth Oasis will provide approximately $213,000 in transitional housing and rapid re-housing to 20 youth-headed households. This innovative project — one of the first of its kind in Louisiana and across the country — will provide both transitional housing and/or rapid re-housing based on each household’s needs. It will provide site-based transitional housing, scattered site rental assistance, wrap-around case management, and access to supportive services.

Houma

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (through its subrecipient Start Corporation) will provide approximately $150,000 in Coordinated Entry activities. This will include both site-based and mobile case managers to provide access to emergency shelter, referral to mainstream benefits and other resources, and case management designed to return people to housing via their existing support networks without a full housing subsidy

The Haven will provide approximately $242,000 in rapid re-housing to 54 youth and families. This will include scattered site rental assistance, wrap-around case management, and access to supportive services.

Lake Charles

The Education and Treatment council will provide approximately $466,000 in rapid re-housing to 50 people fleeing domestic violence. This will include scattered site rental assistance, wrap-around case management, and access to supportive services.

Natchitoches/Sabine

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (through its subrecipient Start Corporation) will provide approximately $150,000 in Coordinated Entry activities. This will include both site-based and mobile case managers to provide access to emergency shelter, referral to mainstream benefits and other resources, and case management designed to return people to housing via their existing support networks without a full housing subsidy

Plaquemines/St. Bernard

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (through its subrecipient Start Corporation) will provide approximately $150,000 in Coordinated Entry activities. This will include both site-based and mobile case managers to provide access to emergency shelter, referral to mainstream benefits and other resources, and case management designed to return people to housing via their existing support networks without a full housing subsidy

Interested in CoC Program funding?

The LA BOSCOC expects the FY 2020 CoC Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to become available in Q2 2020. Organizations interested in funding are strongly advised to begin planning their applications now.

The CoC can provide significant technical assistance at no cost to organizations interested in applying. Click here to learn more and to apply for technical assistance: https://laboscoc.org/news/2020/1/8/technical-assistance-opportunity-project-design-for-2020-continuum-of-care-program-funding

Funding Available: Grant Per Diem (GPD) Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Overview

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s Grant Per Diem (GPD) Program has released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). This NOFA is competitive and open to both new and existing recipients.

This NOFA provides funding opportunities for eligible organizations to provide transitional housing and/or service centers for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

For more information, please visit the VA’s GPD site here: https://www.va.gov/homeless/gpd.asp

How can the CoC help?

The CoC can assist applicants with the following elements of the GPD NOFA application:

• IV.E.5: Describe your participation with the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). The CoC operates the HMIS and can assist your organization in either beginning to participate or describing your participation in HMIS.

• IV.G(a) — Outreach: The CoC operates the Coordinated Entry System (CES) and coordinates outreach efforts in each of its Regions, including Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Houma. The CoC can assist your organization in either beginning to participate or describing your participation in the CES and in your local street outreach network.

• IV.G(b) — Project Plan 1, 8, 16: The CoC provides access to most of the homeless-dedicated permanent housing and permanent affordable housing resources in its geography; it also routinely connects people experiencing homelessness to resources for increasing their income and benefits. The CoC can assist your organization in developing a plan to meet these application criteria.

• IV.G(c) — Bridge Housing 1-3: The CoC provides access to most of the homeless-dedicated permanent housing resources in its geography; it also operates the ‘bridge’ from rapid re-housing to permanent supportive housing through the CES. The CoC can assist your organization in developing a plan to meet these application criteria.

• IV.G(e) — Need 1-2: The CoC collects data on levels of need for types of housing, types of services, and people experiencing homelessness across all target populations. The CoC can assist your organization in answering questions about need in your area.

• IV.G(f) — Coordination 1-2: The CoC is the coalition to end homelessness, including veterans homelessness, operating in its geography. The CoC can assist your organization in beginning to work with or describing your work with the coalition.

• IV.G(f) — Letter of Support: The NOFA encourages applicants to submit a letter of support from their CoC. This could contribute to the application’s score. The CoC can provide a letter of support. Please provide us at least 10 business days’ notice to return a letter of support.

• General Application Support: CoC staff can provide grant writing and application assistance, including reviewing application narratives, at your request.

How to request assistance from the CoC

Contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at 225-242-1388 or (by preference) glevine@lhc.la.gov.

If you intend to request assistance from the CoC, please let us know as soon as possible, but no later than February 28, 2020.

Point in Time (PIT) Count Training: Houma

Overview

The LA BOSCOC is hosting a free training for Point in Time (PIT) Count volunteers. The training will cover safety, best practices, and using the Counting Us app.

All PIT Count volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend.

You do not need to register to attend this training.

Date, time, location

• Date: January 16, 2020

• Time: noon to 2 PM

• Location: The First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall @ 6109 Highway 311 Houma, LA

What should I bring?

Attendees should plan to bring the mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) they intend to use with the Counting Us app; a portion of the training will be devoted to getting your device ready for the count.

Register to volunteer for the PIT Count

For more information about the PIT Count and to register to volunteer, visit https://laboscoc.pointintime.info/

Point in Time (PIT) Count Training: Lake Charles

Overview

The LA BOSCOC is hosting a free training for Point in Time (PIT) Count volunteers. The training will cover safety, best practices, and using the Counting Us app.

All PIT Count volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend.

You do not need to register to attend this training.

Date, time, location

• Date: January 22, 2020

• Time: 9 AM to 10 AM (this time was corrected on January 21, 2020 to reflect the actual start time)

• Location: The Allen P. August Annex @ 2000 Moeling Street Lake Charles, LA

What should I bring?

Attendees should plan to bring the mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) they intend to use with the Counting Us app; a portion of the training will be devoted to getting your device ready for the count.

Register to volunteer for the PIT Count

For more information about the PIT Count and to register to volunteer, visit https://laboscoc.pointintime.info/

Funding Available: Coordinated Entry Incentive Program -- Baton Rouge

Overview

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) has issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for its Coordinated Entry Incentive Program (CEIP).

The CEIP is a pilot project that provides low-cost non-cash incentives to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Baton Rouge for the purposes of increasing their engagement with the case management features of the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC)’s Coordinated Entry System (CES).

This NOFA does not require an application; any organization that is a Coordinated Entry Access Point operating in the Baton Rouge Region can request reimbursement under this NOFA via its non-contract reimbursement process.

Funding will become available Tuesday, January 14, 2020 and continue through June 2020 or until funding made available under this NOFA is exhausted.

Click here to download the NOFA.

Questions?

Questions about this NOFA can be submitted to Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at glevine@lhc.la.gov or 225-242-1388.

Point in Time (PIT) Count Training: Baton Rouge

Overview

The LA BOSCOC is hosting a free training for Point in Time (PIT) Count volunteers. The training will cover safety, best practices, and using the Counting Us app.

All PIT Count volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend.

You do not need to register to attend this training.

Date, time, location

• Date: January 23, 2020

• Time: 1 PM to 3 PM

• Location: The Louisiana Housing Corporation @ 2415 Quail Drive Baton Rouge, LA — Board Room

What should I bring?

Attendees should plan to bring the mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) they intend to use with the Counting Us app; a portion of the training will be devoted to getting your device ready for the count.

Register to volunteer for the PIT Count

For more information about the PIT Count and to register to volunteer, visit https://laboscoc.pointintime.info/

Technical Assistance: Project Design for 2020 Continuum of Care Program Funding

Overview

As part of its commitment to assist new and previous applicants in successfully applying for Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funds, the Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) is offering a full suite of technical assistance to any eligible organization (see below) in developing a project to submit to the upcoming Funding Year (FY) 2020 CoC Program Competition.

LHC anticipates that approximately $20 million will be made available under the FY 2020 CoC Program Competition, including approximately $1.5 million for new projects.

The CoC Program funds housing and services for people experiencing homelessness, including people fleeing domestic violence.

Eligibility

Any non-profit organization, local government, or division of local government located in the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) is eligible to receive this technical assistance and apply for CoC Program funds.

Funding and technical assistance is available to both new and previous CoC Program applicants.

Funding and technical assistance is available to both projects/organizations that serve the ‘general’ homeless population (i.e. people living on the streets, in a shelter, etc.) and projects/organizations that serve people fleeing domestic violence, including human trafficking.

The LA BOSCOC covers more than 20 parishes and includes the cities of Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Houma. Click here for a complete list of LA BOSCOC parishes.

Technical assistance topics

LHC staff can provide technical assistance including but not limited to:

• Education about what the CoC Program can and can’t fund

• Data about homelessness in your area

• Information about best practices in rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, and other project models

• Guidance on how to develop a high-scoring project both for the CoC Program Competition

• Assistance in developing narratives that will likely be required for the CoC Program Competition

• Feedback on project design, including cost efficiency, supportive services offerings, outcomes, staffing patterns, outreach strategies, etc.

• Feedback on grant application narratives

LHC staff can work with you in person at a location of your choice, by webinar, over the phone, or by email — whichever works best for you.

How to request technical assistance

Contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at 225-242-1388 or (by preference) glevine@lhc.la.gov.

2019 Annual Report Now Available

Overview

The Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) has released its 2019 Annual Report.

The 2019 Annual Report provides a high level overview of the LA BOSCOC’s activities and accomplishments in 2019, including selected performance outcomes and Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funding information.

If you would like to learn more about the LA BOSCOC, please visit our website and consider becoming a member (it’s free!).

If you would like to apply for CoC Program funding, you can read more about it here.

Report availability

Click here to download the LA BOSCOC 2019 Annual Report.

Physical copies will be mailed to select stakeholders (est. January 2020). If you are interested in receiving a physical copy, please contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at 225-242-1388 or glevine@lhc.la.gov.

Point in Time Count Registration Now Available

Overview

Every year in late January, every community in Louisiana conducts the Point in Time (PIT) Count: a sheltered and unsheltered count of every person experiencing homelessness. In the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC), unsheltered counts are held in the cities of Baton Rouge, Houma, and Lake Charles.

Participating in the PIT Count is the most important thing you can do to help end homelessness in your community. Having an accurate count of the people experiencing homelessness is an essential part of how we:

• Connect every person experiencing homelessness with shelter, housing, and services;

• Educate to our lawmakers about homelessness, including the solutions we need to help everyone achieve permanent housing;

• Advocate at the local, state, and national levels for the funding we need to serve the most vulnerable members of our communities.

This year, the PIT Count will be held on the evening of January 27.

You do not need any experience working in homeless services to volunteer.

With your help, we can end homelessness in our time.

Register to volunteer

Click here for more information about the PIT Count and to register to volunteer.

Questions?

For more information, contact Gordon Levine, Continuum of Care Manager, at glevine@lhc.la.gov or 225-242-1388.

Public Comment: New LA BOSCOC Website!

Overview

CoC staff have significantly revamped the LA BOSCOC website!

We are soliciting public comment, especially public comment focused on the following areas:

• Does the website provide adequate, intuitive information for CoC member organizations, especially organizations receiving CoC Program or ESG funding?

• Does the website provide adequate, intuitive information to prospective CoC members about the benefits of joining?

• Does the website provide clear (i.e. accessible, linguistically appropriate) access to the Coordinated Entry System for people experiencing homelessness?

Click here to review the live, revised website.

How to provide public comment

Click here to submit comments to CoC staff.

Annual Call for CoC Membership

Overview

The Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care (LA BOSCOC) is Louisiana’s largest coalition of organizations and people dedicated to ending homelessness. We serve more than 20 parishes, including East Baton Rouge, Calcasieu, and Terrebonne, and we have more than 100 member organizations, including most of the state’s largest housing and homeless services providers.

YOU are invited to become a member. Membership is free and carries no obligations.

Click here for more information about the LA BOSCOC, including which parishes we serve.

Membership Benefits

LA BOSCOC members enjoy the following benefits:

• Funding Opportunities: LA BOSCOC members are the first to know about funding opportunities for organizations to create new housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.

• Training and Technical Assistance: the LA BOSCOC provides a wealth of training opportunities (both individual and group) at no charge to members.

• Shaping Local Policy: the LA BOSCOC creates local policies and procedures for programs serving people experiencing homelessness in your area. Members shape those policies and procedures by providing everything from new perspectives and input to actual policy language.

• Data and Education: the LA BOSCOC is the primary assessor of data and trends related to homelessness in your area. Members can request everything from specific data points to group presentations from CoC staff.

Joining the LA BOSCOC

Click here to register as a member of the LA BOSCOC.

Membership is free and carries no obligations.

For more information about the LA BOSCOC or membership, email Gordon Levine at glevine@lhc.la.gov.