Continuum of Care (CoC) Program

Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is sponsored by Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to ending homelessness, providing funding for efforts by nonprofit providers and state and local governments.

FY26 CoC NOFO – Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care CoC 101 and NOFO Preparedness Webinar An overview of the CoC Program, the local competition, and how to prepare an application, with a roundtable of local service providers.

FY2026 Competition Documents Full HUD FY 2026 Continuum of Care Competition Announcement 2026 Annual CoC Competition Calendar NOFO Local Competition Launch PowerPoint Slides Supportive Services Agreement Template – SUD Supportive Services Agreement Template – Non‑SUD 2026 HUD Project Budget Workbook Rank, Review, and Reallocation Policy FY26 Rank and Review Prioritization Criteria Threshold Assessment Checklist 2026 New SSO–CE Scorecard 2026 New SSO–Outreach Scorecard 2026 New SSO–Standalone Scorecard 2026 Renewal PSH/RRH Scorecard For questions about the competition, email Frequently Asked Questions These questions reflect items raised by the community, or questions we have submitted to HUD and received formal clarification on.

If an agency wishes to voluntarily reduce a renewal project’s budget with no other substantive changes, can it remain a renewal project? HUD has confirmed that yes — agencies may voluntarily reduce budgets while retaining renewal project status. Our program has operated for several years but has never been funded by the CoC.

Would it be a new or a renewal project? It is considered a new project. Renewal status applies only to projects that are currently funded by the CoC.

We are a newer nonprofit without prior CoC funding history. Can we participate in this funding cycle? Yes — either as a direct applicant or as a subrecipient partnering with an established CoC-funded agency.

We recommend engaging with the CoC to learn about regional strategies and resources, reviewing the CoC 101 and NOFO Preparedness Webinar on this page, and reaching out to our team at hsinfo@azmag. gov for new-applicant guidance. Can one organization apply for more than one project?

Yes. There is no limit on the number of projects an organization may apply for. Our existing project is partly covered by other federal funding.

Can we apply for the expenses that aren’t covered? Possibly. It would need to be a clear expansion — CoC funds cannot supplant (replace) existing funding.

Because these situations are program-specific, please send the details to hsinfo@azmag. gov and staff will help you assess it. Can CoC funds support a shelter?

An SSO Standalone project can fund the services delivered in a new or existing shelter, including the staffing costs to provide those services. It cannot fund shelter operations — the day-to-day costs of running the beds and facility. CoC funds also cannot supplant existing funding.

Can a seasonal or part-year program, such as a heat-relief or respite center, qualify for SSO Standalone funding? There is no restriction on programs that operate only part of the year. As with all SSO Standalone funding, it covers services (not operations) and cannot supplant existing funds.

We are transitioning a PSH project to Transitional Housing. Which scorecard applies, and what performance period is used? A transition grant is evaluated as a new project, so the scorecard for the component you are transitioning to is used.

A PSH project transitioning to Transitional Housing would be scored on the Transitional Housing scorecard. Are documented partnerships required, and will the CoC provide a template? Yes.

Both partnerships and match must be documented, and the CoC will provide a partnership template. Templates are posted to this page as they are finalized. Do service plans or service agreements have to be included in the application?

Yes. The service agreement template must be included with the application. The CoC provides the template, which is posted in the documents section of this page.

The Transitional Housing threshold references 20 hours per week of service participation. If a participant is employed, do work hours count toward that, or is it in addition? If a participant is employed, the 20-hour service-participation requirement can be prorated.

Where will the local application templates, scorecards, and other competition materials be posted? Where can I find the approved local priority ranking and the project scorecards? The local priority ranking and the project scorecards are approved by the CoC Board and posted to this page once approved.

We strongly encourage applicants to review the ranking, as it may shape both your project design and which project component you apply for. Was the kickoff session recorded, and where can I find the recording and slides? Yes.

The session recording is posted in the Training & Recordings section of this page, and the slide deck is available in the documents section above. What types of substance use disorder services are CoC Program recipients authorized to provide? HUD has confirmed that they would not consider Narcan as “drug paraphernalia.

” They also direct applicants to the following HHS Dear Colleague Letter on Harm Reduction for additional guidance on substance use disorder services permitted under the CoC Program: SAMHSA Executive Order Letter. How do I find more information about eligible costs? Eligible cost categories for each project type may be found in the HUD Virtual Binders.

Details regarding eligible costs may be found in the CoC Program section of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 24 CFR 578. Am I able to, or should I, submit a renewal application for my project alongside a new transition project, to ensure that if the renewal project is not ranked in Tier 1, it will still be considered under the scoring for new transition projects? Yes.

An eligible renewal project may submit both a standard renewal application and a new transition project application for the same CoC competition. Submitting both is a reasonable risk-mitigation strategy, particularly for projects that anticipate scoring or ranking below the Tier 1 cutoff as a renewal.

If the renewal application does not make Tier 1, the new transition project application is still evaluated and scored on its own merits within the new project category, under the transition projects category. The project is not automatically funded, and remains subject to HUD's scoring criteria and the CoC's local ranking process.

A recipient that has already decided transitioning is the better long-term path and does not intend to keep operating the project in its current renewal form may choose to submit only the new transition project application rather than both.

Before deciding, applicants should weigh: their project's recent performance and likely competitive ranking; whether they're prepared to operate under the respective new project type requirements if awarded; and HUD's specific FY2026 NOFO eligibility criteria.