Regional Continuums of Care

A Continuum of Care (CoC) is a regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for households experiencing a housing crisis. Each Continuum of Care has a designated CoC Lead Agency and an HMIS Lead Agency.

The Planning Council serves as the CoC Lead Agency for the Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition. The Planning Council is also contracted to provide the administrative support functions of the CoC Lead Agency for both the Greater Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Consortium and the Portsmouth Homeless Action Consortium. 

Homeless Management Information System

A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to individuals and families experiencing and at risk of homelessness. All agencies utilizing government funding for homeless services provision are required to utilize the HMIS. The Planning Council serves as the HMIS Lead Agency for several Continuums of Care and provides technical assistance and training for over 250 users located within service provider agencies, private, faith-based and governmental organizations.

The CoC Lead Agency is responsible for completing and submitting all CoC-based applications for funding, implementing a collaborative process for the CoC, evaluating performance outcomes of programs funded under CoC and ESG applications, ensuring CoC compliance with the CoC Interim Program Rule and HUD Notices, and coordinates and reports outcomes of the annual Point in Time Count, Housing Inventory Count, Grant Inventory Worksheet, and System Performance Measures.

Aggregate and specific data from the HMIS are used by local, state, and federal policymakers to inform decisions around homeless service provision. Local design and implementation of the HMIS is important as there are many benefits, including streamlined services for clients, the ability to track outcomes and identify service gaps, as well as guide communities to address homelessness based on the true picture of those experiencing, and at risk of, homelessness around them.

The Hampton Roads area in Southeastern Virginia is home to four Continuums of Care. Each CoC serves a specific geographic area.

• BEACH Community Partnership
  • City of Virginia Beach
• Greater Virginia Peninsula Homelessness Consortium
  • Cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg
  • Counties of James City & York 

• Portsmouth Homeless Action Consortium​
  • City of Portsmouth
• Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition
  • Cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, & Franklin
  • Counties of Isle of Wight & Southampton

The Planning Council serves as HMIS Lead Agency for the Greater Virginia Peninsula Homeless Consortium, Portsmouth Homeless Action Consortium, Southeastern Virginia Homeless Coalition, and the Virginia Beach Continuum of Care. The Planning Council also provides HMIS System Administration support to the Central Virginia Continuum of Care. 
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​The Hampton Roads Homeless Management Information System serves the cities and counties in Virginia below:

• Cities - Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Lynchburg, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach
• Counties - Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Isle of Wight, Southampton, James City, and York