Membership

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The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness; promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

The heart of the St. Louis City CoC is its members.

Membership in the CoC is open to any organization or individual that has an interest in the community-wide commitment to prevent and end homelessness in St. Louis.

The CoC defines this commitment by the willingness to assist and impact the lives of people who are experiencing homelessness, as well as to prevent and end the socially important condition of homelessness.

There are no fees or membership dues to join the St. Louis City CoC.

The CoC conducts its work through various committees. View a description of Committees of the CoC and learn how you can participate. You do not need to be a member of the CoC in order to participate on a committee.

Membership Info

Duties & Responsibilities

STLCOC Members will vote and discuss various CoC policies, procedures and services that will prevent in end homelessness in the City of St. Louis. New members will receive voting privileges 6 months from the approval date of membership. Each member organization shall be entitled to one vote. Each individual member shall be entitled to one vote. Only active member organizations will have voting privileges. Active membership is determined by the member’s attendance at general and committee meetings. To be considered an active member, members must be in attendance at 50% of general meetings and 50% of at least one committee’s meetings. Each member must serve on at least one of the SLCCOC committee.

STLCOC Members will represent the mission of the CoC in a positive and respectful manner. Read our Mission, Vision and Values. STLCOC is a broad-based partnership to prevent people within the community from becoming homeless and to find ways to end homelessness. Through interagency collaboration coordination and collaboration, STLCOC will provide homeless people with effective services, and help them obtain affordable housing. STLCOC shall serve in a collaborative capacity to the Division of Homeless Services of the Department of Human Services of the City of St. Louis.

Qualifications

Membership in STLCOC is open to any nonprofit, for profit, individual, or governmental entity that is committed to ending homelessness or assisting people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Withdrawal and Removal of Membership

A member may withdraw from STLCOC at any time by submitting a letter of withdrawal to the membership committee and presented to the Board of Directors.

Any member may be removed from STLCOC by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors. Removal is effective only if it occurs at a meeting called for that purpose. Removal request will be submitted to the membership committee then to the full membership and presented to the Board of Directors. Notice must be sent to all Board of Directors members stating that the proposed removal is a purpose of the meeting. A representative of the organization or individual recommended for removal shall have the opportunity to speak on its behalf prior to a vote of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may deliberate without the representative of the member recommended for removal present prior to the vote of the Board of Directors.

STLCOC members must exercise care when acting on behalf of STLCOC. Repeated failure to participate thoughtfully and respectfully in discussions or persistent disruptive or obstructive conduct during meetings will be grounds for removal.

Committees

To join a committee of the CoC contact Laura Toledo at lauratoledo@cwitstl.org.

Advocacy Committee

This committee assists with communicating and educating the public about issues pertaining to homelessness; advocating for our unhoused neighbors and ensuring that the voices of those with lived experience is heard and considered in CoC programs and decision-making, that all homeless populations are fairly represented in programs, and that all CoC activities are transparent.

Coordinated Entry Committee

This committee evaluates and makes recommendations for policies and procedures to ensure that the St. Louis City Coordinated Entry System is efficient, effective and user friendly. The committee also determines critical data collection points and ensures that providers in the community are trained on the Coordinated Entry System and data collection.  The committee educates the community around access to housing and services.

Governance and Membership Committee

This committee recommends updates to the CoC Charter and other governance rules, structure, and procedures. The committee is also charged with recruiting and retaining a diverse membership base, ensuring member orientation, presenting a slate of officers and members to the CoC Board, and overseeing elections.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Committee

This committee sets HMIS standards consistent with HUD Data Compliance requirements, reviews and updates the HMIS policy and procedure manual annually, ensures that the CoC is educated and informed about the contents of the manual, and ensures that ample training is provided to service providers. The committee also sets HMIS policy and procedures for program types according to HUD guidelines, outlines data elements that must be collected and timelines for entry, and monitors effectiveness of HMIS services. This committee also leads process for selecting HMIS vendors.

Program Performance Committee

This committee ensures a formal, transparent process to rank and prioritize all new projects seeking support through HUD CoC or ESG funding, advises whether each project meets basic criteria, and ranks projects based on established criteria. This committee also evaluates individual CoC and ESG program performance and develops protocols for reallocating HUD CoC funding.

Service Delivery Committee

This committee evaluates available services for homeless populations and creates systematic approaches to address identified gaps or inefficiencies. This committee recommends a set of program standards and guidelines for CoC program types and services for special populations. This committee helps to build formal partnerships with mainstream services and sector partners whose missions and client base align with the CoC.

System Performance Committee

This committee monitors system-wide data collection and performance measures. This committee analyzes system gaps and trends, recommends priorities, and promotes a regional approach to addressing homelessness. This committee also oversees the annual point-in-time (PIT) count and reviews the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) prior to submission to HUD.

The St. Louis City Continuum of Care is a membership organization comprised of more than 100 organizations and individuals from the private and public sector who work in partnership to prevent and end homelessness in the City of St. Louis.

Learn More About the CoC

There are many ways you can get involved with the work we do at St. Louis Continuum of Care. Through CoC membership, committees, volunteering, and donating, we can work together to end homelessness in our region.

Get Involved with the CoC

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