Who We Are

Our Mission:
The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Continuum of Care’s mission is to organize people and resources to end homelessness in Milwaukee.

About the Milwaukee Continuum of Care

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care covers the City of Milwaukee, City of West Allis, City of Wauwatosa and the remainder of Milwaukee County.

The Continuum was established in 1998 as the entity responsible for coordinating the community’s annual Supportive Housing Program application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The City of Milwaukee has served as the lead agency for Milwaukee Continuum of Care since 2012.  More information about the Continuum of Care system across the U.S. can be found at the Homelessness Resource Exchange at www.hudexchange.info.

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care is recognized by local government, the State of Wisconsin, and the federal government as the group responsible for planning, organizing, and evaluating the continuum of services for homeless individuals and families.

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care is a 100+ member strong coalition open to any organization or individual interested in services and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness.  To get information about CoC membership and an application form, please CLICK HERE. The Continuum meets regularly to work on issues and opportunities including grant opportunities.  The Continuum continues to work on a comprehensive 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care’s recent accomplishments include a record low total Point in Time count in January 2021, due to increased housing and street outreach capacity and longstanding collaborative efforts to address homelessness in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.  A press release covering the 2021 Point in Time count and the CoC’s COVID-19 response can be viewed HERE

The Milwaukee Continuum of Care has a firm Housing First approach among other standards.

Some of the Continuum’s key functions include:

  • Conducting meetings to discuss current issues and opportunities. These meetings are also a forum for planning and problem-solving.
  • Organizing the annual Homeless Point in Time Survey.  This count occurs the last week in January and July. For more information, refer to http://milwaukeecoc.org/hmis-data/point-in-time-information/
  • Coordinating the Homeless Management Information System that collects data on persons using federally-supported emergency shelter, street outreach, transitional housing and permanent housing.
  • Encouraging new permanent supportive housing development for individuals and families with disabilities.
  • Managing annual grant development efforts for the Emergency Solutions Grants and Supportive Housing Program.
  • Coordinating planning for special projects such as the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
  • Developing a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The revisions and updated 10-Year-Plan to End Homelessness can be found on the side bar.
  • Implementing a Coordinated Assessment system, a critical part of the 10 Year-Plan to End Homelessness. The system will improve efficiency and effectiveness with emphasis on homeless prevention.  Coordinated Entry 2017 Timeline.

More information about homelessness in the U.S. is available from the National Alliance to End Homelessness at www.endhomelessness.org and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness at www.usich.gov.  More information about homelessness in Wisconsin and the statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness can be found at https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/AboutDOA/ICH.aspx

Milwaukee CoC Listserv Signup

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Would you like to present at one of our Full Body meetings on an issue or topic related to ending homelessness in our community? Contact Emily Adams-Whitcomb at ewhitc@milwaukee.gov for scheduling inquiries.

 

Stay tuned for additional upcoming events!


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