About us
Structure
Each region of Vermont has its own Continuum of Care. Ideally, a Continuum is a partnership of:
- Local service providers (Community Action Agencies, Mental Health Providers, homeless and private health care providers, etc);
- Local resource providers (Economic Services, Department of Children and Families, private lenders, etc.);
- Nonprofit and for-profit housing managers;
- Housing developers;
- People who are or were homeless; and
- Any other key local players in the homelessness or low-income service or housing system.
Together, this collection of partners meets regularly to monitor the needs in their region and works to streamline local services and housing.
Representatives of all of these regional continuums of care come together monthly to form the Statewide Coalition to End Homelessness. The contact information for the lead contact for each region is available online.
The Steering Committee Officers of the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness for July 2010 through June 2011 are:
- Melinda Bussino, Co-Chair, Brattleboro Drop-In Center
- Hillary Cole , Co-Chair, Safe Haven
- Norma Fleury, Treasurer, Good Samaritan Haven
- Daniel Blankenship, Secretary, Vermont State Housing Authority
History of the continuums
Vermont was ahead of its time and created a loose Continuum system well before HUD recognized the effectiveness of this model and began requiring communities to band together in this way to apply for federal homeless funding (McKinney/Vento Homeless Assistance).
The Chittenden County's Continuum is large enough to apply for funding on its own, and the rest of the state has joined together to form one large umbrella "Balance of State" Continuum that includes representatives from each of the regional Continuums. Together, the 13 counties outside Chittenden apply for HUD funding through one application.