Erin Nixon
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Since August 2019, Mecklenburg County Community Support Services (CSS) has led a broad community engagement process. The goal of this work is to develop a new Continuum of Care (CoC) Governance Charter. The CoC Governance Charter identifies the purpose, responsibilities and oversight of the CoC. The CoC is responsible for, among other things, operations (holding regular meetings and adopting a written board selection process); designating a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); planning; and preparing an application for funding. This blog post provides an update on this important work, and what it means for the community.
PROJECT MILESTONES
Listed below are project milestones since August 2019. To read a prior update, click here.
CoC Governance Kick-off Meeting: August 2019
CSS hosted a community meeting to kick off the CoC governance process on August 14. Stakeholders from the community attended in-person and via livestream. Stacy Lowry, Director of Community Support Services, provided the welcome remarks. Staff from Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte provided presentations. Representatives from Abt Associates, the contracted HUD technical assistance provider, shared information about the CoC; CoC governance; and best practice models in other communities.
Community Engagement Activities: September & October 2019
CSS provided multiple options and opportunities for the community to provide feedback to, and encourage participation in, the CoC Governance process. Community members were invited to share feedback electronically and/or by attending in-person sessions. Three listening sessions were held in September, and attendance was open to any interested individuals or organizations. Five listening sessions in October were designed for individuals and families with lived experience. Input from the surveys and listening sessions will inform the development of the CoC Governance Charter.
CoC Governance Ad Hoc Committee: Ongoing
Since September 12, the Ad Hoc Governance Committee has met weekly to draft the new CoC Governance Charter, with continued facilitation provided by Abt Associates. The following topics were covered: CoC Board; meetings; committees; membership; and the process for the selections of the Collaborative Applicant (CA) and HMIS Lead.
NEXT STEPS
CoC Draft Charter & Public Comment
The CoC Governance Ad Hoc Committee releases to the community today, October 24, a draft of the CoC Goverance Charter. The CoC Governance Charter is open for public comment until Thursday, November 7, 2019. The draft charter can be accessed via this link. Comments can also be submitted to CharMeckCoC@MeckNC.Gov.
CoC Final Charter & Vote
The Ad Hoc Committee will review and integrate feedback received during the public comment period. The final CoC Governance Charter will be presented to the full CoC membership for approval at the CoC meeting on November 13, 2019. This open meeting will be held at 2pm at Hope Haven, which is located at 3815 N. Tryon Street.
SO, WHAT
The CoC Governance Charter outlines the structure and operations for the Continuum of Care to address the full spectrum of need from housing instability to homelessness. We are grateful for all of the time and feedback provided by individuals across Mecklenburg County to develop a strong, comprehensive CoC Governance Charter.
We need your feedback to complete this process. Please take the time to review the draft charter linked here; and provide your feedback to CharMeckCoC@MeckNC.Gov until November 7. We encourage respondents to provide feedback as early as possible. Please plan to also join the full CoC membership to review and vote on the final CoC Governance Charter on November 13.
To sign up for updates, ask questions, or learn more about getting involved, please email CharMeckCoC@MeckNC.Gov.
Visit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg CoC webpage for more information.
Erin Nixon serves as a Sr. Social Services Manager in Mecklenburg County Community Support Services where her roles include engagement with the Continuum of Care. She previously supervised Mecklenburg County’s Shelter Plus Care program, which provides permanent supportive housing to chronically homeless households.
