Introduction
The primary purpose of the Monterey and San Benito Counties’ Continuum of Care (CoC), represented by the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers (CHSP), is to carry out the responsibilities of a CoC as defined by the CoC Program Interim Rule 24 CFR § 578.7
A significant part of these responsibilities is the creation and implementation of a System Performance Monitoring Plan for recipients and sub-recipients of CoC program funding. This monitoring plan improves outcomes for persons experiencing homelessness who receive assistance through CoC-funded projects. Improving outcomes helps achieve the Leadership Council’s vision for everyone in the CoC region to have a safe, stable place to call home.
CHSP must work with agencies with CoC program funding that operate within the boundaries of the CoC to:
- Establish performance targets.
- Monitor agency performance.
- Evaluate outcomes.
- Act against poor performers.
The System Performance Monitoring Plan also provides the necessary structure to comply with regulatory requirements and advance the CoC’s efforts to end homelessness throughout the region.
The goals of Monterey and San Benito Counties’ Continuum of Care Program Monitoring plan are to proactively assist projects with efforts to comply with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. Although CoC program monitoring does not exhaustively address all HUD program requirements, this process addresses areas that HUD prioritizes for allocation of funds.
CHSP also provides guidance and Technical Assistance (TA) opportunities to CoC-funded projects to address and resolve performance concerns related to policies, procedures, and outcomes.
Process
All CoC funded programs are subject to the most current regulations established by HUD. Additional requirements may also exist for these programs based on local priorities and goals. Funded programs are responsible for reviewing, understanding, and complying with these regulations and requirements. This monitoring process was developed to fall within those regulations and reflect best practices for the Monterey and San Benito Counties’ CoC.
There are four components of the monitoring process:
1
The agency evaluation tool
2
On-site client file review
3
Self-assessment
4
HMIS security check
The agency evaluation tool and self-assessment are completed at the agency level. When multiple projects are monitored at an agency, the on-site client file review is the only component that occurs independently for each project. Monitoring processes will be conducted on a strict timetable, included here in the policy manual.
Since the use of HMIS is a requirement for CoC-funded programs, the HMIS security checks will also occur during site visits. There will be one security check for each agency to be conducted by the designated HMIS staff representative. There is a link to the requirements for HMIS security compliance, which can be found in the references. The security plan and compliance checklist can also be found on the CHSP website under the HMIS Admin-ART documents web page.