As envisioned in the Federal Plan to Address Homelessness, a comprehensive system of services, including permanent housing, is necessary to help individuals and families in our communities reach independency. This system and philosophy, called a "Continuum of Care", strives to fulfill those requirements with three fundamental components: emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing.

The fundamental components of a Continuum of Care System  are:

1) Outreach and Assessment, which identifies an individual's or a family's needs in order to make connections to facilities and services,

2) Immediate (emergency) shelter and safe decent alternatives to the streets,

3) Transitional housing with appropriate services. These services may include job training/placement, substance abuse treatment, short-term mental health services, independent living skills, etc., and

4) Permanent housing or permanent supportive housing arrangements.

The City-Parish and the Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless (CAAH), a coalition of organizations that serve the homeless population in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, are joined together to embrace the "Continuum of Care" concept as defined by HUD. The City-Parish and the CAAH has continuously submitted successful consolidated applications for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance NOFAs. The competitive applications are developed cooperatively by the City-Parish and the CAAH, with the organization (CAAH) determining the priorities for types of programs being assisted. The City-Parish serves as the official grant applicant for all applications. Projects funded under Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Applications fall under the Stewart B. McKinney Supportive Housing Program. All highlighted applications are presently approved and are currently active.

Summary of Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance
Supportive Housing Program City Of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge