Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council

The Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council (HPC) is a 25-member governance board for Nashville-Davidson County’s Continuum of Care, which coordinates the funding and delivery of housing and services to end homelessness in our community. The Homelessness Planning Council was created in July 2018 to unify our community’s efforts to build an effective Housing Crisis Resolution System (HCRS). The Homelessness Planning Council serves as the Continuum of Care’s governing body and meets monthly to conduct the business of the Continuum of Care.

Members include:

• 14 members elected by the Continuum of Care General Membership
• 8 members appointed by the mayor
• 3 members of the Metro Council appointed by the vice mayor

Note: At least five members of the Homelessness Planning Council must have current or past lived experience of homelessness.

Every year, the Continuum of Care’s Nominating Committee works to solicit nominations and identify potential candidates for the General Membership to elect to the Homelessness Planning Council.

Governance Structure

The purpose of the Homelessness Planning Council (HPC) is to ensure orderly operations of the Continuum of Care (CoC). The HPC has the power to act on behalf of, and in the best interest of, the CoC.

View the Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council Organization chart.

History

In 2009, Congress passed the HEARTH Act with the aim of codifying and guiding the process by which local community citizens would plan to address homelessness. At that time, Nashville-Davidson County had two governing structures studying, resourcing, and working to resolve homelessness for residents in need: the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care (CoC); and the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission (MHC).

During the summer of 2017, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its technical assistance providers worked with stakeholders in Nashville-Davidson County to consider consolidating the MHC and the CoC Governance Board into a single, coherent governing organization to better align resources and avoid duplication of effort. The MHC and CoC Governance convened a joint Working Group in June 2017 to work towards creating a single governance entity. They evaluated various options and recommended that the Metropolitan Nashville City Council create a new, single entity to replace the MHC that would be the CoC governance entity to develop an effective housing crisis resolution system. The Metro Council took up the recommendation on June 5, 2018, and approved the resulting ordinance (BL2018-1199) on July 3, 2018 creating the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council.

Governing Documents

• Continuum of Care Charter (Version 7 – Approved June 2024)
• Homelessness Planning Council Ordinance (BL2018-1199)
• Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026

Opportunities for Public Comments

The Data and HMIS Oversight Committee has completed their annual review of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Policies and Procedures Manual. The committee has proposed revisions to update the Policies and Procedures to reflect current needs across the community. These proposed revisions are now open for public comment from community members.

Proposed Draft of the HMIS Policies and Procedures Manual

Reference Documents:

• Summary of Proposed Revisions to the HMIS Policies and Procedures
• Current HMIS Policies and Procedures Manual (Approved August 2019)

The public comment period will remain open for the next 30 days, ending at 11:59pm on Friday, October 4, 2024. During this time, the Continuum of Care invites the public to examine the proposed changes and provide feedback. Public comments may be submitted via email to Continuum of Care Manager Raquel de la Huerga ([email protected]).

Meetings

The Homelessness Planning Council typically meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 8:30 to 10am. These meetings are live streamed on the Metro Nashville Network on YouTube. You can also view a playlist of meeting recordings.

Continuum of Care Listserv

The Continuum of Care operates an email listserv to share updates about homelessness with the community. By signing up for the listserv, you'll receive important updates, announcements, and resources related to homelessness in our community.

Sign Up for the Continuum of Care Listserv

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is made up of the HPC Chair, Vice Chair, and three additional HPC members appointed by the Chair of the HPC. The Executive Committee is responsible for setting the agenda for HPC meetings, carrying out specific tasks assigned by the HPC, deciding committee appointments, and attending to urgent HPC business.

Role of the Office of Homeless Services

The Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County government response to issues of homelessness is coordinated by the Office of Homeless Services. As outlined in the establishing ordinance for the Homelessness Planning Council, the Office of Homeless Services provides staff and resources to assist the Homelessness Planning Council in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. The Office of Homeless Services has also been designated by the Continuum of Care General Membership as the Continuum of Care’s Continuum of Care’s Collaborative Applicant, Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) lead entity, and Coordinated Entry (CE) lead entity.