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Annual Continuum of Care
Funding Competition

The Continuum of Care Program is the largest source of federal funding for homelessness response in the region, supporting housing, services, data systems, and regional coordination. This page explains how the competition works and how to prepare.

View the NOFO on Grants.gov (opens in a new tab) How to prepare now
Update

The 2026 Annual CoC Competition Calendar has been posted

The FY2026 competition calendar is now available. You can review it in the documents section below.

Go to documents
Launch Session

FY26 CoC NOFO Local Competition Launch Session

The Maricopa Regional CoC will host an FY26 CoC NOFO Launch Session on Friday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This session will provide information for both new and renewal applicants. All prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to attend.

Register for the webinar
Update

FY2026 Notice of Intent to Apply

The Intent to Apply form is now open for new and renewal project applicants. All prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the form no later than 11:59 p.m. on June 26, 2026.

Complete Intent to Apply

About the funding competition

The NOFO is HUD's annual process for awarding Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funds to communities. For the Maricopa Regional CoC, it is the largest source of federal funding for the homelessness response system. The funding supports housing and services, which make up the majority of the award. It also supports core infrastructure, including the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and the Coordinated Entry system, and the region's planning and coordination work.

CoC Program funding carries participation requirements. Recipients enter data in HMIS, accept referrals through Coordinated Entry, and operate as part of a coordinated regional system rather than independently. System-wide performance is one factor in how the region scores in the national competition each year.

$52M
Awarded to the region in FY2024
3,100+
People served through funded projects
25+
Funded projects across the region

Housing and services

The majority of CoC Program funding supports permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing projects.

Performance and data

Projects are scored and ranked on performance outcomes and data quality. HMIS data accuracy also affects the region's score in the national competition.

How the competition works

After HUD releases the NOFO, the local competition runs on a short timeline, often about two weeks. The steps below outline the process.

The submission process

  1. 1
    Two required applications.

    Each applicant submits two applications. The local application, in the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) portal, contains narrative responses and performance data. The federal application, in HUD's eSNAPS system, contains budgets, expected performance numbers, and eligibility documentation. The completed eSNAPS application is also uploaded to the local portal.

  2. 2
    Rank and Review.

    A trained, non-conflicted Rank and Review Committee scores each application against community-approved scorecards and conducts applicant interviews.

  3. 3
    Ranking and board approval.

    Projects are ranked according to priorities set by the CoC Board with community input. The board approves a preliminary ranking and applicants are notified. Appeals may be submitted within 48 hours, after which the board approves the final priority list.

  4. 4
    Submission to HUD.

    The ranked projects, sorted into Tier 1, Tier 2, and the Domestic Violence bonus, are combined into a single consolidated application and submitted to HUD.

What's expected of applicants

HMIS participation

All funded projects participate in HMIS and maintain complete, accurate data.

Coordinated Entry referrals

Projects accept referrals through Coordinated Entry and serve the next prioritized household. Selective acceptance of clients is not permitted.

25% match

Projects must document a 25% match, in cash or in-kind, on all grant funds except leasing. The match must be an eligible cost under the grant.

Eligibility and registration

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, states, local governments, tribes, and public housing agencies. For-profit entities are not eligible. An active SAM.gov registration is required and can take time to obtain.

Administrative capacity

Applicants must have the grants-management, financial, and reporting capacity to administer a federal grant, which operates on a reimbursement basis.

How to prepare now

The FY2026 NOFO has been released. The steps below will help your agency prepare a complete, competitive application.

Review the NOFO

The FY2026 NOFO is now available on Grants.gov. Review it closely for this year's eligibility requirements, thresholds, and funding priorities.

Confirm registrations

Confirm that the SAM.gov registration is active and that eSNAPS and eLOCCS access is in place. These can take several weeks to establish.

Participate and document

Attend Board and committee meetings, attend the kickoff call (which will take place after the NOFO is released), and document community partnerships in writing. Documented partnerships are a factor in application scoring.

Sign up for the CoC newsletter

Register for the CoC newsletter to receive NOFO updates, the competition schedule, and time-sensitive announcements as they are released.

Sign up here

Training & recordings

Recordings and training materials on the CoC Program and the local competition.

CoC 101 and NOFO Preparedness Webinar

An overview of the CoC Program, the local competition, and how to prepare an application, with a roundtable of local service providers.