Useful Acronyms (& Links) for the CoC Program

Definitions and relevant links are provided below.

AHAR: Annual Homeless Assessment Report – HUD’s report to Congress on homelessness that provides Nationwide estimates of homelessness. This data is gathered from each Continuum of Care on an annual basis.

ARD: Annual Renewal Demand – the total amount of funds needed for eligible renewal projects within a CoC’s geographic area.

APR: Annual Performance Report – a report on the performance of HUD homeless assistance programs.

CoC: Continuum of Care – a group that develops a plan to end homelessness in their community, they are collaborators, planners, and leaders.

CPD: Community Planning and Development is an office within HUD. There are currently two HUD CPD offices in the State of Florida – Jacksonville and Miami.

eLOCCS – Electronic Line of Credit Control System is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) primary grant disbursement system.

ESG: Emergency Solutions Grant – provides funding for emergency services to individuals who are homeless or are facing homelessness. ESG funds may be used for five program components: street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance, and HMIS.

ESNAPS: Electronic Continuum of Care program application and grant management system.

GIW: Grant Inventory Worksheet – lists all CoC Program projects that are eligible for renewal within a CoC’s geographic area.

HCV: Housing Choice Voucher – a housing program administered by Public Housing Authorities, also known as Section 8.

HDX: Homeless Data Exchange. Now known as HDX 2.0 is the portal to submit required reporting to HUD.

HIC: Housing Inventory Count – a count of housing and shelter dedicated to persons experiencing homelessness.

HMIS: Homeless Management Information System is a system for tracking data on homelessness. Each Continuum of Care choses an HMIS Lead Agency that is responsible for managing the HMIS System and submitting required reports to the State and to HUD.

LSA: Longitudinal System Analysis is an annual report on how people experiencing homelessness use the local system of care.

PIT: Point in Time Count – an annual count of persons experiencing homelessness in the CoC catchment area. PIT counts provide an estimate, not a census but are used to track trends and to determine need.

PPRN: Preliminary Pro Rata Need – a formula used to determine the need in each CoC catchment area.

PSH: Permanent Supportive Housing – a long-term housing program for households where at least one member is disabled. The goals of PSH include – increase in earned and unearned income; increase in medical and other benefits that the household may qualify for; and connections to local supportive services to support housing stability. PSH has been reserved for severely disabled and chronically homeless individuals.

RRH: Rapid Re-Housing is an intervention for persons experiencing homelessness to be quickly connected to housing. It is a short to medium term rental assistance programs with a time limit. The goals of RRH include – increase in earned and unearned income; increase in benefits that the household may qualify for; connections to employment and other supports in the community for housing stability.

SPM – System Performance Measures, a total of seven measures used to track performance of the full system of care. Whether funded or not, any program that is entering data into the HMIS system for services to persons experiencing homelessness is being measured on the length of time a person remains homeless, the rate that persons exiting to permanent housing return to homelessness; increase in employment and earned income; increase in unearned income; the number of persons enrolling in homeless programs that have not been in the system prior (first time homeless); exits to permanent housing; those remaining in PSH programs (housing stability); links from street outreach to permanent housing.

SSVF: Supportive Services for Veteran Families – a VA-funded program to assist homeless and near homeless veterans and their families achieve housing stability.

TH: Transitional Housing – temporary housing with supportive services for persons experiencing homelessness.

VASH or HUD-VASH: HUD-VA Supportive Housing – a program that combines HUD’s rental assistance with VA supportive services for veterans.

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