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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

The Office of Care Coordination engages County departments, local cities and community-based organizations to strengthen regional organization efforts to address homelessness. Although, the Office of Care Coordination does not offer any direct services, the office promotes the integration of services throughout the community to improve the countywide response to homelessness. 

The Office of Care Coordination can be reached Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm via phone or email using the information below:

Phone: (714) 834 – 5000 

Email: CareCoordination@ceo.oc.gov

Continuum of Care Program

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness by providing funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, Indian Tribes or tribally designated housing entities and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, persons fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and youth while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.

For additional information on the CoC Program, please visit the HUD website, HERE. 

The CoC Collaborative Applicant is the eligible applicant designated by the CoC to facilitate application processes for competitive CoC funding opportunities at the state and federal levels. For the federal CoC Program funding competition, the CoC Collaborative Applicant collects and submits the necessary information for the CoC Registration, CoC Consolidated Application, including the CoC Application and CoC Priority Listing, and applies for CoC planning funds.

More information on the CoC Collaborative Applicant, can be found HERE. 

The Office of Care Coordination serves as the Collaborative Applicant for the Orange County CoC

The CoC Board is the governing body for the CoC whose purpose and scope are to implement and oversee the CoC Program’s operations, including funding allocation, program development and policy implementation. The CoC Board must be representative of relevant organizations and individuals within the CoC’s geographic area, including people with lived experience of homelessness. The Orange County CoC also has several committees aimed at coordinating and collaborating on specific functions and programs associated with the CoC Program. The committees contribute to the ongoing planning, coordination, and collaboration of homeless services and programs to address the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and preventing homelessness. Agendas and other materials for the CoC Board and Committees can be found HERE. 

The Orange County CoC Board is to be comprised of a range of 17 – 21 individuals representing various identities, experiences, and backgrounds. A current roster of the Orange County CoC Board can be viewed HERE.

Regular meetings of the Orange County CoC Board are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the County Administrative South (CAS) Building, County Conference Center, Room 104/106 (CCC), located at 425 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92701.

There are a number of Orange County CoC Committees with meetings being held on varying schedules—monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly—at different locations throughout Orange County. For more information, please visit the Orange County CoC Board and Committee webpage, HERE.

Membership to the Orange County CoC is open to all organizations and individuals dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Orange County. To become a CoC General Member, applicants must submit a membership application and commit to actively participating in CoC responsibilities. Completed applications can be emailed to CareCoordination@ceo.oc.gov. For more information about the Orange County CoC membership, please visit the CoC webpage.

The Office of Care Coordination, on behalf of the Orange County CoC, conducts an annual CoC Board Nomination and Election process that starts around August/September of each year. To be an eligible candidate for the Orange County CoC Board, individuals must first be Orange County CoC General Members by the deadline stated during the nomination period. Those who submit all required forms by the deadline to the Office of Care Coordination will be reviewed by the CoC Nominating Ad Hoc for recommendation to appear on the election ballot.

All Orange County CoC General Members are eligible to vote during the election process. Once voting concludes, the CoC Nominating Ad Hoc finalizes the election results for Orange County CoC Board ratification. 

For more information regarding the CoC General Membership, please view pages 15-16 of the CoC Governance Charter, HERE, visit the CoC webpage or contact CareCoordination@ceo.oc.gov with any questions you may have.

Individuals can express interest on becoming a member of an Orange County CoC Committee, working group, or ad hoc by contacting the Office of Care Coordination at CareCoordination@ceo.oc.gov. The Office of Care Coordination encourages you to visit the Orange County CoC webpage to review upcoming Orange County CoC Committees meeting schedules.

The Orange County CoC Board and Committees are public meeting materials are posted on the CoC webpage. You can also sign up here to receive email notifications about all Orange County CoC-related topics.

CoC Board and Committee meetings comply with the Brown Act in California. Regular meeting agendas are posted at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled meeting, while special meeting agendas are posted at least 24 hours before the meeting.

The Orange County CoC email distribution list provides information regarding funding opportunities and other information connected to the homeless service system. To sign up for the Orange County CoC email distribution list, can be found HERE. 

CoC Board and CoC Committee meetings are open to the public, providing many opportunities to contribute and stay involved in shaping solutions to address homelessness in Orange County. To stay connected, visit the Orange County CoC webpage to review upcoming CoC Board and Committee meeting schedules. Additionally, you may sign up for the CoC mailing distribution list at CoC email distribution.

Coordinated Entry System

The CES is a network of local service providers, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and other homeless services providers that help to connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with opportunities for housing and shelter resources. CES is not a waitlist, but a prioritization mechanism to connect the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness to limited resources. CES prioritizes individuals and families based on length of homelessness and disability status.

If you are a service provider who is not a CES partner, but are interested in learning more about CES, visit the CES webpage HERE. If you would like to become a CES partner please email coordinatedentry@ocgov.com, for more information. 

If you are a service provider who is a CES partner, either by serving as a CES access point and/or housing provider you can learn more about CES and access training through the Orange County CES Academy at HERE. 

If you are a person who is experiencing homelessness and would like to learn more about CES please visit the CES webpage HERE, or call 2-1-1, email coordinatedentry@ocgov.com or call the Office of Care Coordination at (714)834-5000.

To access CES, people experiencing homelessness must be connected to a CES Access Point. CES Access Points are available throughout Orange County and include street outreach, street medicine teams, navigation and resource centers, emergency shelters, food pantries, the Veteran’s Affairs (VA), and more. 

If you are experiencing homelessness and are already working with a homeless services provider, ask them if they are a CES Access Point and can refer you to CES. If they are not a CES Access Point, ask them if they can refer you to one.   

You can also call 2-1-1 to be connected to a CES Access Point. To view a list of CES Access Points and to find one near you, click HERE. 

If you have a child under 18 or a pregnant person in your household, or are working on being reunited with minor children, you can submit a Family Service Request Form to the Family Solutions Collaborative HERE. 

If you are a Veteran, have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard or Reserves and want to work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directly to obtain housing, you can also call the VA’s Santa Ana Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC) at 844-838-8300, in addition to any of the other options. 

Once connected to a CES Access Point, your housing needs and preferences will be assessed and the housing opportunities you could potentially be eligible for will be explained to you. 

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requires every Continuum of Care (CoC) across the country to have a CES and designates an agency to oversee the system within that jurisdiction. The CES Lead is empowered by the CoC to manage the process of determining and updating the prioritization for all CoC funded Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Rapid Rehousing (RRH), homeless prevention, interim housing and emergency shelter programs, including any CoC Funded survivor- dedicated resources as well as any other housing resources that voluntarily or are required locally or by the State to participate in the CES.

The County of Orange is the CES Lead for the Orange County CoC.

Emergency Shelter

2-1-1 is an information and referral line that can provide information for street outreach teams, emergency shelter programs, and other community supports. 

Individuals can be referred by a Coordinated Entry System (CES) Access Point to access emergency shelter beds at Bridges at Kraemer Place and the Yale Navigation Center. The CES Access Point will create an assessment and add the individual to the CES Shelter Bed Reservation System. Once the individual is matched to an emergency shelter bed, the CES Access Point will work with the individual to get to the emergency shelter program and complete an intake.

People can be referred to a CES Access Point by: 

  • Calling 2-1-1 via the Virtual Front Door (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
  • Contacting a CES Access Point directly
  • Families (households with at least one minor child) can be connected to a CES Access Point via the Family Solutions Collaborative Family Service Request form. www.familysolutionscollaborative.org/help/

If you encounter a person experiencing homelessness and would like to connect them with resources, please call 2-1-1 or OC Outreach & Engagement at 800-364-2221. 

OC Outreach & Engagement link individuals to needed housing, physical health, behavioral health, and other supportive services by addressing their barriers to care. 

If you encounter a person experiencing homelessness who is experiencing a medical emergency or engaging in criminal behavior, call 9-1-1.

If you need non-emergency assistance for a person experiencing homelessness who is having a mental health crisis, please call the Crisis Assessment Team at 855-625-4657.

Special Projects and Contracts

The Office of Care Coordination oversees many funding sources aimed at addressing homelessness and supporting programs for those experiencing homelessness, including State of California grants such as Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP), Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF), Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), and Pet Assistance and Support (PAS). The Office of Care Coordination also helps administer Federal funding sources such as Continuum of Care (CoC), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

The Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program provides funding to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges. Funds are used to support evidence-based solutions that address and prevent homelessness among eligible populations, including but not limited to rental assistance and rapid rehousing, operating subsidies, outreach and coordination, prevention and shelter diversion into permanent housing and capital improvements for the development of navigation centers and emergency shelters.

The Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program provides funding to engage individuals and families experiencing homelessness, improve the quality of emergency shelters for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, help operate the emergency shelters, provide essential services to shelter residents, rapidly re-house individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless.

The Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) was established in 2016 to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who are likely eligible for disability benefits by providing advocacy for disability benefits as well as housing supports. HDAP targets individuals who are experiencing homelessness and who are likely eligible for disability benefits. HDAP focuses on providing comprehensive support, including outreach, case management, disability benefits advocacy and housing assistance.

At this time, HDAP-funded programs receive referrals directly from Orange County Outreach & Engagement Services. If someone is experiencing unsheltered homelessness and would like to be connected to connected to HDAP services or learn more about HDAP eligibility, please call the OC Outreach & Engagement Services phone number at 800-364-2221.

Commission to Address Homelessness

The Commission to Address Homelessness (Commission) acts as an advisory body to the Orange County Board of Supervisors on policies and procedures pertaining to homelessness. The Commission works in collaboration with the County, 34 city governments, business sector, philanthropic organizations, community organizations, faith-based organizations, health care sector, public safety and other interested stakeholders to promote an effective countywide response to preventing and ending homelessness.

The Commission holds regular, public meetings on the third Wednesday of every other month. Commission meetings take place at the County Conference Center (CCC) located at 425 W. Santa Ana Blvd in Santa Ana, California 92701.

More information regarding the Commission, including membership, bylaws, agendas, meeting information and publications can be found on their website HERE.

Care Plus Program and Compass OC

The Care Plus Program offers enhanced care coordination for those who are the most vulnerable across the County’s System of Care. The program objectives are to expedite the identification of client needs and provide subsequent linkages to services with greater collaboration and maximization of resources. The program is facilitated through the use of multidisciplinary team meetings and Compass OC.

More information regarding the Care Plus Program and Compass OC can be found on the Care Plus Program website HERE.

Compass OC is a technology solution that facilitates data sharing between County departments and community-based organizations. The Compass OC database provides a platform to view a client’s programs history and service utilization in order to help create client care plans and assist in care coordination.

Clients are referred into the Care Plus Program from County Departments and/or contracted service providers.  The current contracted providers include Friendship Shelter, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA) and Project Kinship.