Since 1994 the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development has, in effect, required each funding application to be submitted as a part of a single community-wide or regional plan. ECHO is Austin’s HUD designated Continuum of Care (CoC) for Austin & Travis County. CoCs are most commonly organized around two main priorities, coordinating the housing and service systems in a community, and applying for funding from HUD’s competitive McKinney-Vento Act programs. ECHO is charged with providing dynamic proactive leadership that engages policy makers and the community in ending homelessness. In order to accomplish this, ECHO engages in a variety of activities including:

• Identifying and supporting the Continuum of Care for homelessness; 
• Coordinating the annual HUD Continuum of Care application; 
• Conducting the annual homeless count; 
• Providing outreach through the annual Homeless Resource Fair; 
• Serving as the homeless planning entity for the community; and 
• Advocating for homeless issues and solutions.

Further Reading:  Facts About Homelessness

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