CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Released by HUD…
As anticipated, HUD released this year’s CoC NOFO June 1, 2026. Here are a few important details right out of the gate:
What is a NOFO and why do I care?
The 2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (commonly referred to as the NOFO) is the major source of funding that the Bristol County Continuum of Care (BCCC) relies upon and competes for on an annual basis to ensure its existing housing programs, HMIS and coordinated entry systems can continue as we work to end homelessness. The BCCC was awarded just under $4 million dollars for the current year for housing currently operated by Catholic Charities, Community Counseling of Bristol County, PAACA, PACE, Steppingstone and SEMCOA along with the CoC’s HMIS (data system) and the Coordinated Entry System.
Each NOFO round is a highly competitive process and the City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing & Community Development (OHCD) serves as the BCCC’s “Collaborative Applicant” coordinating the complexities of the NOFO application process. This year’s deadline for the BCCC to submit everything to HUD is August 26th so there is much to be done during the intervening time between NOFO release and application due date.
The CoC NOFO grant opportunity information is available here. As always, the OHCD is preparing the BC CoC’s collaborative application and any renewal or new individual project applications submitted by the deadline. We look forward to the challenge and working together with you in this process.
Outside of renewal funding, will there be any new funding available this year?
Yes! According to the NOFO this year, new projects will be considered. Acceptable project types we anticipate as being permitted to apply through the BCCC are:
New projects created with CoC Bonus funding or through the CoC’s reallocation process:
- New Transitional Housing (TH)
- Supportive Service Only (SSO)
- Supportive Service Only Coordinated Entry (SSO-CE)
- Permanent Supportive Housing (PH-PSH)
- Rapid ReHousing (PH-RRH) projects
- Dedicated HMIS projects (which the City of NB applies for on behalf of the CoC)
New DV Bonus projects created with DV-specific Bonus funding:
- RRH-Rapid Re-Housing for DV
- SSO-CE Supportive Service Only Coordinated Entry for DV)
All projects must serve participants who meet all of HUD’s eligibility requirements as noted within the NOFO.
Our organization is not getting any of this money now; can we apply for this new 2026 CoC funding?
Yes! We encourage everyone in the community to consider this opportunity! If you are a faith-based non-profit, housing authority or local/state government, you can apply provided you comply with HUD and BCCC requirements. The BCCC anticipates issuing an RFP for new projects soon that will provide additional specificity and details. For now, if you have any questions or would like to seriously consider applying, we invite you to contact the OHCD prior to June 9th and talk with us about your ideas. You can do so via email at Jennifer.Clarke@newbedford-ma.gov.
As additional information becomes available, we will share with you and as appropriate, update our website in this 2026 Competition section which we encourage you to keep an eye on.
The BCCC and OHCD reserves the right to modify details as additional information is published by HUD.
