The CoC Pulse

Your weekly snapshot of homelessness response, housing initiatives, data, and community collaboration across the VA-504 Continuum of Care.

Welcome to the first edition of the VA-504 Continuum of Care Weekly Update, The CoC Pulse, brought to you by the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless (BRACH). We are excited to launch this new, official CoC weekly communication as a reliable source of information about homelessness, housing, and the collaborative efforts taking place throughout our region.

What is a Continuum of Care (CoC) Lead Agency?

Many people have heard the term "Continuum of Care," but aren't sure what it means.

The VA-504 Continuum of Care is the regional planning body responsible for coordinating homelessness response efforts across the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. Our mission is to bring together service providers, local governments, healthcare organizations, advocates, funders, and community members to create a coordinated system that helps people quickly regain stable housing and prevents homelessness whenever possible.

As the CoC Lead Agency, BRACH serves as the backbone organization for this collaborative work. We facilitate planning, coordinate federal and state funding opportunities, oversee the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), organize the annual Point-in-Time Count, support Coordinated Entry, convene community stakeholders, analyze data, and help ensure our regional homeless response system is effective, equitable, and responsive to community needs.

Simply put, our role is to help ensure that organizations are working together—not separately—to achieve the shared goal of ending homelessness.

A New Way to Stay Connected

Beginning this week, we'll publish a weekly CoC update highlighting important news, initiatives, upcoming events, funding opportunities, data, and ways for the community to get involved.

This won't just be BRACH's newsletter. It will serve as the official communication hub for our regional homelessness response system and will regularly feature updates from our community partners, including:

• PACEM

• The Haven

• The Salvation Army

• City of Charlottesville

• Local housing and human service organizations

• Healthcare and behavioral health partners

• Individuals with lived experience of homelessness

• CoC committees and workgroups

  
  

Our goal is to provide timely, factual information while increasing transparency about the work happening every day across our community.

Current Community Update: Encampment Assessment Underway

Beginning July 20 through July 31, the City of Charlottesville and the Continuum of Care are conducting a coordinated two-week assessment process with individuals residing at the Free Bridge and 0 East High Street encampments.

During this effort, outreach teams will meet individually with residents to better understand each person's unique needs, housing barriers, health concerns, income, veteran status, and connections to existing services. The information gathered will help ensure individuals are connected to appropriate resources and will inform future planning efforts as our community works toward long-term housing solutions.

This assessment represents a collaborative effort among outreach providers and community partners to engage residents respectfully and ensure decisions are informed by accurate, up-to-date information.

Volunteers Needed: Summer Point-in-Time Count

This week also marks an important milestone for our community: our first-ever Summer Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.

The Point-in-Time Count is a federally required census that provides a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. Volunteers work alongside experienced outreach staff to identify and survey individuals who are sleeping outside, in shelters, or in other locations not meant for human habitation.

While our community conducts the required winter PIT Count each January, this additional summer count will provide valuable local data to better understand seasonal trends, identify service gaps, and strengthen future planning efforts, in light of 2000 Holiday Drive, Vista 29, and other shelter and affordable housing

The Summer PIT Count will take place:

• Wednesday, July 22, 7:00-10:00 PM

• Thursday, July 23, 6:00-8:00 AM

We're still looking for community volunteers to assist with survey teams. No previous experience is necessary, and volunteers will receive training before participating. If you've ever wanted to make a direct impact in understanding homelessness in our community, this is an excellent opportunity to get involved. Interested in learning more? Visit www.tinyurl.com/summerPIT2026.

Looking Ahead

Homelessness is a complex issue that requires coordinated solutions, shared responsibility, and informed community conversations. We hope this weekly update becomes a trusted resource for service providers, local leaders, advocates, and community members alike.

Each week, you can expect updates on:

• Regional homelessness initiatives

• Housing and shelter developments

• CoC committee activities

• Funding opportunities and grants

• Community events and trainings

• Data and system performance

• Volunteer opportunities

• Partner spotlights

• Stories and perspectives from people with lived experience

  
  

Thank you for joining us as we launch this new chapter of communication and collaboration. Together, we can build a stronger, more coordinated homelessness response system for everyone in our region.

Questions, story ideas, or updates you'd like included in a future Weekly CoC Update? We'd love to hear from you.