Council on Homelessness

Meet the Members

The Board of Supervisors has established many boards, committees, and commissions to which it appoints Contra Costa residents to serve, on a volunteer basis, to advise the Board on the myriad of programs and issues under the Board's jurisdiction.

The Contra Costa Council on Homelessness is charged with providing advice and input on the operations of homeless services, program operations, and program development efforts in Contra Costa County. Council members are appointed and serve two year terms.

Contra Costa Council on Homelessness Recruitment FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (in PDF)

What is the Council on Homelessness?

The Council on Homelessness works to improve the local response to homelessness in Contra Costa County. Councilmembers support and govern the Contra Costa Continuum of Care (CoC).

The Council on Homelessness encourages all members of the community to apply for a seat. The Council aims to include members with a broad representation of abilities, ages, sexual and gender identities, immigration statuses, and racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as geographical representation within the County. Individuals with lived experience of homelessness and/or the justice system are encouraged to apply.

*Read this Recruitment FAQ document before applying to the Council on Homelessness. This document explains the role of Councilmembers and the application process.

For more information about the Council on Homelessness and its work supporting and governing the Continuum of Care (CoC), including information about the programs, funding, and performance, go to cchealth.org/h3/#Council.

Who Does the Continuum of Care (CoC) Serve?

The Contra Costa Continuum of Care serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness by providing services that are needed to help these individuals and families move into permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. For data on the populations served within the CoC during the 2022 calendar year, see bottom of the page.

What do Councilmembers do?

Members of the Council on Homelessness:

• Attend required monthly meetings, participate in subcommittees, and attend quarterly General Membership meetings
• Provide advice and input on homeless service operations and development
• Review and prioritize project applications for some funding sources
• Gather and analyze information to determine local needs
• Educate the community and policy makers on issues relating to homelessness
• Measure system performance in addressing homelessness
• Provide guidance on the development and implementation of long-range planning and policy development related to housing and homelessness

Councilmembers will participate in an extensive orientation process and have access to regular trainings, technical assistance, and the Contra Costa Health, Housing & Homeless (H3) services staff support to help them carry out their responsibilities.

Who Can Apply?

All Council members must reside or be employed in Contra Costa County and be willing to sign and abide by the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest policy upon being seated as a Council member and annually thereafter.

What qualities is the Council seeking in an applicant?

The Council is comprised of 19 seats designated by area of expertise. Applicants must fit the description of the vacant seat they select during the application process (Please see "What seats are open?" below for more information about seats that are currently vacant). Applicants for the Council must also be able to abide by the Conflict of Interest and Code of Conduct policies.

The Council prefers applicants with:

• Specific skills, relationships, or resources related to a vacant seat during the application cycle (Please see “What seats are open?” below for more information about seats that are currently vacant).
• Prior board/volunteer or leadership experience in the homelessness or homeless-adjust fields
• Current or past lived experience of homelessness
• Affiliations with organizations or agencies that serve various homeless sub-populations (such as chronic substance use challenges, individuals with serious mental illness, individuals experiencing chronic homelessness persons with HIV/AIDs, veterans, families with children, unaccompanied youth, seniors, and victims of domestic violence (including dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking)
• Connections with government and community-based organizations that are not currently connected to the Council on Homelessness
• Demonstrated knowledge and critical thinking on how to address homelessness in Contra Costa
• Unique expertise, opinions, and viewpoints on homelessness issues
• Past active participation in systems meetings (including Council on Homelessness, Continuum of Care, or Youth Advisory Board meetings) and ability to generate recommendations or thoughts as a result of meeting participation
• Ability to be an active participation of Council on Homelessness meetings
• Commitment to the Council on Homelessness Guiding Principles and the Housing First approach:
  • Council on Homelessness Guiding Principle = Homelessness is first a housing issue, and necessary supports and services are critical to help people remain housed. Our system must be nimble and flexible enough to respond through the shared responsibility, accountability, and transparency of the community.
  • Housing First = A model of housing assistance that prioritizes rapid placement and stabilization in permanent housing that does not have service participation requirements or preconditions for entry (such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold).

How long would I serve?

Council on Homelessness members serve for a two-year term, which may be renewed.

What is the time commitment?

Council on Homelessness meetings take place the first Thursday of the month from 1 pm – 3pm in Martinez. Members of the Council are also expected to participate in at least one committee or workgroup, which typically meet on a monthly basis in Concord.

All Councilmembers are expected to attend meetings in person and can only attend virtually twice per calendar year under very narrow circumstances. Additionally, Councilmembers may miss up to two Council meetings per calendar year.

If you need support to travel to meetings, transportation accommodations may be arranged for you.

Where can I learn more about the Council on Homelessness?

cchealth.org/h3/#Council

Which seats are open?

The following 10 seats are accepting applications:

• Behavioral Health Representative: Candidates must work in the behavioral health field in Contra Costa County (i.e., peer support, clinician, system-level behavioral health planner, etc.).
• City Government Seat: Candidates Must be an employee of a city or town located in Contra Costa County. The candidate’s work must be related to homelessness, housing, and/or community grants/services, and the candidate’s employer must engage with unhoused populations in some manner. This seat is not open to representatives elected to positions in Contra Costa County.
• CoC/ESG Program Grantee: Candidates must work with an agency receiving Continuum of Care and/or Emergency Solutions Grant funding in Contra Costa.
• Community Member Seat: Candidates for this seat must live or work in Contra Costa County.
• Employment and Human Services Representative: Candidates must work for the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department.
• Faith Community Representative: Candidates must be an employee, volunteer, or congregant of the Contra Costa County faith community.
• Public Housing Authority Representative: Candidates must be an employee of a Housing Authority in Contra Costa County.
• Public Safety Representative: Candidates must have substantial experience in the public safety field in Contra Costa County.
• Reentry Services Representative: Must have substantial experience in the reentry field in Contra Costa County (i.e., services provider and/or correctional staff supporting individuals reentering the community after involvement with the criminal legal system).
• Youth Representative: Candidates must be between the ages of 17 and 24 and have lived experience of homelessness in Contra Costa County.

How do I apply?

If you are interested in applying to become a member of the Council on Homelessness, you must complete both the Supplemental Application and County Application.

1. Read this Contra Costa Council on Homelessness (CoH) Recruitment FAQ in full.
2. Complete the Supplemental Application:
   • a. Click here to apply
   • b. Your answers to these supplemental questions will be evaluated in relation to the experience and qualifications desired for available member seats. Please consider how your personal experiences, professional expertise, and/or values may contribute to the Contra Costa Continuum of Care.
3. Then, complete the County Application:
   • a. After submitting the Supplemental Application, you will receive a link to complete an online application that is required by the County Board of Supervisors.
   • b. Although you must complete all sections of the application, the CoH Nominating Panelists only evaluate two components of this application:
     • i. Ability to comply with Conflict of Interest Policy
     • ii. Previous board/volunteer/community leadership experience
   • c. In other words, fill out this entire application, but your responses regarding your education, employment, or qualifications in this application will not be scored.
   • d. For the County Application, you do not need to submit a resume. No resumes will be reviewed in the nominating process.

You will be notified about the status of your application after November 2, 2023!

We want the application process to be straightforward and simple for you. If you need accommodations to complete the application, please contact Jaime Jenett, Staff to the Council, by emailing cchomelesscouncil@cchealth.org or calling or texting 925-464-0152. Asking for assistance will not affect the scoring of your submitted application.

We will also have two Council on Homelessness (CoH) Application Support hours to answer any questions and offer help to people who need support filing out their applications.

Support Session 1
Wednesday, September 13
12:00-1:00 PM
Register here

Support Session 2
Thursday, September 21
1:00-2:00 PM
In person at 2400 Bisso Lane, Suite D2, Concord

How long are applications being accepted?

Both applications must be received by 5 pm, Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Whom do I contact if I have questions?

Email: cchomelesscouncil@cchealth.org
Phone: 925-464-0152

Bylaws

• Governance Charter & By-Laws
• Advisory Board Handbook

Governance Chart

Larger image

Quarterly Reports to the Board of Supervisors

• 2023: Quarter 1
• 2022: Quarter 1 | Quarter 2 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4
• 2021: Quarter 1 | Quarter 2 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4

Work Plans

• 2022 Work Plan

Contact COH

Contact Us

About

The Council on Homelessness is the governing body for the Contra Costa CoC. The Council is compliant with federal and state regulations and is the planning body that coordinates the community's policies, strategies, and activities toward preventing and ending homelessness in Contra Costa County. The COH is responsible for approving some funding allocations for proposed projects and monitoring and tracking performance and compliance in coordination with the CoC and HMIS Lead Agency.

The Contra Costa Council on Homelessness, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, provides advice and input on the operations of homeless services, program operations, and program development efforts in Contra Costa County. The Council provides a forum for the Continuum of Care to communicate about the implementation of strategies to prevent and end homelessness.

Governance

The Council on Homelessness is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and serves for a two-year term, which may be renewed. All Council members must reside, or be employed, in Contra Costa County, demonstrate a professional interest in or personal commitment to addressing and alleviating the impact of homelessness, and contribute unique expertise, opinions and viewpoints on homeless issues. The Council consists of 19 seats including representation from homeless or formerly homeless persons, health care (including behavioral health), education, the faith community, government, housing providers, public safety, public housing authority, nonprofit homeless service providers and Veterans Administration. Members of the Council assist with and provide guidance in the development and implementation of long range planning and policy formulation of homeless issues in Contra Costa County, attend monthly meetings, participate (as needed and able) in subcommittees, and attend quarterly General Membership meetings as they are able. The Council on Homelessness meets on the 1st Thursday of each month from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. online. Meeting details can be found here.