CoC Bylaws

Article I: Mission

The mission of the Northern Nevada CoC is to ensure homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Article II: Definitions

Ad Hoc Working Group(s)

Ad Hoc Working Groups are established to work on projects or tasks of
critical importance to the Northern Nevada Continuum of Care. Ad Hoc Working Groups will have
varying durations depending on the topic or issue, they may disband when an issue has been
resolved or is no longer relevant, or they may meet on an ongoing basis. Ad Hoc working groups will
be comprised of staff from participating agencies and sub-populations within the Northern Nevada
Continuum of Care.

Collaborative Applicant

The collaborative applicant is the entity that submits the annual Continuum of Care application for funding on behalf of the Continuum of Care. The collaborative applicant is charged with collecting and combining the application information from all applicants for projects within the CoC’s geographic area.

Continuum of Care (CoC)

The CoC was established in response to a mandate from HUD for local coordination in addressing homelessness. According to HUD, “the Continuum…is a community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency.”, Washoe County Housing and Homeless Services (WCHHS) is the Lead Agency for the Northern Nevada Continuum of Care, and provides staff time for Continuum of Care activities and responsibilities including the annual CoC application process and the Point in Time Count.

Continuum of Care (CoC) Coordinator

The Continuum of Care Coordinator is a role that is responsible for coordinating key business items (ex. Federal mandates) on behalf of the CoC and the Northern Nevada CoC Leadership Council, and ensuring stakeholders are convened to get business done through a consensus model.

Continuum of Care (CoC) Member

A CoC member can be an individual, agency and/or department within a jurisdiction who is concerned with and/or providing services to the homeless population or a specific sub-population. It is recognized that multiple departments can exist within each agency/jurisdiction and an agency with more than one individual representing that organization will be recognized as one member.

Homeless Assistance Grant

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grant is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide funding to local homeless programs through the Continuum of Care network. Funding can be provided to Private and Public Entities.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a local information technology system used to collect client level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families, and persons at risk of homelessness. The CoC is responsible for selecting a HMIS software that complied with HUD’s data collection, management, and reporting standards.

Leadership Council

The Leadership Council is the official board acting on behalf of the Northern Nevada CoC. The role of the Leadership Council is to take action on all related business requiring direction and/or formal actions to support the CoC’s mission of ending homelessness in the region. The Leadership Council is responsible for strategic planning, coordination, and direction of working groups, and administrative items as needed.

Leadership Council Chair

The Leadership Council Chair shall provide direction and guidance to the Leadership Council and Standing Committees on issues regarding homelessness, affordable housing, and HUD guidelines as they relate to the CoC. The Leadership Council Chair is responsible for presiding over the Leadership Council meetings, approving Leadership Council agendas, representing the CoC at public meetings, presenting to groups on behalf of the CoC, and has signing power on behalf of the CoC.

Leadership Council Vice Chair

The Leadership Council Vice-Chair is responsible for supporting the Chair, and representing the CoC when the Chair is unavailable or absent.

Private Entity

An entity that is funded primarily by private funds (i.e. non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, funders/advocacy groups, businesses, and hospitals/medical representatives) or individuals not representatives of a particular organization or agency.

Public Entity

An entity that is publicly funded (i.e. local government agencies, public housing agencies, school systems/universities and law enforcement/corrections).

Standing Committees

Standing committees of the CoC meet at least semi-annually to fulfill specific tasks necessary for ongoing CoC operation. Standing committees will have varying tasks based on the topic or issue. Standing committees will be comprised of staff from participating agencies and stakeholders within the Northern Nevada Continuum of Care.

Article III: Leadership Council

It is the responsibility of the NNCLC to act as the governing entity for the Northern Nevada Continuum of Care (CoC) and to adopt such rules and operating procedures as it deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities under State and Federal legislation.

Section 1. Members of the NNCLC.

The NNCLC will be made up of not less than five (5) and not more than twenty-one (21) elected participants of the Continuum. Members will represent a variety of stakeholders including the three jurisdictions of the CoC (the City of Reno, City of Sparks and Washoe County) as well as public and private entities. The NNCLC, with assistance from stakeholder groups and committees will make a concerted effort to assure that at least one representative of the following groups is included on the Council:

A representative from each of the three local jurisdictions (City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County);
An agency representing homeless youth;
Private sector business and industry;
The Veteran’s Administration;
Faith-based organizations;
Emergency shelter providers;
CoC grantees;
The Washoe County School District;
A substance abuse treatment provider;
An affordable housing expert;
A mental health service provider;
A person experiencing homelessness, or someone who has previously experienced homelessness;
A law enforcement representative;
A representative for Coordinated Entry;
A providers serving victims of domestic violence and/or victims of human trafficking;
A health care provider.

Members may represent more than one group simultaneously. Current members are listed as an attachment to the bylaws.

Section 2. Officers.

Officers of the NNCLC include a Chair and Vice-chair, who are nominated and elected by a majority vote of the NNCLC. Officers serve two-year terms which may be renewed. Officers may resign before their term is up via written notification to the CoC Coordinator.

Section 3. Term of Office.

There shall be no term limits. Members volunteer to participate and are approved by a majority vote of the NNCLC members present at the regular meeting for which NNCLC membership is listed as an agenda item. Members resigning from the NNCLC are asked to submit notice of their resignation in writing to the Chair of the NNCLC.

Section 4. NNCLC Meetings.

The NNCLC shall meet monthly one week prior to the regularly scheduled RAH meeting. The NNCLC meetings take place the first Tuesday of each month at 3:00 pm unless the meeting falls on a holiday. Members of the NNCLC, or their designee are expected to attend at least 75 percent of regularly scheduled NNCLC meetings. Failure to meet attendance requirements may result in replacement of the member by the NNCLC.

Section 5. Duties of NNCLC.

Members' responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Attend NNCLC meetings and committee meetings on a rotating basis;
Participate in a minimum of one subcommittee;
Oversee the CoC Grant application process;
Evaluate all proposed projects, both new and renewals, for CoC Grant funding;
Review and comment on federal and state homeless legislation;
Represent the Northern Nevada CoC at public meetings;
Gather and report community input on homelessness.

Members may also be responsible for other duties that may arise from time to time.

Section 6. Voting.

While the NNCLC will strive to achieve consensus, the affirmative vote of a majority of Members present shall be used for the approval of any matter. Members must be present to vote and shall be entitled to one vote per entity.

Article IV: Committees

Committees may be formed and disbanded by the NNCLC as needed. Committees are to provide recommendations to the NNCLC and work on behalf of the CoC. They can place agenda items on the RAH agenda or forward agenda topics to the NNCLC for input. There are two types of Committees:

Standing Committees that meet year-round to fulfill specific duties and;
Working groups that are ad hoc and meet for a specific purpose, which upon completion, may disband.

Standing committees include, but are not limited to:

HMIS - ensure the Continuum’s service providers are kept up-to-date with regard to technical services and data collection. This subcommittee would also recommend data and technical standards to the Continuum.
Point in Time (PIT) Planning - establish policies and practices for conducting the annual point in time (PIT) count of the homeless. Assist in collection and validation of data to include a street count, motel count, provider survey and interviews.
Statewide CoC Coordination - communicate and coordinate CoC specific activities and ensue statewide approaches to implementing the CoC as appropriate.
CoC Rating and Ranking - analyze new project proposals, review past performance of renewal projects to ensure compliance with grant requirements and recommend prioritization of projects to the Executive Committee.
Regional Alliance to end Homelessness (RAH) - RAH is a monthly meeting of stakeholders who work to end homelessness across the region. RAH meetings will be held monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 8 am unless the regular meeting falls on a holiday. The RAH agenda is drafted by the NNCLC with input from RAH members. RAH members provide guidance on the local issues that need to be addressed and facilitate cross agency collaboration.

Ad hoc workgroups include, but are not limited to:

Advocacy - advocate on behalf of the CoC to local and state leadership, prioritize the issues to advocate.
Coordinated Entry - oversee the Coordinated Entry system on behalf of the CoC and ensure the CoC is utilizing up to date Coordinated Entry policies in compliance with HUD.
Diversion - develop and oversee a diversion process for all populations served within the CoC from entering the homeless system or provide rapid resolution to homelessness.
Data - evaluate CoC data, provide oversight of HMIS licenses and utilization, and oversee utilization of the Data Quality Management Plan.
Youth - study the problem of homeless youth and identify long-range solutions to this complex issue.
Veteran - study the problem of veteran homelessness and identify long-range solutions to this complex issue.

Article V: Fiscal Agent

In the event one is necessary, the NNCLC may appoint a fiscal agent who will handle funds in accordance with applicable rules of the funding source.

Article VI: Conflict of Interest, Recusal, and Other Ethical Matters

There are two kinds of conflicts of interest. Conflicts can be actual, potential, or perceived. Both types of conflict, individual and organizational, can result in a real, potential, or perceived impartiality and that is where the conflict of interest presents.

Actual - A situation in which an individual does have a financial or social interest in a decision.
Potential - A situation in which there is no current conflict of interest but there could be in the future.
Perceived - A situation in which there is no actual or potential conflict of interest, but individuals think there is.
Individual conflict of interest can be defined when a person’s own self-gain and their commitments to the NNCLC and CoC interfere. The person is potentially unable to provide impartial or unbiased support to the NNCLC and CoC in certain situations, like awarding funding or ranking applications for funding. An example of a potential individual conflict is when a Board member has a relative or partner working at the organization applying for funding.
Organizational conflict of interest can be defined when a person is potentially unable to provide impartial support to the NNCLC and CoC in certain situations due to their employment or relationship with an organization. An example of when this can happen is a Board member is employed at a partnering organization applying to the CoC for funding.
No Member of the NNCLC and/or CoC may participate in or influence discussions or resulting decisions concerning the award of a grant or other financial benefits to the organization that the member represents.
No Member who is an employee, agent, consultant, officer, or elected or appointed official of a recipient of federal, state, or local grant funds or its subrecipients and who exercises or has exercised any functions or responsibilities with respect to activities under those grant funds, or who is in a position to participate in a decision-making process or gain inside information with regard to those grant funds, may obtain a financial interest or benefit from a CoC activity, have a financial interest in any contract,
subcontract, or agreement with respect to a CoC activity, or have a financial interest in the proceeds derived from a CoC activity, either for themselves or for those with whom they have immediate family or business ties, during their tenure or during the one-year period following their tenure.
Members of the CoC will disclose potential conflicts of interest that they may have regarding any matters that come before it in full session, NNCLC, or committee, and will recuse themselves. All Members will sign a Conflict-of-Interest statement annually.
Members will recuse themselves from any matter in which they may have a conflict of interest. Recusal includes abstention from voting and participation in discussion on the matter.
Members will not discriminate against any person or group based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, or any other federal, state, or local protected group.

Each CoC and/or Committee member shall annually sign a statement which affirms such person:

Has received a copy of the conflict-of-interest policy;
Has read and understands the policy; and
Has agreed to comply with the policy.

Any failure to adhere to the policy may result in disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include but is not limited to:

Oral warning
Written warning
Suspension
Termination

In addition to disciplinary action, civil and/or criminal penalties may be sought.

If at any time during the year, the information in the annual statement changes materially, the CoC Governance Council and/or Committee members shall disclose such changes and revise the annual disclosure form at the earliest opportunity.