The public is invited to learn how local programs and coalitions are working together with the Balance of State Continuum of Care (BOSCOC) to address homelessness in our area and throughout Wisconsin. Carrie Poser, Director of the BOSCOC will speak on Wednesday, May 23rd from noon to 3pm at St. John Lutheran Church (302 N Parker Drive, Janesville, WI 53545) on the following topics:
•Illustrate the big picture of how the Balance of State and local homeless coalitions work together.
•Show the importance of homeless and housing agencies working together with other service providers to address the community needs.
•Reaffirm the purpose and importance of our local coalition and answer questions about the role of the local coalition and the Balance of State.
•Identify areas of strength and areas in need of improvement locally.
•Bring agencies and programs together to provide a more comprehensive system for our area homeless.
The BOSCOC has been in existence since 1992. The BOSCOC covers 69 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and extends from the shores of Lake Superior in the northwest to portions of the Chicago metro area in the southeast. The population for the continuum is 3.8 million and it covers an area of 52,533 square miles. The BOSCOC has met regularly since its inception at various locations around the state and brings together people from a wide geographic area that includes urban, suburban and rural areas. All members share a common purpose to provide quality homeless services in an effort to end homelessness. Because of the diversity and size of the BOSCOC, localized continua of care that reflect particular communities or geographic areas meet regularly and representatives from these groups make up the BOSCOC. These different, smaller groups represent areas that have very different service arrays for homeless people and needs unique to their area. Bringing together the local continua of care at quarterly meetings is a key activity for the BOSCOC. The quarterly meetings hosted by the BOSCOC provide training opportunities and technical assistance for homeless service providers belonging to local continua of care. Additionally, the BOSCOC collects and analyzes data from the member agencies for submission to HUD and prepares the annual HUD CoC grant application for the membership. For more info visit www.wiboscoc.org
