The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is Live!

The NOFO dropped! The Way Home Continuum of Care partner agencies know very well what this announcement entails, but the general public may not be familiar with what this means or why it’s so important. Read on to discover why the NOFO is essential for our local homeless response system and our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

What is the NOFO?

Once a year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition. HUD recently opened this year’s competition which is expected to award over $2.6 billion to renew existing grants to over 7,500 community-based programs across the nation that serve people experiencing homelessness. Just last year, the NOFO brought more than $42 million into our local community! These resources are invaluable for providing permanent housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.

What’s the Coalition’s role in the NOFO?

Prior to 2009, organizations would individually apply to the federal government for funding. In 2009, there was a federal shift that required communities to submit a collaborative application for this funding that showed collective impact on solving homelessness. These collaborative applications show that funds are being put to work in a more strategic and efficient way.

The Coalition for the Homeless leads this collaborative application process for our local CoC. Each individual program completes an application, but the Coalition puts them together, adds in a big picture system narrative, and then submits the final application to HUD. Applications must demonstrate broad community participation and identify resources and gaps in the community’s approach to providing permanent housing and other critical services that address homelessness.

Under the Coalition’s leadership, we have been able to nearly double the public funding in our region from $25 million in 2012 to more than $42 million in 2020. Funds secured through the NOFO represent the largest single award of federal money that comes into the community each year toward solving homelessness. These dollars fund things like permanent housing, rental assistance, and supportive services.

How can I learn more?

Click here to read a press release from HUD announcing the competition. The Coalition website details the process for partner agencies of The Way Home.

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CFTH Leads 2026 PIT Count of People Experiencing Homelessness

By Catherine Villarreal • February 24, 2026

Houston, Texas (February 24, 2026) – This week, the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) is leading the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey (“PIT Count”) to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness across Houston and throughout Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties. “We may see a slight uptick in the number this year, but we have a plan,” said Kelly Young, President & CEO of CFTH. “With the support of the City of Houston, Harris County, and private funders, we have been piloting new interventions to shorten the length of time people in our region experience homelessness. With adequate funding, we look forward to expanding those interventions to help people regain lives of self-determination.” CFTH coordinates the Houston region’s public-private homeless response system, The Way Home . Through this collaboration, The Way Home partners have successfully housed over 36,000 people since 2012. CFTH will release the results of Houston’s 2026 PIT Count in the summer, following independent verification by an epidemiologist. These findings will provide insight into how factors such as increases in the cost of living and the end of federal pandemic relief funding have impacted homelessness in our region. More information about the 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey The PIT Count offers a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in our region on a single night. This year, the “night of record” is Monday, Feb. 23. CFTH determines the number of people staying in shelters on that night by pulling records electronically from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) . The unsheltered count will be conducted on the following days, from Tuesday, Feb. 24 to Thursday, Feb. 26. More than 400 volunteers and staff of local nonprofit service provider partners will canvass the three-county region to survey people living unsheltered, using an app on their mobile devices. Results from the 2026 PIT Count will help gauge the progress of The Way Home’s ongoing collaborative efforts. It will also help CFTH and partner homeless outreach teams understand geographic shifts and target their outreach throughout the year. The PIT Count illuminates specific programmatic gaps and provides additional information needed to allocate resources most efficiently. The PIT Count is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) funding process. HUD furnishes the majority of funding for programs that provide housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in the region. In 2024, HUD granted more than $71 million to the Houston area.

Preparing for a Winter Storm

By Catherine Villarreal • January 21, 2026

As lead agency to The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC), CFTH is working with local governmental entities to advocate on behalf of people experiencing homelessness to ensure their needs are being considered as winter weather affects our region. We will make frequent updates as we receive information. Please check back often for the latest information. Last updated 02/01/2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Press Release: CFTH’S 2025 Point-in-Time Count Results Highlight Shifts in Homelessness Across Houston

By Fryda Ochoa • September 9, 2025

While our system has helped thousands of people move from homelessness to housing, this year’s results highlight the need to broaden our approach.