Our Mission

The mission of Westchester County’s Continuum of Care Partnership to End Homelessness is to coordinate all of the stakeholders, systems, and resources available to prevent and end homelessness in Westchester County, NY.

Our Vision

The vision of the CoC Partnership is that within the next ten years, all persons and families experiencing the possibility of homelessness in Westchester County will have a permanent, safe, decent, and affordable place to call home, will secure the means to economic stability and that no one will remain homeless in Westchester for more than 30 days before being restored to appropriate housing.

Our Purpose

The purpose of the CoC Partnership is to assist in the coordination and development of services and housing for homeless and low income persons with housing needs by seeking to:

  • Provide knowledge and engage the general population of Westchester County to understand the issues around homelessness

  • Identify housing and services needs of homeless and low-income persons in Westchester County based upon ongoing needs assessments

  • Distribute relevant information to Westchester County service providers to address housing needs

  • Mobilize the fullest possible variety of public and private resources to prevent and end homelessness in Westchester County

  • Mobilize resources to help individuals and families achieve economic stability

  • Support planning and development of services to meet prioritized needs within Westchester County

  • Encourage the development of a diverse array of permanent affordable, subsidized, and supportive housing throughout Westchester County

  • Effectuate all Continuum of Care responsibilities and set forth by HUD

Our Guiding Principles

This document sets forth the guiding principles of membership and participation in The Westchester County Continuum of Care Partnership for the Homeless.


Partner Agencies


CoC Board

Karl Bertrand
Program Design & Development LLC.
Co-Chair

Craig Wong
Westchester DSS
Co-Chair


Annette Peters-Ruvolo
Westchester DCMH, Grant Recipient

Anahaita Kotval
Lifting Up Westchester, Grant Recipient

Sylvia Bolivar
The City of Mount Vernon, Grant Recipient

Ruthanne Becker
MHA of Westchester, Grant Recipient

Helen Frankel
FSSY, Grant Recipient

Cynthia Knox
CHHOP, Grant Recipient

Nicole Granata
HDSW, Grant Recipient

Cordetta Creighton
The Guidance Center of Westchester, Grant Recipient

Jamila Espinal
Westchester DSS, Vocational Services Representative

Vincent Madera
The Children’s Village, Grant Recipient

Sylvia Hamer
HOPE Community Services, Grant Recipient

James Coughlin
Westhab, Grant Recipient

Judy Mezey
City of White Plains Planning Representative

Kathy Valencia
Lexington Center for Recovery, Grant Recipient

Kathleen Sutherland
BOCES Educational Representative

Jomarie Casarella
Westchester DSS, Grant Recipient

Brittany Hodgins
Hope’s Door Domestic Violence Representative

Tajae Gaynor
CLUSTER, Grant Recipient

Grace Perry Scott
The Bridge Fund , At Large Member

Alba Guevara
City of Yonkers, Grant Recipient

Charlie Knight
YWCA, Grant Recipient

Tiffany Brown
WestCop, Grant Recipient

Denise Wesley
MHACY, Grant Recipient

Anthony Sanchez
DSS, Vocational Services Representative


Paul Stolz
VA Hudson Valley, Veterans Service Representative

Angela Bailey
Lived Experience Representative


CoC Subcommittees

Our Subcommittees

Anti-Racism Evaluation & Advisory Committee

The mission of the Anti-Racism Evaluation & Advisory Committee is to ensure that all policies and practices of the Westchester County Continuum of Care Partnership to End Homelessness (CoC) seek to identify and dismantle systemic barriers in access to housing resources for all people experiencing homelessness in our county.

Coordinated Entry/Data & Systems Committee

The purpose of the Coordinated Entry/ Data & Systems Committee is to enhance access to CoC services by clients, improve overall coordinated entry and CoC system efficiency, and track system outcomes to strengthen decision-making.

Education Committee

The purpose of the CoC’s Education Committee is to organize, develop, and maintain successful trainings and educational opportunities for CoC member organizations. This includes organizing the CoC’s annual symposium, and other periodic trainings, and seminars. The goal of the Education Committee is to ensure that CoC member organizations provide there staff with information and trainings necessary for providing the level of knowledge and skill needed to serve there clients with competence and professionalism.

Housing Success Workgroup

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is designed to serve the nation’s most vulnerable people, including those experiencing chronic homelessness. These individuals and families are challenged by chronic health conditions, substance abuse and mental health issues, social isolation, and poverty. The purpose of the CoC’s Housing Success Workgroup is to support the implementation and use of the Housing First Model and to discuss and address the barriers that PSH clients face in accessing and maintaining housing. To increase housing retention rates with the understanding that housing stabilization is essential to improving the health conditions and overall well-being of our program participants. Housing providers meet with County and CoC leadership to review individual situations and share ideas and support as they work together to find solutions on individual and, as needed, systemic levels.

Landlord Relations Committee

The purpose of the Landlord Relations Committee is to discuss ways to: formulate programs to improve landlord-tenant relations, accumulate information on available housing accommodations, resolve problems and disputes between landlords and housing organizations through mediation and/or discussion, and to work together to increase the number of landlords associated with CoC housing programs.

Patriot Housing Initiative

The purpose of the Patriot Housing Initiative Committee is to address systemic barriers identified by providers and Veterans that prevent Veterans from getting housed quickly and efficiently with the ultimate goal of ending homelessness among Westchester County's veterans


Permanent Supported Housing Coordinated Entry Referral Conference (PSH-CERC)

The PSH CERC works to standardize and streamline PSH processes by crafting and implementing strategies related to Coordinated Entry such as; matching participants facing chronic homelessness to PSH vacancies, eliciting cross-agency collaborations, discharge planning from emergency systems of care into PSH, transferring from one supportive housing program to another, and other PSH topics related to Westchester County’s Coordinated Entry system.

Rapid Re-Housing Coordinated Entry Referral Conference (RRH-CERC)

The RRH CERC works to standardize and streamline the RRH processes by crafting and implementing strategies related to Coordinated Entry such as; the prioritization and matching of participants, connecting participants with RRH programs, supporting RRH participants working toward improving their income, and other RRH topics related to Westchester County’s Coordinated Entry system. 

Self-Sufficiency Committee  

The purpose of the Self-Sufficiency Committee is to gather vocational and housing providers together to discuss ways to increase the self-sufficiency of formerly homeless individuals/families enrolled in time-limited CoC subsidy projects. These are participants who may have disabilities, but also want to work towards self-sufficiency.

Street Homeless Workgroup

The purpose of the CoC’s Street Homeless Workgroup is to discuss who and where people are living outdoors, in vehicles and in other places not intended for habitation throughout Westchester County. This discussion is aimed at creating better access for street homeless individuals/families into Westchester County’s Coordinated Entry system. Additionally, this workgroup strengthen’s service providers ability to coordinate outreach services and take swift, effective action in emergencies.