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
Our Partner Organizations
Updated August 9th 2024
CoC Board
Karl Bertrand
Program Design & Development LLC.
Co-Chair
Allison McSpedon
Westchester DSS
Co-Chair
Annette Peters-Ruvolo
Westchester DCMH, Grant Recipient
Anahaita Kotval
Lifting Up Westchester, Grant Subrecipient
Sylvia Bolivar
The City of Mount Vernon, Grant Recipient
Angela Bailey
Lived Experience Representative
Helen Frankel
FSSY, Grant Subrecipient
Cynthia Knox
CHHOP, Grant Subrecipient
Nicole Granata
HDSW, Grant Subrecipient
Cordetta Creighton
The Guidance Center of Westchester, Grant Subrecipient
Anthony Sanchez
Westchester DSS, Vocational Services Representative
Vincent Madera
The Children’s Village, Grant Subrecipient
Sylvia Hamer
HOPE Community Services, Grant Recipient
James Coughlin
Westhab, Grant Subrecipient
Judy Mezey
City of White Plains Planning, Municipal Representative
Kathy Valencia
Lexington Center for Recovery, Grant Subrecipient
Kathleen Sutherland
BOCES Educational Representative
Jomarie Casarella
Westchester DSS, Grant Recipient
Brittany Hodgins
Hope’s Door, Domestic Violence Representative
Jeanette Carrington
CLUSTER, At Large Member
Grace Perry Scott
The Bridge Fund , At Large Member
Alba Guevara
City of Yonkers Planning & Development, ESG Recipient
Charlie Knight
YWCA of Yonkers, Grant Subrecipient
Colin Dacres
WestCop, Grant Subrecipient
Denise Wesley
MHACY, Grant Recipient
Paul Koziel
Lived Experience Representative
Paul Stolz
VA Hudson Valley, Veterans Service Representative
Ruthanne Becker
MHA of Westchester, Grant Subrecipient
CoC Subcommittees
Our Subcommittees
Anti-Racism Evaluation & Advisory Committee
The Anti-Racism Evaluation & Advisory Committee’s (AREA-C) mission is to support the CoC Board in ensuring that the policies and practices of the CoC identify and dismantle systemic barriers in access to housing resources for all people experiencing homelessness in our county.
The Data & Systems Committee is responsible for leading the CoC Board’s efforts to maintain and improve its HMIS and Coordinated Entry data collection systems. This includes ongoing modifications and continuous quality improvements in these systems to address new HUD requirements, improve efficiency and ensure maximum client participation in the Coordinated Entry process. The Committee is also responsible for maintaining and enhancing the systems’ ability to track outcomes to strengthen the CoC Board’s decision making.
The Education Committee is responsible for assisting the CoC Board in developing and organizing training and other educational opportunities for CoC member organizations. This includes organizing the CoC’s annual symposium and other periodic trainings and seminars with the goal of providing the staff of member organizations with the information and training necessary to serve their clients effectively.
The Governance Committee is responsible for assisting the CoC Board in ensuring that the overall governance of the Westchester County Continuum of Care complies with its Guiding Principles and governance best practices.
The Housing Success Committee is responsible for assisting the CoC Board in ensuring that residents of CoC funded housing programs receive the support they need to maintain their housing.
The Landlord Relations Committee is responsible for ensuring CoC member organizations maintain strong relationships with Westchester County landlords in order to maximize the number of housing opportunities for clients.
Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG)
The purpose of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (“LEAG”) is to engage and empower those with lived experience of being unhoused in the design, assessment and continuous improvement of the CoCs governance, programs and services.
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.
The Self-Sufficiency Committee is responsible for assisting the CoC Board in increasing awareness of, and participation in, the employment and employment readiness programs available in Westchester County.
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.