2 - Join the CoC
Section 1- Responsibilities of CoC Board Members
The Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care (IA BoS CoC) Governing Board serves as the primary decision-making body for the Continuum of Care and helps guide efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Made up of 11-15 individuals from across the Balance of State’s geographic area and across the spectrum of services, this group meets monthly for public meetings on the second Thursday of the month.
Board Member Responsibilities include:
Attend at least 75% of monthly board meetings annually. Board meetings are generally 1.5 hours in length.
Participate in or Chair at least one Task Group.
Serve as a representative of the CoC and acts in the best interest to uphold the mission, vision, core values, priorities, and principles of this body. As a representative of the CoC, you are acting in the best interests of the CoC as a whole, not any particular agency that you may also represent.
Serve a minimum of one (1) three-year term on the Board.
Seek and consider community and public policy updates relevant to homeless issues.
Seek and consider public comment at its meetings on matters related to homelessness within the 96-county jurisdiction of the Balance of State.
Consider recommendations from the Iowa Council on Homelessness and community partners on matters related to homeless service-related policy, programs, and funding.
Review, revise, and approve CoC system‐wide policies and procedures.
Review annual performance standards and evaluation of outcomes for system performance.
Participate in planning and implementing the Sheltered and Unsheltered Point‐in‐Time Count, Housing Inventory Count, and Gap Analysis.
Cultivate and maintain a working knowledge of Task Group and CoC matters, is prepared for meetings and reviews comments on minutes and reports.
Build a collegial working relationship with other Task Group and CoC members that contributes to consensus.
Section 2- Apply for the CoC Board
To ensure cohesion and promote efficiency, the Iowa Balance of State CoC Board consists of 11 - 15 voting members. The Board is representative of the relevant community partners involved in preventing and ending homelessness within the CoC and includes at least one homeless or formerly homeless individual. Given the broad geographic area of the Balance of State CoC, special attention is paid to ensure that Board membership includes community partners from across Iowa.
Seats on the CoC Board are reserved, as follows:
Homeless or Formerly Homeless Individual (1 seat)
Government (up to 2 seats)
Subpopulations
Veterans (1 seat)
Youth (1 seat)
Survivors of Domestic Violence (1 seat)
LGBT (1 seat)
Health and/or Disability Services (1 seat)
Mental Health (1 seat)
Substance Abuse (1 seat)
Education (1 seat)
Criminal Justice (1 seat)
Other funders (up to 2 seats)
Faith-based community (1 seat)
An open invitation for Board membership will be done annually to prepare to fill terms set to expire in March for an April 1st term start date. To ask about the application process and if applications are currently being accepted, please contact Courtney Guntly.