Our History

The Saratoga North Country Continuum of Care roots can be traced back to the late 90s -early 2000s, when the economic wave that had benefited much of the nation had only begun to ripple into Upstate New York. Population increases in towns along the Adirondack Northway were the product of a general suburban residential boom serving the greater Capital Region while traditional population centers within the County continued to lose population and economic resources. It is this combination of diverse older communities, a dispersed population, a relatively stagnant economy, and the absence of a dominant central City (and dominant governmental service delivery system) that promoted the development of existing organizations to fulfill the homeless housing and support service needs of Saratoga County. Through the dedication and collaboration of these organizations towards a common goal, a de facto continuum of care system developed - covering the breadth of continuum components, including: homeless prevention, outreach and assessment, emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent and permanent supportive housing, and supportive services.

This relatively informal, yet effective, network coalesced through generous technical assistance from the New York State Rural Housing Coalition (NYS RHC). The NYS RHC provided the focal point and facilitated the establishment of a more formal, coordinated continuum of care network of homeless housing and support service providers in Saratoga County. Participants in the Saratoga Housing Alliance (as it was originally known) collaborated to develop a homeless housing and support services needs assessment - taking into consideration the full continuum of care spectrum. This assessment included an identification of existing and planned resources and services, foreseeable service needs, gaps within the service delivery system, and general priorities for future resource allocation and alliance action. Throughout the Alliance’s planning process, one issue remained forefront: the critical and increasing need for available permanent, and permanent supportive, housing for persons within the County’s homeless continuum of care system.

In 2001, the City of Saratoga Springs, as lead applicant, applied for (and received) Continuum of Care funding at the encouragement of CARES, NY. This formalized the already functioning collaborative de facto continuum of care system, covering the breadth of continuum components across Saratoga County. In 2005, Warren, Washington and Hamilton Counties joined Saratoga County to form the Saratoga-North County Continuum of Care. Since this time, the continuum has continued to hold bi-annual meetings with all agencies.

In the fall of 2019, a small group of local partners raised funds to bring to Saratoga a consultant with expertise in building collaboratives to end homelessness - and a expanded coalition was formed - the Saratoga Collaborative to End Homelessness. Over thirty agencies, from non-profits to the public and private sectors, agreed to work together to address homelessness in Saratoga. This new group was formally combined with the Saratoga Housing Alliance in November 2020 to become what is now known as the Saratoga County Alliance to End Homelessness. This union has presented opportunity for collaboration on an entirely new level, breaking down barriers of perceived responsibility, and setting the stage for implementation of our County’s coordinated, multi-agency street outreach program.

For information on how to join, visit our Membership Page.