Membership to the Kansas Balance of State Continuum of Care (CoC) is open and free to all parties who support the mission of the CoC as described in the CoC’s Governance Charter. Organizations and unaffiliated individuals residing or working within or providing services within the KS BoS geography may be members of the CoC. The Kansas Balance of State Continuum of Care encoourages any individual, organization, or company who has an interest in ending homelessness throughout the state of Kansas to become a member of the Continuum. 

The three types of membership are described below. Each person applying for membership can only apply for one of the membership types described below.

General Membership: General membership is open to any individual, whether or not they are affiliated with an organization. Multiple individuals affiliated with the same organization may participate in general membership.

Voting Membership (Organizational Representative): Organizational affiliation is defined as being an employee or board member of an organization. Voting membership of the CoC shall be limited to only one voting member per organization, to ensure that no organization has more representation or input than another. Organizations may designate a primary and alternate voting representative. Organizations can have multiple representatives actively participate in CoC general membership, but only one person per organization may be a voting member.

Voting Membership (Unaffiliated Individual): Individuals who are not affiliated with a represented organization may apply for an individual membership. Individuals that are affiliated as employees or board members with a member organization are not permitted to be unaffiliated individual voting members but may apply for general membership.

Conflict of Interest:
Pursuant to §578.95 of the CoC Program Interim Rule, all members Kansas Balance of State Continuum of Care (KSBoSCoC) must sign a conflict of interest statement.  This form serves as that statement. To read KS BoS CoC’s Conflict of Interest policy, please go here.  The conflict-of-interest statement must affirm that that members of the KSBoSCoC, Steering Committee, and Standing Committees will not participate in, or influence, discussions or resulting decisions concerning the award of a grant or other financial benefits to the organization that the member represents.

Conflict of Interest & Recusal 
It is the policy of the Kansas Balance of State CoC that a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between the members of the entire KSBoSCoC, Steering Committee, standing committees or any of its official committees and the organizations, which are receiving awards of grants or benefitting from other business items, shall in all cases be avoided. No member of the CoC (Steering Committee or standing committee, Member, Agent, or employee of Agent) shall vote or make recommendations on funding decisions concerning the award of a grant or other financial issues that: 

• Directly benefit them as an individual, or an immediate family member. 

• Directly benefit any organization in which they have a direct financial interest. 

• Directly benefit any organization with which they are affiliated in an official capacity; or 

• Directly benefit any organization from which they derive financial benefit, exclusive of stipends. 

To that end, no Committee member whose organization is submitted in the HUD CoC application and ranked for that application may vote on ranking policies. Such members may participate in the development of performance targets and the evaluation tool. Persons with lived homeless experience who receive services from an organization that may directly benefit from a funding decision may vote or make recommendations on funding decisions. 

 Members of the CoC will disclose potential conflicts of interest that they may have regarding any matters that come before the Kansas Balance of State CoC in full session, Steering Committee or standing committees.

Procedure

• Annual disclosures: All members will make a full, written disclosure to the Steering Committee of interests, relationships, and investments that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and be updated annually. If it is not entirely clear whether a conflict of interest exists, the member must disclose the circumstances to the Steering Committee to determine whether one exists.
• Meeting discussions: A member who knows he or she has a conflict of interest must not participate in the discussion except to share essential facts and to respond to questions. The person must not attempt to influence the committee’s action, either at or outside the meeting.
• Voting: A voting member who knows he, she, or they have a conflict of interest may not vote on that issue. The meeting Chair will announce upcoming votes in agendas, and a voting member who knows he or she has a conflict of interest must so disclose.  Voting members are encouraged to contact the Steering Committee to disclose but may also disclose during the meeting. The disclosure must be reflected in the minutes of the meeting.

Pursuant to §578.95 of the CoC Program Interim Rule, all members of the Kansas Balance of State CoC must sign a conflict of interest statement.  The conflict-of-interest statement must affirm that members of the BoS CoC, Steering Committee, and Standing Committees will not participate in, or influence, discussions or resulting decisions concerning the award of a grant or other financial benefits to the organization that the member represents.

I have read, understand, and agree to abide by the Conflict-of-Interest Policy of the KS BoS CoC. Listed below on this document I have disclosed any potential conflicts of interest that may exist at the date of signing. I further agree to disclose any potential conflicts at the meetings of any committee should they arise.