The Cape Fear Homeless Continuum of Care (CFHCoC) recently announced Andrea Stough as its new homeless services director. She starts Sept. 25, according to a news release.

As an employee of the Cape Fear Council of Governments, Stough will be responsible for staffing the CFHCoC, supporting the mission and values of CFHCoC, administer federal and state grants that operate through the CFHCoC and coordinate the local system of assessment and prioritization of services for the homeless population, the release stated.

Stough will also be tasked with guiding the CFHCoC’s efforts at creating a new community-based strategic plan that better serves homeless individuals and families in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties, according to the release. The CFHCoC received funding from a HUD planning grant to work to develop the plan for the next three to five years.

Stough has over 20 years of social services experience. She served as the residential services director at Open Gate Domestic Violence Shelter and Services for the past three years and was the outreach/advocacy coordinator for 11 years before that, the release stated.

She has experience in program development, implementation and evaluation, as well as overseeing a staff that serves a vulnerable population. Stough has also served on the CFHCoC Board of Directors for the past two years.

The CFHCoC is a division of the Cape Fear Council of Governments, which serves as the HUD-required lead agency, the release stated. Activities of the CFHCoC include stabilizing households to reduce the length of time families/individuals experience homelessness, fostering increases to household income, increasing successful housing placements and supporting housing retention.