CARES of NY

What CARES of NY does

CARES of NY, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 and headquartered at 5 Pine West Plaza, Suite 503, Albany, New York. The organization empowers communities to end homelessness through community planning, program data, supportive housing, and awareness-building. It operates across New York State, coordinating 12 Continuum of Care (CoC) programs spanning 26 counties and representing approximately 48% of the state's geographic area, working with communities in over 40 counties across both rural and urban settings.

The organization's core product is the CARES Collaborative Homeless Management Information System (CCHMIS), a secure, computerized data collection system built on Foothold Technology's AWARDS software platform. CCHMIS produces unduplicated counts of persons using homeless services and captures client-level information longitudinally, supporting HUD-mandated reporting including Housing Inventory Counts (HIC), Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, and System Performance Measures. Beyond CCHMIS, CARES delivers Coordinated Entry System leadership for three CoCs (Columbia-Greene, Dutchess, and Ulster), manages the Regional Advisory Board on Youth Homelessness (RABYH), and provides HMIS help desk support, data analytics, and program compliance monitoring for HUD CoC, ESG, HOPWA, and HOME-ARP programs.

Revenue is derived primarily from federal grants administered through HUD programs and from Unified Funding Agency (UFA) services including program monitoring and compliance review; CARES does not charge member agencies for core services. The organization is led by Chief Executive Officer Michelle Sandoz-Dennis, with Denise Brodt as Chief Program Officer, Eileen Wiebicke as Chief Financial Officer, and Samantha Barnaby as Chief Operating Officer. Mario D. Cometti is identified as the founder through his founding-era board service. Strategic partnerships include Foothold Technology as core technology provider and CDPHP, Inc. as a healthcare-housing integration partner via the CDPHP Housing Resources, Navigation & Support initiative.

Name

CARES of NY

Legal name

CARES of NY, Inc.

Website

https://caresny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CARES of NY, Inc. is a non-profit organization that administers the most expansive Homeless Management Information System in New York State, coordinating 12 Continuums of Care across 26 counties and serving as a UFA for HUD-funded homelessness programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless Services Coordination and HMIS Administration

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Homeless management information system
• Continuum of care planning
• Coordinated entry systems
• Homelessness services coordination
• HUD HMIS compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Saratoga Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants Administration: Administers federal funding through HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), and HOME-American Rescue Plan (ARP) programs. Acts as a collaborative non-profit supporting communities to create systems that end and prevent homelessness.
2. UFA (Unified Funding Agency) Services: Provides UFA designated services to certain CoCs, including program monitoring, compliance review, and fiscal monitoring for member agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CARES of NY operates CCHMIS, a HUD-compliant Homeless Management Information System, and provides homelessness services coordination across 12 Continuums of Care covering 40+ counties in New York State. The organization functions as the HMIS Lead and Collaborative Applicant, supporting coordinated entry, data reporting, CoC planning, and federal grant compliance for member agencies and local governments.

Product overview

CARES of NY is a non-profit organization that empowers communities to end homelessness through community planning, program data, supportive housing, and awareness-building. The organization's primary product is the CARES Collaborative Homeless Management Information System (CCHMIS), which is the most expansive HMIS database in New York State, covering 48% of the geographic area across 26 counties distributed between 12 CoCs. CCHMIS is built on Foothold Technology's AWARDS software platform and provides data management, coordinated entry systems, and compliance monitoring services. The organization also coordinates 12 Continuums of Care (CoC) and serves as the lead agency for Coordinated Entry Systems for multiple CoCs including Columbia Greene Housing Coalition, Dutchess County, and Ulster County. Additional services include the Regional Advisory Board on Youth Homelessness (RABYH), HMIS Help Desk support, data analytics and reporting (HIC/PIT reports), and program compliance monitoring for ESG, HOPWA, and HOME-ARP programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CCHMIS: CARES Collaborative Homeless Management Information System - administrates the most expansive HMIS database in New York State covering 48% of the geographic area across 26 counties
• CoCs

Products and services

• CCHMIS (CARES Collaborative Homeless Management Information System) HUD-compliant Homeless Management Information System database, built on Foothold Technology's AWARDS platform, used by member agencies across 12 Continuums of Care in NY State to record client-level data, generate HUD reports (APR, CAPER, LSA), and support coordinated entry.
• Coordinated Entry System Administration

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• Foothold TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationFoothold Technology provides the AWARDS software used by CCHMIS for Homeless Management Information System data collection. The AWARDS platform is a secure, computerized data collection system used to track homeless services and client-level information across 26 counties in New York State.
• CDPHP, Inc.significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDPHP (Capital District Physicians' Health Plan) partners with CARES through board representation (Kathy Leyden serves on the CARES Board as Director of Community Engagement) and the CDPHP Housing Resources, Navigation & Support initiative. The partnership addresses root causes of homelessness through healthcare and housing collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Bitfocus: Vendor of Clarity Human Services HMIS platform, a leading competitor to AWARDS used by CoCs in multiple states. Represents the primary alternative technology stack that competing CoCs could adopt if they switched HMIS administrators.
• Foothold Technology: Vendor of the AWARDS software platform on which CARES' CCHMIS is built. While not a direct competitor (they are CARES' core technology partner), they are an adjacent ecosystem participant whose strategy directly shapes CARES' delivery capability.
• New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA): NY State agency that administers HUD funding and contracts with CoC lead agencies including CARES. Functions as both a customer/funder and a regulator, making it a critical ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• Caseworthy / Simtech Solutions: Vendor of an HMIS/social services case management platform used by CoCs and human service agencies. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose platform competition affects CARES' technology strategy and operational flexibility.

Direct peers

• Institute for Community Alliances (ICA): National HMIS administrator operating across multiple states (IA, NM, ND, and others), providing the closest direct comparison to CARES' CCHMIS service. Both organizations serve as collaborative applicants/lead agencies for HUD CoCs and administer HMIS platforms on behalf of member agencies.
• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA): The CoC lead agency for the LA region, administering HMIS, Coordinated Entry, and HUD funding for one of the largest homeless services systems in the U.S. Operates with a similar role-mix to CARES but at much greater scale, making it a useful structural comparator.

Emerging players

• RHD (Resources for Human Development): National human services nonprofit that has taken on HMIS administration roles in some regions. Comparable in operating model to CARES but with a broader service portfolio that includes direct service delivery alongside administrative functions.

Broad incumbents

• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH): National nonprofit intermediary focused on scaling supportive housing, providing training, lending, and policy advocacy. Comparable to CARES in mission alignment (ending homelessness) and HUD-funded operations, though broader in scope and not an HMIS administrator.
• National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH): Leading national policy and advocacy organization on homelessness, providing training, technical assistance, and research to CoCs. Operates as a peer in the broader HUD-funded homelessness infrastructure ecosystem alongside CARES' planning services.

Regional players

• Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County: CoC lead agency for the Houston region providing HMIS, planning, and coordinated entry services. Operates a structurally similar role to CARES but in a different geography, making it a useful comparator for service delivery model and scale benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caresnyinc
• Xx.com/caresny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cares-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARES of NY