Dave's House

Dave’s House provides permanent supportive housing for men and women with serious mental illness (SMI), giving them a solid foundation so they can manage life obstacles, and succeed. It was founded in 2008 by Lin and Ron Wilensky, to help others in the world like Lin’s brother, Dave, who had schizophrenia.

Dave’s House has developed permanent supportive housing for over 100 individuals who are living productive lives in an atmosphere of mental wellness, stability, autonomy, and safety. Nine single-family homes are located in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Fairfax, Virginia.

Working with partners at the local, state, and federal levels, Dave’s House develops homes based upon best practice PSH models. These models combine a solid foundation of affordable and stable housing, accompanied by managed mental health care provided by our behavioral health service partners. We also coordinate with other well-being service providers to assist residents.

Our homes have a 90% retention rate for residents. All our residents participate daily in a productive activity including continuing education, volunteering, and working. Through PSH, residents can more easily manage life obstacles, live in recovery, and achieve their dreams. Our homes provide independence, a sense of security, and a support network of acceptance and caring.

As we move into 2021, we are developing a long term plan to grow our services to reach more individuals in Central Florida and beyond. We have created a replicable model and will be making this available to other regions who want to launch Dave's Houses in their communities, as well as growing our reach locally by the acquisition of additional property offering services to homeless men and women who might become future residents of Dave's Houses. Watch us grow!

1.      Publish a handbook for those seeking to replicate Dave's House model and make it available.
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Our staff, board, and volunteers are well connected in the mental health community and fundraising circles. We have forged a strong partnership with our behavioral provider partners. This leadership and proven expertise provide the solid foundation on which Dave's House can build upon with our own internal network of community leaders. Dave's House also provides a strong staff and active board (with diverse backgrounds and expertise) that will continue to spearhead the organization and demand long-term stability.

Over its now 11 year history, Dave's House has shown consistent growth, moving from a volunteer-led organization with just a few homes to the provider of preferred solutions in keeping people with serious mental illness in stable, permanent housing. Dave's House currently has 9 homes, with funding sources identified for an additional 2 over the next 12 months, as well as partnerships for the "Dave's Housing First" model, which is described in detail in other sections. Also, Dave's House will host its fifth signature event on October 12, 2019, the Dave's House - House Party, celebrating the transformative lives of our residents with our corporate partners, major benefactors, and community advocates.