Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Inc.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
On any given night, more than 2,000 people in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties are homeless, according to the 2019 Point in Time count. Data from Central Florida school districts indicate an even larger homeless population -- the three counties above reported 17,172 homeless students in 2018 (most recent available figures). Homelessness can happen when individuals and families are thrown into crisis and lack resources to overcome what often is a series of difficulties such as job loss; mental or physical disability; medical emergency; domestic violence; addiction; and aging out of the foster system. High housing costs and low wages also contribute to homelessness. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford has just 17 affordable housing units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Central Florida also ranks low in median wages. With hours and jobs cut during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, people who already were struggling face a higher risk of homelessness.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Center for Women and Families
The
Center for Women and Families is an emergency housing program for homeless
women and families. We house up to 240 individuals each day; and about 900
people, including 350 children, annually. Designed for single women
and parents with children, we keep together hard to place family units, such as
parents with teenage sons, fathers with daughters, unmarried parents, and large
families.Beginning with crisis stabilization and a secured “home space,” every day and night, our adult guests are set on the path to housing, and improving their personal, economic and housing stability. We provide comprehensive case management along with access to supportive housing, housing documentation assistance, benefits applications, legal assistance, mental health and medical care, job training, legal assistance, benefits applications, and support for victims of crime. Children also receive support through our onsite educational childcare, pre-kindergarten classes, and enrichment activities.
Men's Service Center
The
Men’s Service Center addresses the
biggest unmet need in homeless services: comprehensive case management for
single homeless men. The program served 1,213 men last fiscal year, 154 of whom were veterans. Their
average length of stay was 83 days and 63%
were homeless for the first time.Most homeless men enter the program as a result of job loss, low wages, an unexpected expense, addiction, the onset of illness, or disabilities. This 250-man capacity program offers case management and tools which help the men attain affordable housing and achieve a more secure life. Specially trained staff members streamline the process of veterans’ benefits for guests who are veterans. Once enrolled, no one must sign in every afternoon to have shelter each night. This enables them to search for housing, work, look for employment, attend classes, receive medical attention, and do all of the things necessary each day to accomplish their goals.
Diversion Services
The Diversion Services program is an effective method of freeing up shelter beds for the
most vulnerable in our community, reducing the number of persons who need the
community’s costly resources, and promotes self-correction competencies.Thanks to funding from Orange County government, the Coalition’s Diversion program:Serves as a primary hub for Diversion Services in Central Florida.Guides eligible persons and families to consider options other than shelterHelps those seeking shelter to obtain or regain housing by providing mediation, conflict resolution, advocacy, assistance with identifying workable personal resources, mainstream resources, self-advocacy skills-building, and limited financial assistance.Financial assistance may include transportation to a family member; fees for securing ID’s, birth certificates, and Social Security cards; fingerprinting or credit check fees; and one-time upfront rental costs.
Community Health Initiative
Hundreds
of unsheltered homeless persons are present in downtown Orlando and its
surrounding neighborhoods every day. Many individuals experiencing homelessness
work and apply for jobs. Without an easily accessible, consistent means of
maintaining their personal hygiene it is extremely difficult to gain or
maintain employment. Without adequate hygiene, they are also at risk of developing
health conditions.The Coalition fills a gap in services for the unsheltered persons in our community who do not anywhere to maintain their hygiene. In addition to reducing the spread of illness, having a place to shower and receive clean clothing improves their quality of life, and can even have a transformative effect on their outlook and behaviors. In response to the need, we provide showers, laundry services, hygiene kits and clothing to unsheltered homeless individuals and families Monday through Friday. Clients are able to come in as often as needed for services and are encouraged to enter a Coalition shelter program when space is available.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid Rehousing provides time-limited rental assistance and case managed supportive services to individuals and families to help them develop the resources and skills needed to achieve self-sustainable stable housing. We use our experience and landlord connections to find housing units and help overcome clients' barriers to re-entering and maintaining permanent housing. While receiving rental assistance, clients take action steps that build stability such as medical and mental health services, job training, education, financial literacy, budgeting, saving, health insurance, and developing support systems in their community.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average number of service recipients per month
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Coalition served 3,455 unduplicated people last year across all programs -- residential shelter, housing and drop-in.
Number of homeless participants engaged in housing services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric represents the number of people who exited Coalition programs for permanent housing.
Number of bed nights (nights spent in shelter)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric describes the number of shelter nights for individual men, individual women, and families.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Meals served include those served to homeless shelter guests and to unsheltered homeless and very low-income members of the community.
Number of clients who maintain or increase income
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Maintaining or increasing income contributes to economic and housing stability.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
“The only option I had was the streets and it was horrible. I was scared all the time that my life was in danger.”
-- Annie lived on the streets for eight years, too sick with schizophrenia to find help.
-- Luis is a veteran who miraculously survived a spinal injury and two heart attacks, but lost his home in the process.
-- Sherry and her children, 6-month-old Jacqueline and 2-year-old James, slept in a car for four months after her husband left them.
Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida’s goal for every homeless individual and family is to permanently end their crisis of homelessness. Toward that goal, we focus first on housing options, and on overcoming challenges to stable housing.
Projected client outcomes for FY 2019-2020:
-- 55% of all residents will move into permanent housing upon exit.
-- 65% of adult residents will maintain or increase their income measured from time of entry into the Coalition program to exit.
-- 400 or more people experiencing homelessness will be diverted to permanent housing solutions instead of entering the homeless services system.
Programmatic goals:
-- Assist shelter guests with moving into affordable housing as quickly as possible.
-- Divert as many homeless individuals and families as possible to options other than entering the homeless services system.
-- Equip adults with the resources and skills needed to achieve long-term housing stability.
-- Provide infants, children and youth with a safe, nurturing, enriching environment during their stay at the Coalition that advances their educational and personal development.
Agency goals include:
-- Work to ensure financial sustainability for all programs and services.
-- Continue to work creatively with community partners to help Central Florida meet its goals for reducing homelessness.
-- Continue to seek ways to address unmet needs in the crisis response system.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida works closely with the City of Orlando, Orange County, Central Florida Continuum of Care, service providers, and many others to prevent new homelessness and permanently end homelessness for as many households as possible. To achieve these goals, we are a housing-focused shelter that operates within the region’s Coordinated Entry System to prioritize the neediest individuals and families for housing services.
Case managers work to find housing options, and to help our shelter guests overcome their personal challenges to financial and housing stability. If guests qualify for housing assistance with wraparound services, we refer them to supportive housing programs. While they wait for supportive housing placements, they can take advantage of all of our services to begin stabilization and economic improvement. For guests who do not qualify for supportive housing (more than 80% of our clients), case managers recommend and coordinate a range of services and referrals to enable guests to regain self-sufficiency.
Essential services, accessed easily on our campus or through partner agencies, are fundamental to our guests’ success. They include:
-- Safe interim housing and meals.
-- Housing navigation and document readiness.
-- Budgeting and saving coaching.
-- Specialized case management for veterans and accessing veteran’s benefits.
-- Victims of crime services.
-- Free onsite licensed childcare and preschool.
-- Children’s enrichment activities.
-- Referrals to medical services; adult and child mental health counseling; adult education; job training; legal counsel for landlord/tenant law, tenancy rights and responsibilities, or child support; debt counseling; and substance abuse recovery.
These services can set homeless individuals and families on the path to permanent housing and long-term housing stability.
We also meet acute needs of unsheltered homeless and very low-income people with additional drop-in services. Community Dinner serves 100-125 hot, nutritious meals nightly (up to 250 during COVID-19). Community Healh Initiative provides showers, laundry service, hygiene kits and clothing. We open for emergency shelter on designated cold nights and during weather emergencies such as hurricanes.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Founded in 1987, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is the largest homeless services provider in the region. In partnership with public entities, private businesses and community leaders, the Coalition has, over the last 10 years alone, given life-changing services to over 35,000 homeless people, including 8,000 children. We serve up to 500 men, women and children daily through our residential shelter programs and 100 or more unsheltered homeless and very low-income members of the community through our drop-in services.
Because of our history, large capacity, high quality of services, and flexibility in meeting gaps in community services, we have initiated numerous programs over the years that have been groundbreaking in Central Florida:
-- In 2018, the Coalition launched the first Diversion Services in the region to divert homeless individuals and families to housing solutions instead of entering the homeless services system.
-- We started the Community Health Initiative to provide showers, hygiene kits, laundry services, and clothing to unsheltered individuals and families.
-- The Center for Women and Families serves up to 240 single women and family members daily, providing private rooms for family units and dormitory-style accommodations.
-- The Men’s Service Center has a capacity of 250 men and offers a divided dormitory setting.
Shelter guests can count on their own temporary home space every day where they are safe and their belongings are secure without the need to sign in every afternoon for shelter each night. Every year, we serve more than 250,000 balanced meals, including our nightly Community Dinner for disadvantaged community members, which can prevent homelessness for people with extremely limited resources.
We operate at functional full capacity, using a vulnerability scale to ensure we are serving the most vulnerable in our community.
Management positions are held by experts in the field of homelessness, and an experienced, diverse staff of about 80 individuals meets the complex needs of a multicultural population. We benefit from the support of 5,000 volunteers who donate some 35,000 hours of service annually. The Coalition owns its property and maintains a strong financial foundation, thanks to numerous grants and contracts from federal, state, county and municipal entities; corporate and private foundation grants; and business and private donors. We are also proud to have received eight consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator.
The Coalition gratefully partners with more than 100 outstanding service providers, landlords, employers and many other valued collaborators. It is only with community partners and supporters that hundreds of homeless individuals and families secure homes every year and renew their hope for a brighter future.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
There are clear connections between our short-term outputs and our outcomes and long-term goals for shelter guests. People who are homeless need stable homes – our ultimate goal is to help them attain sustainable housing. If they already have income and skills for independence, we help them find an affordable home while addressing the issues that caused their homelessness. If they need help with
debt reduction, eviction forgiveness, legal counsel to arrange child support or other matters, we help them access that assistance. If they have a disability, we help them access available benefits. If they have a criminal history and haven’t been able to obtain a job, we advocate for them. If they will qualify for veteran’s benefits, we streamline that process. If they have limited job skills or education, preventing them from obtaining good-paying jobs, we help them locate resources to increase employability and earning potential. If they are addicted to drugs or alcohol and want help, we refer them to partner agencies that can assist them. If they qualify for permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing, we see that they are placed on the appropriate list, or placed in our rapid rehousing program.
Our case managers are experienced in assisting people with securing affordable housing and have relationships with dozens of agencies to provide the resources our guests need. Staff is also available to talk to, ask questions of, offer reassurance, and urge each guest forward. This is what leads people to do things they never dreamed of accomplishing; and how long-term housing stability is attained. Everything learned is a building block to be used now and into the future.
The Coalition could increase its services to each guest with additional case managers. The smaller the caseload, the greater the opportunity for individual attention, which leads to greater impact on guests. However, this requires increased financial support from the community. Every contribution, big and small, is vital to assist our guests and is enormously appreciated.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Ms. Kris Gault
Bakari Burns
Health Care Center for the Homeless
Christine Kefauver
HDR, Inc.
Jim Fritz
Orlando Magic
Sean McLaughlin
Timbers Resorts
John Rivers
4R Restaurant Group
Christopher Brockman
Holland and Knight LLP
Erin Youngs
Walt Disney World Resort
Jane Tebbe-Shemelya
Community Volunteer
Meagan Martin
Baker & Hostetler LLP
Mindy Brenay
Orlando Utilities Commission
Brooke Bonnett
City of Orlando
Steven Alexander
PFM Asset Management, LLC
Richard Wahl
Purple, Rock, Scissors
Brian Wilson
Dellecker Wilson King McKenna Ruffier & Sos, LLP
Ben Lalikos
Cogent Bank
Aaron Hill
Reed Automotive Group
John Hearn
Coalition for the Homeless
Jacqueline Churchill
Florida Department of Transportation
Gay Geiger AIA
SchenkelShultz Architecture
Brian King
Westbrook Services Corporation
Horace Barnes
Department of Veteran Affairs
Patrick Hewitt
Wharton Smith, Inc.
Kris Gault-Lewis
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Tom McGaffic
Brown & Brown Insurance
T. Pittenger
GrayRobinson, P.A.
Liza Bonet
SunTrust Bank
Amy Donley
University of Central Florida
Maritza Martinez
University of Central Florida
Lynn Sand
Leidos Engineering
Falecia Williams
Valencia Community College West Campus
Lou Nimkoff
Brio Properties
Brad Butterstein
Data Graphics, Inc.
Paul Ellis
Foundry Commercial
Lonnie Bell
Orange County Government
Jonathan Schmidt
AdventHealth Medical Group