The Partnership operates under the firm belief that housing is the primary solution to homelessness. To that end, our programs include street outreach, emergency housing, rapid re-housing, and scattered-site permanent supportive housing. At all housing locations and in collaboration with our partnering agencies, residents are provided with the life changing tools of education, healthcare, job training and employment placement. We’ve proven that with the right support – physical, emotional and educational – people can find their way back home. Hope, independence and self-sufficiency are restored. This is how Broward Partnership breaks the cycle of homelessness.

Let’s start by dispelling the stereotypes. Most people experiencing homelessness don’t panhandle for change. Most have held good jobs in their past. Most are not addicts, nor do they suffer from mental illness. Most have no interest in advertising their situation, and, in fact, try very hard to hide it. They’re families. They’re friends. They’re often individuals from marginalized communities, where one personal hardship, such as getting laid off or getting sick, can quickly snowball into homelessness. More than anything, these people are not lost causes. They are capable, willing and ready. They simply need help finding their way back from a situation that feels overwhelmingly desperate – and would be for any one of us in their shoes.

In today’s climate, the biggest challenge faced by the Partnership and our community is the lack of affordable housing. In the Fort Lauderdale metro area, a renter needs to earn at least three times the minimum wage in order to be able to secure affordable housing. As such, for far too many individuals and families, any small emergency can quickly become a major financial crisis. Car repairs, health care emergencies, a family breakup, etc., can push people over the financial cliff and into homelessness.

We utilize a trauma informed, Housing First model of care that has been recognized to be among the most effective in the country. Our Homeless Assistance Centers (HAC) operate as a low barrier shelters, designed to screen clients in rather than screening them out, which ultimately increases access to shelter for some of the hardest to reach of the homeless population. The express focus of the HAC programs are to rapidly transition clients to a stable housing situation and to provide specialized services to ensure housing stability. A full complement of stabilization services includes case management, nutritious meals, child care, medical care, dental, mental health and substance abuse treatment, counseling and/or education, housing navigation, vocational training and employment services needed to establish self-sufficiency and housing stability.