Across Central Florida, thousands of individuals and families don’t have a place to call home.
Many are living in their cars, on park benches, in tents, or on sidewalks. They often face overlapping challenges, including hunger and health issues, with little knowledge of where to turn for help.
Homelessness is more than just the absence of a roof. In fact, even after finding a place to live, many continue to face barriers such as limited income, few job skills, untreated health conditions, or difficulty navigating benefits and service systems.
That’s why housing, while critical, addresses only part of a more complex issue. Without coordinated support from community agencies, individuals often cycle through shelters, hospitals, and the streets, a pattern that drains both the individual and public systems without offering lasting solutions.
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) can address these gaps.
While often misunderstood and, more recently, overly politicized, it is not “free rent” or a lifetime of case management. Rather, it is housing paired with just enough support to help individuals or families stabilize and reach their highest level of self-sufficiency.
Evidence consistently shows that programs like PSH consistently keep 90% of their residents housed. In addition to stable, affordable housing, PSH includes essential support services like case management, employment assistance, mental health counseling, and other wraparound support tailored to individuals’ unique needs. This comprehensive approach aims to promote long-term stability and help people transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
To meet the growing needs of unhoused individuals, we’ve also launched a variety of initiatives, including programs that offer bridge housing for older adults, providing temporary, safe shelter while they transition to permanent housing, as well as efforts to connect unhoused veterans with housing and support.
If we want to end homelessness, we must look beyond shelter and invest in the services that make long-term stability possible.
Housing saves lives. But housing paired with supportive services can transform them.
For the thousands of Central Floridians living without a home, we need a holistic approach that includes affordable housing and programs that not only get people housed but also help them stay housed and thrive independently.
Carl Falconer serves as the CEO of Pathlight HOME, a provider of permanent supportive housing. Since its inception, Pathlight has helped house more than 8,000 individuals. The organization’s core programs and services include permanent supportive housing, career training, and a drop-in center for those experiencing homelessness and mental illness.
