Orlando Breaks Ground on New Homeless Center for Women and Families

City, county, and federal leaders broke ground on Wednesday on a new $60 million center in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood designed specifically to support homeless women and their children. The six-story facility, spearheaded by the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, aims to address a critical gap in local services by providing 112 short-term beds and 20 transitional housing units with 75 beds for families requiring longer stays.

This expansion comes at a time of acute need. Recent data from the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida indicates that more than 2,700 people are currently experiencing homelessness across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. For mothers like Destiny Wallace, who is currently receiving help at the Coalition for the Homeless, the lack of stable housing is more than a logistical hurdle—it is a systemic blockade. Wallace described the experience of being a homeless mother as a “brick wall” in her life, though she noted that the support systems currently in place have given her hope for her family’s success.

A Shift Toward Wrap-Around Stability

The new Center for Women and Families is not designed as a simple dormitory. According to Coalition CEO Brad Butterstein, the goal is to provide “wrap-around services” that address the root causes of instability rather than just the symptoms. This includes a healthcare clinic, workforce development programs, and nutritious meals to fuel residents as they work toward permanent housing.

A central pillar of this strategy is the integration of on-site medical care. Through a partnership with AdventHealth, families will receive a health assessment upon entry and have access to medical services without leaving the facility. This approach is intended to reduce the reliance on emergency rooms for routine care, a common and costly pattern for the unhoused population.

“Providing a healthcare clinic, providing workforce development, making sure those meals are nutritious to fuel the body and just create a social environment here… Provide that counseling. Provide that support. Those are the wrap around services, we’re talking about.”
— Brad Butterstein, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless

Funding the Parramore Expansion

The financial backing for the project reflects a coordinated effort between three levels of government.

While the primary source lists the total project cost at $60 million, other reports note that the specific construction of the new facility on North Terry Avenue is a $19 million project that will replace a 75-year-old building. This new 105,000-square-foot structure is expected to increase the Coalition’s community impact by 40 to 50 percent, according to Leon Kirkpatrick of the Coalition.

Closing the Transitional Housing Gap

One of the most significant additions to Orlando’s civic infrastructure is the inclusion of transitional housing. While emergency shelters provide immediate safety, they often lack the bridge to permanent residency. Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose pointed out that this is a glaring omission in most existing shelters, making the new center’s 20 transitional units a vital component of the city’s broader strategy.

This project does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a wider push to modernize the city’s response to homelessness, which includes Orlando’s citywide action plan for unsheltered residents, the 407 Connect mobile overnight shelter, and a $7 million renovation by the Christian Service Center for the Homeless.

Timeline for Completion

The Coalition for the Homeless currently assists 1,100 men, women, and children daily through its outreach and social service programs. The new center will significantly expand this capacity, but residents and advocates will have to wait for its completion. Leaders expect the Center for Women and Families to open its doors during the first quarter of 2028.

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