Every person deserves a safe, stable place to live. Yet homelessness, which can drive or exacerbate mental health and substance-use disorders, is often a barrier that prevents our most vulnerable citizens from finding a secure place to live.
Recognizing the complexities of homelessness, Grand Avenue Economic Community Development Corp. (commonly known as Pathlight HOME) was founded in Orlando, Florida, in 1992 to provide housing and economic opportunity to homeless and low-income individuals who need a second chance.
Pathlight HOME was the first organization in Florida to apply the “Housing First” model to address homelessness. Through its Transforming Lives Through Housing & Economic Opportunity program, Pathlight HOME provides access to affordable housing without preconditions. At the same time, it makes available voluntary, wraparound services, such as case management, community-based healthcare, and career training and employment services.
Pathlight HOME pioneered an innovative approach to creating permanent housing: It acquired two abandoned motel properties and renovated them to become more than 700 affordable efficiency apartments. It also transformed the commercial kitchen of one of those motels into a Culinary Skills Training Center, providing residents and nonresidents with culinary training and a pathway to jobs in the food service industry.
Homeless individuals are referred to Pathlight HOME through a long-standing collaboration with Homeless Services Network of Central Florida. Employment services and career training for residents and nonresidents are provided on-site and in partnership with Advent Health Orlando and Rosen Hotels and Resorts.
“Working in partnership with these amazing organizations has enabled us to move more than 7,000 homeless individuals from the streets to permanent housing, and from the unemployment line to good and steady jobs, since 1992,” said Babette Allen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pathlight HOME.
“Pathlight HOME began as a dream shared by our founders, Rev. Fred Maxwell and Helaine Blum. That dream continues to grow,” Allen added. “Today, we’re working to replicate our program so that all Floridians who have been displaced by rising housing costs have a secure place to call home and hope for a better future.”
When I lived on the street, I was robbed three times and raped. I was scared of everyone, and I kind of isolated myself. I honestly thought I was going to die out there. This program has given me a new outlook.”
A resident of Pathlight HOME
who was homeless for eight years