Sign Me Up Broward

Homelessness affects everyone—it impacts the availability of healthcare resources, public safety, the workforce, the use of local tax dollars, and overall economic competitiveness and resilience. To reduce homelessness in Broward County, our business leaders need to be engaged. You bring expertise, knowledge, perspective, funding, and influence, which can encourage decision-makers to prioritize programs that support our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights, but many of our neighbors in Broward County face the hardship of homelessness each day. Everyone in our community deserves the opportunity to live a prosperous life with stable housing.

Our goal is to help you, our community's business leaders, to understand the impacts of homelessness on the broader community, develop a deeper understanding of the root causes of homelessness, eliminate the stigma associated with the homeless population, highlight the hard work of local service providers, and, most importantly, share opportunities for you to get involved by contributing your time, talent, and treasure.

Homelessness in Broward

The Scale of the Challenge

Reducing homelessness requires a wide-reaching collaborative effort in South Florida. As housing costs continue to rise in Broward County, an alarming number of residents can no longer afford to live or work in our community and are at risk of becoming homeless. By connecting our most vulnerable neighbors to available programs and resources, we can provide lasting solutions that can make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in our community.

The 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count identified 2,054 individuals experiencing homelessness. Of this total, 1,228 were experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, Broward County was named the “largely suburban community with the fifth-highest rate of individuals experiencing homelessness” in the United States.
PLACEHOLDER - Rebecca mentioned that the complete PIT report (with pictures we can use for the site) will be available at the end of March. Add updated details here.

The Causes

While circumstances may vary, the most common reason for people to experience homelessness is that they do not have access to housing they can afford. The sharp increase in housing costs across the United States, especially in Broward County, is a major contributing factor to the inability of many to acquire or maintain housing.

A variety of additional factors can contribute to homelessness, such as poverty, lack of access to affordable healthcare, domestic violence, mental illness, and substance abuse disorders. Physically accessing services can be challenging for many who experience homelessness, so local clinics are bringing medical and mental health services to the homeless community on the streets.

Innovative Solutions

Many local nonprofits and government agencies provide wraparound services to those experiencing homelessness, including physical and behavioral health, employment and training, and other critical needs. These services are designed to provide comprehensive, personalized case management to help those overcome the complex challenges that accompany homelessness and create barriers to long-term housing stability.

Local Innovations

Broward County's "Broward4Homeless" app provides those experiencing homelessness with access to available services.
Broward HealthPoint's mobile health unit travels to shelters, feeding cooperatives, and faith-based organizations to improve health outcomes for the homeless.
Broward County's Project HomeAgain encourages local landlords to participate in an affordable housing program that leases to veterans, families, and others working hard to rebuild their lives.
Emerging collaborations with the Broward County School Board, hospitals, first responders, the Specialty Courts, and jails to create individualized plans to support those experiencing homelessness, who are typically high or multi-utilizers of public services.

Learn more by visiting the Homelessness 101 page.

Sign Me Up Broward

Sign Me Up Broward