A Community Challenge

It’s Closer Than You Think

Understanding homelessness in Broward County requires looking beyond the surface to recognize the complex and interconnected factors that contribute to housing instability. While rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing are major drivers, many individuals and families also face challenges such as unemployment, mental health issues, substance use disorders, domestic violence, and lack of access to supportive services. Broward’s diverse population means that homelessness affects people of all backgrounds—including veterans, youth aging out of foster care, seniors, and working families—each with unique needs and barriers to stability.

Efforts to address homelessness in Broward County are rooted in data-driven strategies and cross-sector collaboration.

Local government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and business leaders are working together to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and wraparound services.

Initiatives like the Broward Business Council on Homelessness aim to bring private-sector innovation and investment into the conversation, helping to scale solutions and drive long-term impact.

By understanding the root causes and tailoring interventions to meet people where they are, Broward is building a more compassionate and effective response to homelessness—one that prioritizes dignity, equity, and sustainable change.

Where Decisions Are Made — Why They Matter

Decisions around homelessness in Broward County aren’t made in isolation—they’re shaped by a network of leaders, organizations, and community voices working together toward lasting solutions. From policy development at the county level to strategic investments by business coalitions, each decision influences how resources are allocated, which programs are prioritized, and how quickly individuals can access the support they need. These choices impact everything from street outreach, emergency shelter availability to long-term housing strategies and mental health and substance use services.

Understanding where these decisions are made—and who’s making them—is key to driving meaningful change. Whether it’s the Broward Business Council on Homelessness aligning private-sector leadership, United Way coordinating frontline services, or local government setting policy direction, every action taken has a ripple effect across the community. When informed, collaborative decisions are made with compassion and data, they don’t just manage homelessness, they help end it.

These individuals and organizations play vital roles in policy, funding, strategy, and service delivery:

Government & Public Sector

Federal Government (HUD) - set national policy and regulations that dictate the trends and direction State and Local Government follow.

Broward County Commission – Sets local policy and allocates funding for housing and homelessness programs that is awarded from the Federal and State government and approves the funding allocations for local providers and HOSS-D.

Housing Solutions, Supports Division - Coordinates the Continuum of Care and oversees strategic planning and service integration. Mangers funds that are allocated by the Broward County Commission.

Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) – Provides state-level oversight and funding for housing, mental health, and family services.

Municipal Governments – Cities like Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Pompano Beach contribute local resources and implement programs. All 31 municipalities can participate in this process with their housing and general revenue dollars.

Business & Civic Leadership

Broward Business Council on Homelessness (BBCH) – A coalition of business and civic leaders driving private-sector engagement and innovation.

Broward Workshop – Influential CEOs and community leaders offering strategic guidance and advocacy.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance – Mobilizes the business community to support economic solutions and workforce development.

Nonprofit & Community Organizations

United Way of Broward County – Leads coordination of services, funding, and community engagement.

Local Service Providers – Organizations like HOPE South Florida, Covenant House, Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Broward Housing Solutions, Care Resource, Women In Distress, LifeNet4Families and the Salvation Army deliver direct support including shelter, case management, and housing.

Faith-Based Coalitions – Churches and religious groups offering outreach, shelter, and wraparound services.

Collaborative Bodies

Continuum of Care (CoC) Board – A federally mandated group that oversees homelessness strategy, funding decisions, and performance metrics.

How is Broward County Reducing Homelessness

Broward County is taking bold, coordinated steps to reduce homelessness through a blend of strategic investment, cross-sector collaboration, and data-driven innovation. At the heart of this effort is the Broward Business Council on Homelessness (BBCH), which unites civic leaders, private-sector partners, and nonprofit organizations to drive sustainable solutions. Together, they’re expanding access to affordable housing, strengthening wraparound services, and investing in prevention programs that stop homelessness before it starts.

Key initiatives include increasing the availability of permanent supportive housing, enhancing mental health and substance use treatment programs, and streamlining access to emergency shelter and transitional services. Broward’s Continuum of Care, led by the Housing Solutions and Supports Division, ensures that resources are aligned and outcomes are tracked. With support from organizations like United Way of Broward County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and the Broward Workshop, the county is not just managing homelessness, it is working to make is as rare and brief as possible.

Strategies to House the Homeless

Housing First

Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness quickly and without preconditions or barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment, or service participation requirements. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, addressing substance use issues, or budgeting properly.

Rapid Re-Housing

Rapid Re-Housing provides short-term rental assistance and services to ensure individuals and families experiencing financial challenges do not become homeless. The goals are to help people obtain housing quickly, increase self-sufficiency, and remain housed. The Core Components of rapid re-housing are housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management and services.

Defining Homelessness

Chronic

Chronic homelessness is the most publicly recognizable type of homelessness, which is defined as being homeless for longer than a year. It is common for people struggling with chronic homeless to face barriers to overcome their situation, including mental illness, a physical disability, or addiction.

Transitional

Transitional homelessness is the most common form of homelessness that results from a major life change or catastrophic event. Those life events could include losing a job, a medical condition, divorce, domestic abuse, and more. People experiencing transitional homelessness often enter shelters or temporary housing for a short period of time.

Episodic

Episodic homelessness is defined as three episodes of homelessness within a given year. Episodic homelessness can eventually become chronic without adequate resources and support. Those experiencing episodic homelessness may couch-surf with friends/family or sleep in their car.

Hidden

Hidden homelessness often goes unreported. These are individuals that are couch-surfing or rely on relatives or friends for a place to stay without immediate prospects for permanent housing. Since they never access homeless support resources, they are never included in national statistics.

Myths & Misconceptions about Homelessness

Homelessness is usually a long-term condition.

False. A common misconception is that those experiencing homelessness have been without a home for a long period of time. In reality, the most common homelessness experience is short-term, known as transitional homelessness. The most common length of time that someone is homeless is one or two days, and half the people who enter the homeless shelter system will leave within 30 days, never to return. Long-term, chronic homelessness is relatively rare.

Those who experience homelessness are unwilling to work.

False. According to a March 2022 article by Pallet, a Public Benefit Corporation, many of those experiencing homelessness have a job (or more than one) but do not earn enough to afford a place to live. It’s estimated anywhere from 25% to 60% of people experiencing homelessness across the country are employed. These individuals face daily challenges to maintain employment, including finding a place to shower, rest, and meet transportation needs.

Street feeding is an effective way to support the homeless.

False. Homelessness is a complex issue that is intertwined with mental health, substance abuse, and affordable housing. Non-sanctioned street feedings of the homeless deter them from accessing services and programs that address the root causes of homelessness and create issues related to public safety and legal liability.

It only affects people with addiction.

False. While addiction can be a factor, it is often a consequence, not the cause, of life on the streets.

There’s nothing I can do.

False. There is always something you can do — whether it’s volunteering, donating, advocating for affordable housing, or simply showing compassion.

Homelessness: A Community Challenge

It’s Closer Than You Think