ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida leaders gathered Wednesday to celebrate a major funding milestone and kick off the Foundations Project, a capital initiative led by the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to build a new Center for Women and Families in Orlando.
U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings joined Coalition leaders for the announcement.
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The Coalition filed plans in 2024 with the City of Orlando to construct a new 105,000-square-foot facility on its Parramore campus, replacing its current Center for Women and Families. Together, the investments are intended to support construction of a modern, expanded facility and broaden access to critical services for low- to moderate-income families.
The building design includes additional beds, an on-site integrated health clinic, a modern kitchen and dining hall, and workforce development. It is projected to increase their ability to serve the community by 40 to 50%.
“This is more than a building, it’s a pathway out of homelessness,” President & CEO The Coalition For the Homeless of Central Florida Brad Butterstein said.
Congressman Frost secured $3 million for the center through the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations process.
“Housing is the great fulcrum of every great society. If you don’t have a stable house, you won’t be able to start that business, do your education, or be in our society,” Frost said.
Orange County approved an additional $18.5 million, and the City of Orlando is expected to consider a $10 million funding package later this year to support construction.
“We’re moving the needle. It takes a collaboration between government, between the private sector, and the philanthropic sector to take care of the least of those in our community,” Demings said.
For more information on the Foundations Project, click here.