The History of HOME—
During the late 1990s, the City of Kissimmee took the lead in spearheading a positive response to an increasing number of homeless families in Osceola County. The entire community was invited to participate in developing a strategic plan to assist the homeless in becoming self-sufficient. Representatives from social services, Osceola County government, the faith community, business, and medicine joined together to create a plan.
The planning group formalized their structure and long-term commitment to the project by organizing as a program of Transition House, a local nonprofit who had been part of the planning process. In doing so, HOME would be able to pursue grants and benefit from Transition House’s oversight, credibility, and experience as a social service organization.
After several years of careful planning and discussion about how to best serve the homeless and the larger community, the group arrived at the decision to develop a campus where homeless women and their children could live as they worked towards becoming self-sufficient. The campus was imagined as a place where families would spend about a year living in a supportive environment and receiving assistance with employment, financial management, and other issues. It was envisioned that the campus would be a vibrant place that would empower its residents and enlist the support of many community entities. The campus would be the first of its kind in Osceola and a model for other communities.
Months of searching for the perfect location finally yielded a 5 acre parcel owned by the City of Kissimmee and located centrally on John Young Parkway. The city agreed to sign a long-term lease with HOME, grants were written, and the project began in earnest. In 2006, HOME received its 501(c)(3) status, meaning that the organization could apply for grants as a stand-alone organization. HOME received several grants to fund the effort and construction began in earnest.
