Community of Hope was founded in 2005 when church members in Brevard County came together to provide affordable and transitional housing, permanent affordable housing, and other programs for families while they work to stay together, with a focus on families with children and ending the cycle of poverty. COH is dedicated to eradicating family homelessness in Brevard County, and helps residents with housing and programs including budgeting, parenting classes, nutrition and health, goal setting, and reaching self-sufficiency.

The mission of Community of Hope is: To build hope and healthy families through a helping hand program of structured housing. Allow families with children to remain together in a safe and decent living environment so that they may grow strong, become self-reliant, transform their lives, and crush the cycle of homelessness and poverty. 

Florida Community Loan Fund has provided financing to Community of Hope through 2 loans totaling over $600,000. This financing has allowed the organization to build new and rehab existing affordable homes in Brevard County.

Here is a story of one Florida family who was helped by Community of Hope.

As a widowed single mom, Helen had to learn how to walk a tightrope to keep her and her son housed and healthy. After the passing of her husband, the rope was stretched to its breaking point and she did not have the emotional or practical safety net to catch them if they fell. A local women’s shelter offered the safety net they needed when the rope broke but, despite hard work, they lacked the resources to get their life back.

Helen works full-time and attends college to become a Civilian Crime Scene Technician. She needed help to put a roof over her son's head. She wanted a home where she could feel safe enough to let her son ride his bike or play in their yard together. With the recent purchase of a 14-unit complex, with the support of City of Palm Bay Government and Florida Community Loan Fund, Community of Hope was in a position to provide the help they needed.

With funding through Brevard County, administered by our Partners at Housing for Homeless, Helen’s life is now heading in the right direction. Helen and Jax were able to move into a fully furnished unit and begin navigating through a new chapter of their lives together.

When this little family found themselves falling from the tightrope, housing leaders in this community came together with a plan that offered not just a safety net, but a chance to get back on their feet on a path forward rather than a frayed tightrope.

https://www.hopeofbrevard.com/

https://www.facebook.com/COHBrevard/

Learn more about FCLF and Community of Hope here.