The Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County in Florida refurbished existing homes with support from the TD Charitable Foundation and community to rent to families looking for a new start.
Key Points
- The Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County is transforming historic homes to provide stable housing at rent families can afford in one of Florida's wealthiest areas.
- Affordable rents, well below local market rates, help families stabilize financially while working toward independence.
- Residents receive personalized support, including case management, employment assistance and financial education.
- A rent-reporting program helps families build credit and prepare for future housing opportunities.
- Support from the TD Charitable Foundation helped expand housing opportunities and create more pathways to self-sufficiency.
Tucked in St. Augustine, Florida, the nation's oldest city, is a neighborhood where families experiencing homelessness get a second chance.
The "shotgun"-style cottages there once housed Henry Flagler’s rail workers and their families as they built the railroad down to Miami more than 100 years ago.
But by the early 2000s, the once thriving blue-collar area had evolved over time and become more known for disrepair and crime.
Despite the challenges, the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County saw an opportunity to boost local housing affordability for families like Janice, a single mother, and her young son, Jeremy, (names changed for privacy) who arrived at the Coalition’s campus from a domestic violence shelter four years ago.
How the Homeless Coalition is bringing new life to old homes
In 2023, Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County received a $175,000 TD Charitable Foundation Housing for Everyone grant, which allowed the Coalition to renovate nine historic but run-down homes.
Janice and Jeremy first moved into a transitional home — one of the newly renovated railroad cottages — as they began rebuilding their lives.
“A lot of people would come by and say, ‘Why do you want to preserve these old shacks?’” Debi Redding, Executive Director of the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, said. “They’re cottages, they’re beautiful and they’re part of our history.”
The homes showed years of neglect: termite damage, wood rot from leaky window-unit air conditioners and ripped vinyl flooring.
Now, the homes are safe and have central heating and air conditioning, luxury vinyl plank flooring and all new appliances.
The Homeless Coalition currently owns and rents 23 single-family homes with two, three or four bedrooms. These homes are either new builds completed by community volunteers or renovated, preserved houses like the rail worker cottages.
The homes are on a five-acre community, complete with resources like laundry facilities and a computer room designed to help families with minor children experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives.
“When they come to us, they don’t have anything, they’ve lost everything,” Debi said. “We know we’re dealing with families that have experienced a great deal of trauma, and we’re offering them a place to come in and heal.”
More than a home: families get services to help rebuild lives
The Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County assigns case managers like Janice’s at the start of every resident’s journey. Case managers meet with them twice a month to track progress and offer guidance, while residents create family goals for the next few years and receive coaching on how to achieve them.
Residents at the Coalition must bring in a regular income to stay, so case workers help them prepare resumes and job search. Janice found a job making minimum wage soon after arriving. Parents like Janice also receive support finding childcare and other resources to make it possible to retain a job.
“In the first month, it’s part of what we’re doing, we’re teaching them how to be self-sufficient,” Debi said.
Three of the 23 homes act as transitional homes for people referred to the Homeless Coalition from University of Florida Health St. Johns Care Connect, which determines placement by vulnerability assessments, Debi said.
These are families who are experiencing homelessness and are often turned away by other organizations — people who have minor children, poor credit scores, evictions, possible past felony convictions and substance abuse problems.
"The people who need the most help come to the Homeless Coalition," Debi said.
While the Coalition's transitional housing costs $550 a month and permanent housing costs $850, Zillow estimates the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in St. Johns County is about $1,850 per month. That gap gives families room to stabilize financially while working toward long-term independence.
The Homeless Coalition wants families to feel truly at home when they first arrive and continue to maintain stable living conditions, so each family receives furniture and décor that matches their tastes and preferred colors, Debi said.
When residents are ready to take on more responsibility, they enter into “permanent housing” on campus, which isn't meant to be a forever home, but a place where families can stay for three to five years while they rebuild their finances and lives.
Building credit and confidence
With her new job and housing, Janice diligently made her rent payments and budgeted her money. She also had the utilities put in her name and made payments to begin improving her credit score.
However, the biggest expense for families like Janice's — paying rent — wasn't making a noticeable difference to credit history because rent typically isn't reported like mortgage payments.
Debi said Seth Dreyfuss, Senior Regional Giving Manager, TD Bank U.S., first made the nonprofit aware of a program through Credit Builders Alliance that did just that. Through technical assistance provided by Credit Builders Alliance, nonprofits can learn how to offer renters the opportunity to build or repair their credit score by engaging a third-party company to report on-time rental payments to the credit bureaus.
These programs have costs to participate. The Homeless Coalition didn't want to pass those costs to their residents, so it applied for and received scholarship from Credit Builders Alliance, that was also funded by TD, and now is able to register all families to participate.
“(Our) relationship with TD and Credit Builders Alliance has become a critical component of our program,” Debi said. “We do financial fitness and education, but we’ve got a much deeper understanding of that. It helps to develop them and their skillset, so they’re better prepared to move on in the community.”
Janice excelled in her work, and took advantage of an apprenticeship for bookkeeping, after which she began a new role at a new company. As she continued to do well both professionally and raise her credit score through Credit Builders, Debi said it was time for her to graduate from the Coalition’s services.
Janice was proud of herself, Debi said, another benefit of giving vulnerable families a path forward.
“It built her self-confidence, and her son has seen that,” Debi said. “He has seen her work really hard. She has a career now; she has benefits. It’s just a really good success story, and she’s thriving. We were a big part of helping her get there. But she did the work.”
How the Homeless Coalition is building for the future
When Janice and Jeremy left for their new life in a new city, Debi said they took the furniture and home goods that were donated to help tailor the home to the mother’s tastes.
Families average three years with the Coalition before moving on, but length of stay depends on progress toward goals and self-sufficiency. The organization is looking to expand its homes and services to help more families in St. Johns County, the wealthiest county in Florida, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau survey.
She credits the community’s neighbors for giving so much volunteer time renovating and building homes and donating necessities. She also is grateful for support like the resources provided by the TD Charitable Foundation.
“If we didn’t have a relationship with TD, our campus would look different,” Debi said. “TD was able to come in and help us beautify this neighborhood and make it safer for these vulnerable families.”
The Coalition’s now focused on its $5 million expansion plan, turning current offices into the 24th home and opening a children’s education center.
Building eight duplexes with "16 homes for 16 more second chances" is also in the future, Debi noted.
FAQs
How is the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County helping families experiencing homelessness?
The Homeless Coalition provides housing affordability, case management, employment support, financial education and other resources to help families with minor children move toward long-term stability and independence.
What makes the Coalition's housing affordable?
The Coalition offers transitional housing for about $550 per month and permanent housing for about $850 per month, significantly below the estimated cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment in St. Johns County. Lower housing costs help families stabilize financially while rebuilding their lives.
How does the Coalition help families prepare for future housing opportunities?
In addition to providing affordable housing, the Coalition helps residents build or repair their credit through a Credit Builders Alliance rent-reporting program, access employment opportunities and develop financial skills that can support future housing goals.
How is TD supporting housing affordability in St. Johns County?
A $175,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation helped fund renovations of historic homes that now serve as affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness. TD also connected the Coalition with Credit Builders Alliance, which supports residents' credit-building
efforts.