Coalition for the Homeless Orlando Breaks Ground on 105,000 SF Center

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida broke ground in Orlando on October 28, 2026, on a six-story, 105,000 square foot Center for Women and Families on its Parramore campus. The building, part of the Coalition for the Homeless Orlando campaign called the Foundations Project, is backed by $19.5 million from Orange County and $10 million from the City of Orlando, with DeAngelis Diamond as contractor (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News).

The new building replaces an aging facility and is designed to put emergency shelter, bridge housing, health care and support services under one roof. Florida Construction News reports it will carry the name Morgan & Morgan Center for Women and Families after a financial commitment from the law firm (Florida Construction News).

What Happened

Orange County announced the groundbreaking for Wednesday, October 28, at 18 North Terry Avenue in Orlando. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, City Commissioners Shan Rose and Michael Scott and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost attended along with Coalition representatives (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News).

The project team, as reported by Florida Construction News, includes DeAngelis Diamond as construction contractor, Zyscovich, now part of the Stratus team, as architect, and TLC Engineering Solutions and VHB on engineering. AdventHealth is listed as a community partner (Florida Construction News; Orange County Government).

What the Building Includes

• Size: six stories and more than 105,000 square feet (Florida Construction News).
• Shelter: 112 additional short-term residential beds (Orange County Government).
• Bridge housing: more than 20 bridge housing units with more than 75 beds, which Florida Construction News puts at 76 beds (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News).
• Health care: an on-site clinic offering medical, dental and mental health services (Florida Construction News).
• Food service: a modern kitchen and dining facility, with expanded meal service targeting about 337,000 meals a year (Florida Construction News).
• Families: childcare and youth programs (Orange County Government).

The center is one of two buildings in the initiative. A separate Pathways Administration Center will move administrative functions out of client housing. Together, the buildings are expected to raise the Coalition’s service capacity by 40 to 50 percent, from about 800 to 1,160 people a day. No size or cost was given for the administration building (Florida Construction News).

How It Is Funded

The total project cost has not been disclosed. The public commitments named so far are $19.5 million from Orange County, drawn from federal community development, disaster recovery and emergency solutions grant programs; $10 million from the City of Orlando through its Accelerate Orlando initiative; and $3 million in federal Community Project Funding secured by Rep. Frost. The county also cites additional federal grants and community partnerships without amounts (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News).

The figures moved during the year. At a May 6, 2026, funding event, News 6 reported $18.5 million approved by Orange County and said a $10 million city package was expected to be considered later in the year (News 6 via the office of Rep. Maxwell Frost). The October county release lists $19.5 million from the county and the $10 million city commitment (Orange County Government). At the May event, Coalition President and CEO Brad Butterstein called the project “a pathway out of homelessness” (News 6 via the office of Rep. Maxwell Frost).

Where Things Stand

With ground broken, the project moves into construction on the downtown campus. Neither the county nor the trade coverage gave a completion date (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News). The new building replaces the Coalition’s current center on its Parramore campus, where the organization already serves clients, and plans for the 105,000 square foot building were filed with the City of Orlando in 2024 (News 6 via the office of Rep. Maxwell Frost).

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Contractors and subs: a six-story mixed program building with residential, clinic and commercial kitchen space draws on MEP, food service equipment and interior trades. Subcontract opportunities run through DeAngelis Diamond (Florida Construction News).
• Public funding: the capital stack leans on federal community development and disaster recovery dollars passed through local government, similar to the recovery funded housing WCG covered in St. Petersburg Approves $40.85M in Disaster Recovery Funds for Six Housing Projects.
• Owners and nonprofits: combining shelter, bridge housing and a clinic in one building is a model other providers are pursuing, as in Rochester’s True North Apartments, which pairs affordable housing with a wellness clinic.
• Developers: projects with layered public funding often carry federal compliance requirements, which affect bidding and documentation.

What to Watch

• A disclosed total cost and completion date.
• Details on the Pathways Administration Center, the second building in the plan (Florida Construction News).
• Any further federal grant amounts referenced by the county (Orange County Government).

Bottom Line

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is now building a 105,000 square foot, six-story center for women and families in Orlando with at least $32.5 million in named public funding. DeAngelis Diamond is the contractor, and the building is expected to lift the Coalition’s daily capacity by 40 to 50 percent once both buildings are complete.

Key Questions

What is the Coalition for the Homeless Orlando building?

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is building a six-story, 105,000 square foot Center for Women and Families on its Parramore campus in Orlando, with shelter beds, bridge housing, a health clinic and a kitchen (Florida Construction News).

Who is the contractor for the Coalition for the Homeless Center for Women and Families?

DeAngelis Diamond is the contractor for the Orlando Center for Women and Families, and Zyscovich, now part of Stratus, is the architect (Florida Construction News).

How is the Orlando Center for Women and Families funded?

Orange County committed $19.5 million and the City of Orlando $10 million, with $3 million in federal Community Project Funding secured by Rep. Maxwell Frost. The total project cost has not been disclosed (Orange County Government; Florida Construction News).

When will the new Coalition for the Homeless center open?

An opening date for the Coalition for the Homeless Center for Women and Families in Orlando has not been announced (Orange County Government).

Related Coverage

• St. Petersburg Approves $40.85M in Disaster Recovery Funds for Six Housing Projects
• Habitat Breaks Ground on 26 Affordable Townhomes in Lealman
• True North Apartments Opens: $39M Affordable Housing and Wellness Clinic in Northeast Rochester

Image credit: Florida Construction News. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Orange County Government, Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to Break Ground on New Center for Women and Families, https://newsroom.ocfl.net/media-advisories/press-releases/2026/10/coalition-for-the-homeless-of-central-florida-to-break-ground-on-new-center-for-women-and-families/
• Florida Construction News, Orlando breaks ground on six-storey, 105,000-square-foot centre for women and families, https://www.floridaconstructionnews.com/orlando-breaks-ground-on-six-storey-105000-square-foot-centre-for-women-and-families/
• News 6 (reposted by the office of Rep. Maxwell Frost), New center for women and families planned for Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood, https://frost.house.gov/news/in-the-news/new-center-for-women-and-families-planned-for-orlandos-parramore-neighborhood