TaskForce for Ending Homelessness and Handy Expand Partnership to Improve Housing and Healthcare Outcomes for Seniors in South Florida
Joint statement issued by TaskForce for Ending Homelessness and Handy
Fort Lauderdale, FL — Just in time for the holidays, TaskForce for Ending Homelessness and Handy are proud to announce an expanded partnership designed to address the growing need for affordable housing for seniors across South Florida.
For more than 11 years, TaskForce’s Elder Haven & Hope Program has provided emergency shelter, case management, mental health treatment, and wrap-around support for older adults experiencing homelessness in Broward County. This program — made possible to this day through the long-standing generosity of The Jim Moran Foundation — offers a safe, productive, and supportive environment where seniors can begin rebuilding stability.
With the number of aging adults facing homelessness rising across the region, TaskForce and Handy have expanded their collaborative efforts to create new housing and healthcare pathways for Elder Haven residents. Through this partnership, Handy will provide free healthcare services during and after participants’ time in the program and, also with the support of the Jim Moran Foundation, will fund the costs of securing an apartment as individuals regain economic self-sufficiency. Together, the organizations are improving outcomes, reducing hospitalizations, and strengthening long-term housing success.
“This partnership is a game-changer for our seniors,” said Mikal Cartier, CEO of TaskForce. “A 63-year-old physically disabled mother with a homelessness history dating back to 2012 recently entered Elder Haven. Thanks to Handy’s partnership, she secured an apartment and moved into stable housing in time to enjoy the Thanksgiving and winter holidays in her own home surrounded by family."
“Handy is honored to support this critical work,” said Kirk Brown, CEO of Handy. “While our mission is rooted in serving youth, we’re seeing more and more young people whose primary caregivers are seniors facing housing or health instability. By helping stabilize these older adults, we’re strengthening the entire family system and ensuring the young people connected to them have a real chance at safety, consistency, and long-term success.
By enabling seniors to move into safe, affordable housing with ongoing support, the partnership helps prevent the unnecessary tragedies occurring on Broward County’s streets, where more than 115 people are estimated to have died in 2025. Stabilizing older adults also directly strengthens the wellbeing of the youth in their care—creating safer environments, reducing crises, and supporting long-term family stability. This collaboration creates a comprehensive pipeline from unsheltered homelessness to long-term stability, ensuring residents receive the services they need to recover and transition into safe housing.
About TaskForce for Ending Homelessness
For more than 20 years, TaskForce has provided street outreach, housing services, emergency shelter, behavioral healthcare, and wrap-around support to more than 100,000 adults and children moving out of homelessness. TaskForce continues to be a leading organization serving individuals and families in Broward County and throughout Florida. Learn more at www.TaskForceFL.org.
About Handy
Since 1985, Handy has transformed the lives of over 50,000 at-promise youth and their families by empowering them to take control of their own narratives and create a better future for themselves. Handy's success is proof that when you create lasting positive change for our youth, you change the future. Learn more at www.handyinc.org.
