Courtyard at Central HAC

Broward County
Homeless Initiative Partnership Administration

(HIP Administration)
Steve Werthman,
HIP Administrator
115 S. Andrews Avenue,
Room 516
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-357-6101

If you are in need of shelter, please call the Coalition to End Homelessness at 954-792-BEDS (2337) or 1-877-792-2337(toll free) 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This five-person section of the Human Services Department Administrative office serves as staff to the Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP) Advisory Board, Broward County's focal point for planning and coordination for, and on behalf of, homeless families and individuals in Broward County.

Front View of North HAC

HIP staff advise the Human Services Department Director regarding the formation of policies, programs and procedures related to homeless services. HIP Administration is responsible for administering multi-million dollar homeless programs funded by Broward County, the State of Florida, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in a collaborative effort (along with other Human Services divisions, community service providers, business leaders, and government officials) to maintain a countywide Continuum of Care of homeless services.

Broward's Continuum of Care addresses all aspects of homelessness including prevention, outreach, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent affordable housing, and supportive services. This work includes:

	Facilitating community, business and governmental involvement in the homeless continuum of care;
	Direct oversight of the County's three regional Homeless Assistance Centers (HACs);
	Creating new and innovative programs to serve Broward's homeless population (such as the County's first homeless medical respite care facility); and
	Participation in the creation of applications and requests for proposals.

In 2002, HIP Administration celebrated the opening of the County's third regional HAC in the City of Pompano Beach.

As a result of the cooperative efforts of HIP Administration and other community stakeholders, Broward County has been awarded a number of grants from state and federal agencies, and had the highest-scoring U.S. Department of HUD Homeless Continuum of Care application in 1999, out of more than 400 applicant communities nationwide.

Ribbon Cutting at North HAC

Broward's applications have continued to be among the top-ranked in the country each year since, bringing in over $16 million to the County, which provides for transitional and permanent affordable housing projects, as well as the supportive services that make these projects successful. The County's Continuum of Care has become a national model, one which has been emulated by a number of other communities and was chosen for the Canadian Government's homeless continuum study. HIP Administration has played (and continues to play) an important role in developing and implementing standardized outcomes and countywide "standards of care" for organizations providing services within the Continuum of Care. In addition, the office has collaborated with the Coalition to End Homelessness to expand the "792-BEDS" hotline, a centralized shelter bed locator and placement service.

This collaboration facilitates the creation of linkages between emergency shelter operators, transitional housing providers, and other service providers within the Continuum of Care. HIP and the homeless services providers continue to work toward the implementation of a homeless management information system.

County Commission Receives Check from U.S. Dept. of HUD

HIP Administration maintains its efforts to lessen the impact of homelessness in our community, and to one day achieve its eradication. This will be accomplished by: researching and incorporating appropriate best practices models to improve service delivery; expanding supportive housing capacity for the mentally ill, those in recovery, and others with disabilities; developing and implementing strategies to better deal with institutional discharge and access to mainstream resources; expanding and enhancing mentoring opportunities for homeless persons; and researching methods to expand the stock of affordable housing in Broward County.