Housing and financial assistance for women combines federal programs (HUD, TANF, SNAP, LIHEAP) with state and local efforts. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing are administered by local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), with VAWA giving survivors of domestic violence priority and emergency transfer rights. Emergency shelter and rapid rehousing run through HUD's Continuum of Care and Coordinated Entry. Mothers with custodial children typically qualify for TANF cash assistance and family-priority housing. Community action agencies and 211 lines coordinate utility help, emergency funds, and rent assistance. This directory covers PHAs, shelter systems, 211 referral lines, and community action agencies.
Florida handles family law in circuit courts across its 20 judicial circuits. The Department of Revenue Child Support Program oversees enforcement statewide. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale are the largest metros. Bay Area Legal Services, Three Rivers Legal Services, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and statewide Planned Parenthood affiliates serve women.
FHFC administers Florida's affordable-housing programs from its Bronough Street headquarters in Tallahassee — Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, SAIL gap financing, and Florida Hometown Heroes down-payment assistance for essential workers including teachers and nurses. Wait-list inquiries get routed to local partner agencies.
(850) 488-4197 · 227 N Bronough St Suite 5000, Tallahassee, FL 32301 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
Miami-Dade Public Housing & Community Development operates public housing units and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers across the county from its 28th Street office. Waitlist openings are publicly announced; bring photo ID, income documentation, and household composition info to any in-person intake.
(786) 469-4100 · 810 NW 28th St, Miami, FL 33127 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
Salvation Army corps in every Florida region run rent and utility assistance, food pantries, and seasonal aid — but funds vary month to month and run out fast. The statewide number routes you to your local corps; bring eviction notice, lease, ID, and proof of income to the appointment.
(800) 725-2769 · Multiple locations statewide · Mon-Fri 9am-4pm · Visit Website
Catholic Charities of Northeast Florida coordinates emergency rent and utility help across Jacksonville-area dioceses; similar diocesan agencies operate in every Florida region. Help is need-based, not faith-based — applicants do not have to be Catholic. Call early in the month before monthly allocations run dry.
(904) 354-4846 · Multiple locations statewide · Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm · Visit Website
Miami Habitat builds affordable homes in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties from its NW 22nd Avenue headquarters, selling at no profit to qualifying low-income families who contribute sweat-equity hours during construction. Homeowner Info Sessions run monthly; mothers should attend before applying.
(305) 634-3628 · 3800 NW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33142 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
United Way of Florida funds 211 and many of the state's financial-coaching, emergency-aid, and ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) initiatives. Dialing 211 reaches caseworkers who know exactly which local funds have money open this week — faster than calling agencies one by one.
211 · Statewide service · 24/7 via 211
HUD.gov locates the Section 8, public housing, and homeless-services office covering any Florida ZIP, plus accepts fair-housing complaint filings when discrimination is suspected. Florida's HUD field office is in Miami, with satellite offices serving Jacksonville and Tampa.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The Continuum of Care locator shows which agency leads homeless services in each Florida county. Miami-Dade routes through the Homeless Trust, Broward through TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness, Tampa through THHI — calling the local CoC lead first is the fastest path to a shelter bed.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
LIHEAP helps low-income Florida mothers pay summer cooling bills — critical given the state's brutal hurricane-season heat and humidity. Florida's program runs through community-action agencies in each county; the federal page explains the typical 150% of poverty income threshold and required documentation.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Salvation Army's national locator surfaces every Florida corps with current programs listed. Some corps run job training and after-school care alongside emergency aid; the locator confirms what each location offers and the current hours, which shift seasonally.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The national Catholic Charities locator finds every Florida diocesan agency. Useful when a mother has relatives in another diocese or is comparing programs across regions — each diocese sets its own funding priorities and maximum aid amounts, so what's available varies by county.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
United Way Worldwide explains the United Way model and connects mothers in other states (or with family members elsewhere) to their local 211 systems. Florida has 32 United Way affiliates covering every county — confirm yours through the national site before redirecting calls.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Habitat affiliates throughout Florida — Miami, Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Duval, Orange, and dozens of smaller counties — each run separate applicant cycles. The national site explains the partnership model and sweat-equity expectation; mothers apply through their county affiliate, not the national office.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Family Promise affiliates rotate homeless families through congregational shelter networks with intensive case management aimed at permanent housing in 30-90 days. Florida affiliates operate in Brevard, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Lee, Sarasota, and other counties — call the local affiliate directly for intake.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website