Originally founded as The Homeless Families Foundation, Homes for Families (HFF) was established in 1986 by impassioned community members driven by the conviction that no child should ever experience homelessness — not even for a night.

HFF began operations with five modest apartments and an all-volunteer staff. Today, HFF delivers comprehensive wraparound services and holistic programs tailored to support the entire family unit. To help families address the complex factors that affect their stability HFF provides and/or connects them to resources including crisis intervention, literacy and basic education skill-building, workforce training and placement, parenting education, and mental health/substance assessment and counseling.

In 1991, the first children’s program, a two-week summer camp, was introduced. Education now includes a fully licensed afterschool and summer educational enrichment program for kindergarten through middle school children, programming for teens, and the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) home visit based program to improve school readiness for children in Franklin County who do not have the opportunity to participate in traditional early learning programs. Our Education Center is open to all children in HFF’s housing first program and children who are at risk of becoming homeless. 

By addressing systemic barriers to stability, we empower the families we serve to overcome their housing challenges, address the trauma of homelessness and housing insecurity, and thrive beyond their time in shelter.