Community of Hope was started in 2003 when several churches noticed that there was a lack of shelter/transitional housing in Brevard County for homeless families with children.

This is especially true of housing that could accommodate intact families, families with male children over 13 years of age, or single fathers with children.

After some planning, fund raising, and hard work we were granted 501c3 status and accepted our first family in early 2005. We housed them in a single family home leased to us by one of our founding churches, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Downtown Melbourne.

Since that time, Community of Hope has expanded our capacity to serve families. We now have 34 housing units and are building more in Titusville at Hope Hammock.
With an increase in housing capacity and expanded the services we offer:

• A short-term family shelter program
• Permanent supportive housing

• Traditional Transitional Housing (2 year program)
• A program to help families safely reunify after having had dependency court issues

• Offering mentoring and case management
• Held financial assistance classes
• Partnered with other agencies to serve our families and fight family homelessness in Brevard County

Community of Hope now serves an average of 35 families a month in housing we maintain and has provided a safe and secure home for over 200 children (and their parents) over the years.  The Hope Housing Services Program that helps families move into rental housing increased the number of families we served in 2020 by 52 families. 

We currently have homes (single family and apartment style) in Melbourne and Palm Bay and plan to break ground in Titusville in 2021.

Since the beginning, the families in our community have worked hard to rebuild their lives. Their successes were hard won and we are so proud of what they have accomplished:

• Moving into their own homes, either one they purchased outright or gone through the process of building a Habitat house
• Completed educational programs (both career training certifications and college degrees) 
• Stabilized their work history and financial status
• Sent their kids to college
• …and accomplished other personal goals that are key indicators of a health family life