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Board approves Helping Up Mission agreement to operate Under 1 Roof women's shelter
Summary
The board approved an agreement with Helping Up Mission to operate a 24/7 women's gateway shelter at 40750 Seventh Avenue East, providing emergency shelter, case management and connections to long-term recovery and housing supports.
The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a nonprofit funding agreement with Helping Up Mission to operate "Under 1 Roof," a 24/7 gateway shelter for adult women experiencing homelessness and addiction.
County staff described the project as a bridge program: the shelter will offer safe overnight and daytime shelter, meals, showers, laundry, case management, individualized self-sufficiency plans and referrals for medical and behavioral health care. Clients who seek long-term recovery will be connected to Helping Up Mission's established residential programs in Baltimore; others will receive diversion, housing navigation and employment referrals. The county's agreement specifies record-keeping, monthly occupancy tracking and quarterly outcomes reporting.
Leah Hudson, homeless project manager, said the shelter fills a long-standing gap for low-income women in Manatee County by providing immediate safety and a path to services; she described the shelter as free of charge to eligible participants. Daniel Stoltzfus, CEO of Helping Up Mission, described the Baltimore program as a model and said the organization has operated residential care and recovery-focused services for years.
Commissioner Ballard, who led the local effort, said the shelter addresses a documented shortage of women-specific shelter beds and recovery services and called the measure a high-priority use of opioid-settlement and HUD-related funds.
Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the shelter will expand capacity for women who lack safe overnight options and add a recovery pathway where one is not widely available locally. The agreement formalizes county oversight and outcome reporting.
What's next: Staff will finalize the funding agreement and establish the reporting schedule; Helping Up Mission and county staff will move to operational readiness and intake procedures.
