Help for unhoused is available for those who want it. Here's where to find it in Pensacola.

As Escambia County prepares to move at least 150 people off county owned land in Brent where they have been camping − many for years − homeless advocates say there are more opportunities than ever in Pensacola for people to find emergency shelter or transitional housing opportunities .

While some may want to remain on the street, for those who are ready for a change and need help getting back on their feet there are several new and existing programs offering to help. Here’s a look at some of the services available now or soon will be.

Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola’s Max-Well Respite Center

Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola’s Max-Well Respite Center on N. Palafox is celebrating its second anniversary this month. The transitional housing program opened its doors two years ago to help families, couples, veterans and single individuals successfully become independent and self-sufficient.

Along with basic, immediate care like food, a bed, and a safe place to stay, the program offers a variety of other resources including helping people obtain birth certificates, Social Security cards, and driver’s license or ID cards, as well as help with transportation, childcare, skills training and case management.

Over the past two years, Max-Well Respite Center reports that with the program’s help more than 100 residents were able to find work, more than 300 people moved into steady housing or returned to family, and 22 residents sought their GED. The center also reports it has provided a stable environment to more than 300 children and referred childcare services to nearly 130 children and parents.

“I'm proud of watching these kids get up every day, no complaints or anything, and get on the school bus and I know it’s hard,” said Director Troy Watts. “I'm proud that more people are starting to recognize Maxwell Respite Center. I'm seeing that the numbers allow it to work, which means that we're doing our jobs. I'm looking forward to the future and more donors and more people helping us so we can keep this, the transitional housing and emergency shelter, working. “

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Earlier this year, Max-Well Respite Center ran low on funding and struggled to keep the doors open, but the program is managing with support from Opening Doors Northwest Florida, the area’s lead agency on homelessness, as well as private donations. Max-Well Respite Center is one of the few places that takes women and families and there are more than 360 people, including children, on the waiting list to enter the program.

Waterfront Mission

This year, Waterfront Mission is celebrating 75 years of providing rescue and recovery services through its faith-based programs, which have primarily been available for men until recently. They provide overnight, emergency shelter, as well as long-term programs to help men dealing with addiction and other hardships rebuild their lives.

Since its inception 75 years ago, they've served more than 89,000 people, provided more than 2 million nights of shelter and served nearly 6 million meals. In 2023, Waterfront Mission served more than 3,300 unique individuals, served over 168,000 meals and provided nearly 63,000 nights of shelter.

Waterfront Mission also works with Community Health to provide healthcare to those who are homeless and indigent, and earlier this year Waterfront started offering respite care to give unhoused people who are sick or injured a safe place to recover with medical care. Hospice care is also available.

This year, in celebration of the 75-year milestone, Waterfront announced it is expanding its program to women. While women have always been welcomed at the Mission either for emergency shelter or at the Day Center, they now have a separate program called Hope for Her . It’s exclusively for women and provides emergency shelter as well as the opportunity to join a long-term recovery program through a partner agency.

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Waterfront has remodeled part of their facility to create a secure dorm for women, separate from the men’s program on the Waterfront Mission campus. The 49-bed dorm will also offer restroom and shower facilities, clean clothes and laundry services, meals, and other support services.

Hope for Her is expected to open in early September and offers much needed opportunities for women who want to get off the streets and need a safe place to go.

Overflow Health Alliance

Overflow Health Alliance is a new program in Pensacola serving individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness with temporary and transitional housing, medical care, meals, job training and other services.

Overflow was launched by Marcus and Josh Harden-Givens and the central philosophy behind their primary care clinic and resource center is aimed at helping people who are displaced by offering multiple community outreach programs to support healthier living for people who are experiencing homelessness or struggling to get their life on track, whatever the reason.

Whether someone’s problems are long term or temporary, Overflow offers wraparound services to meet their needs at their 13,000-square-foot building at 1301 N. Davis Highway. Medical services are provided on one side of the building and housing is provided on the other side.

There are 10 rooms for individuals, each with two beds, a TV and storage and 10 larger rooms for families. People can stay for 30, 60, 90 days at a time or longer. They will also have a respite dorm and hope to partner with local hospitals to place people who need care once they are discharged.

Marcus and Josh successfully launched their first Overflow program in Jacksonville, which sees about 2,000 people a year. They also have similar programs throughout Florida and Georgia. Overflow in Pensacola has already been working behind the scenes to help people as they prepare to open the new facility. There’s no word on the exact date they officially plan to open, but it’s expected to be soon.

Fearless Warrior Resource Center

Another new program that is expected to open soon is Fearless Warrior Resource Center. The unhoused outreach non-profit organization Fearless Community, Inc. bought the former Salvation Army property on “S” Street where REAP’s The Lodges women’s shelter operated until it closed , last year.

The facility will offer short-term transitional beds for men, women and veterans who are “street homeless,” and need a safe place to transition to the next step toward rebuilding their lives.

“Everyone’s story is different, and everyone has a different solution,” said Melissa Johnson with Fearless Community, Inc. “In the end we are here to give them a hand up.”

Johnson said they hope to open the doors to Fearless Warrior Resource Center in the next 30 to 60 days.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Help for unhoused is available for those who want it. Here's where to find it in Pensacola.