Turning Existing Space Into
Senior-Focused Housing Support
Guardian Care engaged Sharity to evaluate how two vacant buildings on its Orlando campus could be repurposed to address the growing number of older adults experiencing homelessness. The work focused on determining feasibility, defining a senior-focused housing and support model, and building an operational and financial plan that could move the project from concept to implementation.
The Outcome
Sharity developed a detailed feasibility study and operating plan outlining facility use, program design, staffing, and a $1.4 million annual operating budget. Despite the comprehensive planning, the project did not proceed after the local community chose not to move forward, citing Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) concerns.
Meet the Organization
Guardian Care is a longstanding assisted living and skilled nursing provider in Orlando with deep roots in serving underserved communities. Guardian Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center offers a premier senior living experience.
As two buildings on its campus became vacant, leadership saw an opportunity to consider how existing infrastructure could meet an urgent and increasingly visible community need: housing and care for older adults experiencing homelessness.
The opportunity was significant. But converting available space into a viable program required more than a facility decision. It required a clear model for care, operations, staffing, sustainability, and partnership.
Setting the Stage
A Growing Need for Senior-Focused Homeless Services
Homelessness among older adults was increasing across Orange County.
Since 2019, the county’s unsheltered population had risen by 40%. Nearly 400 individuals ages 55–64 and 144 individuals age 65 and older were experiencing homelessness. Older adults were among the fastest-growing populations entering homelessness, many for the first time.
Existing shelter models were not always designed around the medical, mobility, behavioral health, and support needs of older adults.
Several realities shaped the engagement:
- Older adults experiencing homelessness often require integrated housing, health, and support services
- Traditional shelter environments may not be equipped for medical or mobility-related needs
- Guardian Care had existing campus infrastructure that could potentially be adapted
- Funders and partners needed a clear, credible plan before implementation could move forward
The question was how to connect available space with a program model strong enough to meet the needs of a specialized population.
Feasibility & Program Design
Connecting Facility Use to Community Need
Sharity led a feasibility study that combined facility assessment, stakeholder input, and best-practice research.
The process included:
- Interviews and surveys with 36 individuals currently experiencing homelessness
- Facility assessments of the two vacant buildings
- Research into comparable programs in Florida, Tennessee, and Massachusetts
- Review of senior-focused housing, shelter, and supportive service models
From this work, Sharity developed a program model designed to serve adults ages 55 and older with limited income, disabilities, serious mental illness, or other support needs.
The proposed model included:
- Permanent supportive housing components
- Emergency shelter capacity
- Case management
- Therapy services
- Nursing coordination
- Single and double occupancy rooms
- Common areas and support spaces
This gave Guardian Care and its partners a clearer view of how the existing campus could be adapted into a practical, care-informed housing solution.
Operational Planning
Designing Around Continuous Support
Because the population required more than basic shelter, the operating model needed to reflect a higher level of care coordination.
Sharity developed a staffing structure to support continuous operations, including approximately 20 full-time equivalent staff and a 24/7 operating model.
Roles included:
- Site leadership
- Case management
- Social work support
- Nursing coordination
- Resident support functions
This aligned staffing levels with resident needs, service intensity, safety, and long-term operational feasibility.
The goal was not simply to fill beds. It was to design a program capable of supporting older adults with dignity, consistency, and appropriate care.
Financial Modeling
Building a Fundable Operating Plan
To move from concept to implementation, the program also needed a clear financial model.
Sharity developed a full operating budget and cost structure, including:
- Estimated annual operating cost of $1,428,937.50
- Average daily cost of approximately $87 per resident
- Average monthly cost of approximately $2,646.18 per resident
- Revenue assumptions based on sliding-scale resident contributions
- Income considerations tied to sources such as SSI and VA benefits
This financial model gave funders and implementation partners a clearer understanding of what the program would require to operate responsibly.
It also connected the facility opportunity to long-term sustainability, helping ensure the plan could be assessed not only as a renovation project, but as an operating model.
Real-World Outcomes
From Feasibility to an Actionable Plan
The engagement moved the project from possibility to a comprehensive, actionable plan. However, due to local community opposition and NIMBY concerns, the project was ultimately halted.
Key outcomes included:
- Development of a complete feasibility study
- Creation of a senior-focused housing and supportive services model informed by interviews with individuals with lived experience
- Facility use recommendations for two vacant campus buildings
- Staffing and operating model for 24/7 support
- A full annual operating budget of approximately $1.4 million
Direct input from people with lived experience shaped the project’s core recommendations, including priorities related to personal safety, enhanced security protocols, specialized behavioral health care, and stronger provider accountability.
By connecting need, space, staffing, operations, and financial sustainability, the plan created a clear path from concept to execution.
Even though implementation did not move forward, the engagement demonstrated the importance of testing community and government alignment alongside program and financial feasibility.
IMPACT SINCE IMPLEMENTATION
A comprehensive roadmap connecting need, facilities, operations, and financial sustainability
Staffing, service delivery, and operations designed to support senior residents
Developed to support long-term program sustainability
What We Learned
Facility availability alone does not create a viable program.
For specialized populations, the space, service model, staffing plan, and financial structure all need to work together.
Guardian Care’s project demonstrates how existing infrastructure can become a meaningful community solution when it is paired with careful feasibility work, operational planning, and a fundable model for implementation.
Conducting an early-stage evaluation of community buy-in and local government alignment is essential to project sustainability. Without stakeholder support from the outset, significant resources may be committed to models that ultimately encounter insurmountable public opposition.