Year: 2024

Palm Beach County, Florida – The IDDeal Place in Palm Beach County, an independent housing community for people with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), has secured a $1 million General Appropriation Act grant under the FY24-25 Florida State Budget.

The state grant will advance the vertical construction of permanent housing for adults in southeast Florida who have been diagnosed with I/DD. 

“We are so thankful for this grant and its timing. It’s a game changer for people with I/DD; housing is a fundamental human right that ensures their dignity, independence, and full participation in the community,” said Denise Anderson and Bonnie Schmidt, co-founders of The IDDeal Foundation. They are both the mothers of adult daughters with special needs. 

The IDDeal Foundation partnered with The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation (PFCF), based in Boca Raton, to bring the IDDeal Place to fruition. The PFCF has committed nearly $4 million toward the project, which will break ground later this year. 

“We thank Governor DeSantis and our local legislators for including the grant in this year’s budget,” said Nancy Pulte Rickard, president of the The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation. “Our work is guided by the belief in the inherent dignity of all people. As the inaugural donor to the IDDeal Place, we believe it is a true embodiment of our mission – not only to provide housing for those in need but to foster a community where people can flourish. All people have the right to live with dignity, reflecting their inherent worth and sacredness.”

“Too often, adults with I/DD are forced to live at the margins of society. The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation has been the best possible partner in establishing the IDDeal Place because they believe that all people deserve to live with independence and a sense of belonging. We are so grateful for their leadership,” said Anderson and Schmidt. 

The 3.27-acre IDDeal Place campus will consist of three buildings:

• A main building with six 3-bedroom suites and shared community spaces for meals, leisure, and program activities;
• A second building with three 2-bedroom suites that will accommodate more independent residents and student interns; and
• A single-family home for the campus director.

Earlier this year, the project received unanimous approval from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. Plans are underway for the first community members to move in during early 2026.

The PFCF, which is not affiliated with any other organization that uses the Pulte name, will engage public and private businesses and organizations, as well as private foundations and individual donors, to secure the funding needed to complete the entire IDDeal Place project.

The IDDeal Place will be only the eighth private I/DD community in Florida, and the first private I/DD community of this type in Palm Beach County, which has the third most I/DD adults in Florida. Please visit IDDealPlace.org for more details.

For more information, please contact  Jeff Bookstein, vice president of development, jeff@pultefamilyfoundation.org, 561-544-0955.

Nuestra Señora de la Vivienda Community Foundation recently secured $1.0m towards Phase I construction of Monarca.

IMMOKALEE , FLORIDA, UNITED STATES , July 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The dream of building an affordable, family-oriented housing community within an impoverished, rural farm-working town in southwest Florida moved closer to reality recently when the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation (PFCF) closed on the acquisition of 50 acres of land in Immokalee, located 40 miles from Naples.

Partnering with the non-profit Nuestra Señora de la Vivienda Community Foundation (NSVCF), PFCF will develop Monarca, a rental community with 179 affordable, single-family homes and townhomes. PFCF, based in Boca Raton, Florida, is the lead donor for Monarca and has committed up to $10 million toward the $41.5 million community. NSVCF recently received a state appropriation of $1 million and will engage public and private businesses, as well as private foundations and donors, to secure the balance of funding needed to complete Monarca.

“With the closing now behind us, we have begun the permitting for Phase 1 of Monarca,” said Andrew Van Valin, Senior Manager of Acquisitions, Development, and Special Projects for the PFCF. ” We are grateful to the Barron Collier Companies for its willingness to sell land for this much-needed purpose. Monarca will offer low-income families in and around Immokalee, with safe, stable, and affordable housing, as well as wraparound services to support their needs.” Phase 1 of Monarca will build 64 homes and a community center to assist the residents.

It is anticipated that ground will be broken for Monarca in 2025.

In the fall of 2023, the Collier County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a Planned Unit Development on the 50 acres to allow for the rental units and an Early Childhood Education Center. The approval includes 150 units to be rented to families with extremely low-household incomes and an additional 20 units to families in the low-household income bracket.

With more than 42% of its population living in poverty, and many residents, including families, currently residing in substandard housing, there is an urgent need for such affordable housing in Immokalee. Many families pay close to 70% of their income on rent, often with 12-18 people living together in a single trailer.

PFCF, founded by the late William J. Pulte, founder of Pulte Homes and PulteGroup, is separate and distinct from all other organizations that bear the Pulte name.

For more information about and to support Monarca, please contact Jeff Bookstein, Vice President of Development for the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation.
Jeff Bookstein
+1 561-544-0955
jeff@pultefamilyfoundation.org
Pulte Family Charitable Foundation

The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation is proud to announce an endowment partnership with Holy Cross College through a gift of $1,000,000 in support of the Moreau College Prison Initiative. The Moreau College Prison Initiative’s commitment to providing educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals in Indiana is changing lives and creating meaningful pathways to transformative and personal growth. Over four years, the College will seek partners to match this gift, with the establishment of a $2,000,000 endowment for Holy Cross’s Moreau College.

The Moreau College at Westville Correctional Facility is already a leader in best academic practices and this endowment marks a significant commitment to the educational programs at Holy Cross College and reflects the Foundation’s dedication to fostering positive change within the community. Moreau College reflects the mission of Holy Cross College to form Scholars, Citizens, Leaders and Disciples for the Church and world, in service of the common good. Moreover, Moreau College is a proud partner with the University of Notre Dame’s Programs for Education in Prison, which among other goals seeks to expand, deepen, and evaluate the transformative impacts of prison education efforts, provide career development and other re-entry support for students.

Following an impactful visit to the Westville Correctional Facility, representatives from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation were deeply moved by the exceptional caliber of the Moreau College Prison Initiative. Witnessing the dedicated community, unwavering commitment of the students, the caliber of classes and the passion of the professors, the Foundation recognized the profound impact being made within the program.
In alignment with the Foundation’s mission, this endowment seeks to uphold the core values of compassion, empathy, and social responsibility. It embodies the Foundation’s commitment to enacting the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy, which include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, caring for the captives, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, and assisting the mourning. Through this endowment, the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation aims to empower the Moreau College Prison Initiative to continue their impactful work, furthering their mission of providing hope, education, and support to those within the correctional facility.
Holy Cross College President, Dr. Marco Clark, expressed that “this transformational gift from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation aligns with the Holy Cross Strategic Plan priority to further enhance Moreau College’s stature as a national leader of college-in-prison programs.”

In expressing their dedication to this partnership, Karen Pulte, Director of the Scholarship Program at the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, remarked, “We are honored to support the Moreau College Prison Initiative and Holy Cross College in their commitment to transforming lives through education and empowerment. This endowment represents a meaningful step towards fostering positive change and providing essential opportunities for personal growth and development within the corrections community.”
For media inquiries or further information about the endowment and the Moreau College Prison Initiative, please contact Kate Fasullo at 561-544-0955 or kate@pultefamilyfoundation.org

The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation:
The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation is committed to creating meaningful and lasting change within communities. By partnering with organizations and initiatives that embody compassion, social responsibility, and a commitment to positive transformation, the Foundation aims to make a tangible impact and foster a brighter future for all.

Holy Cross College:
Founded by the Brothers of Holy Cross in 1966, Holy Cross College is a distinctly Catholic, residential liberal arts college based in the tri-campus of Notre Dame, Indiana. Students prepare for meaningful careers while earning traditional bachelor’s degrees, accelerated three-year degrees, associate of arts degrees, as well as programs which are a collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, such as the Gateway Program and the Moreau College Initiative at Westville Correctional Facility.