MOLI VIEW™

Constance Collins was 13 years old the first time she saw a homeless woman. She still remembers how the woman shivered against the cold in a Manhattan winter as she picked through garbage. Now 49, Collins is putting the knowledge — and capital — she earned in the real estate business to work and providing homeless women with long-term shelter.

Lotus House, which opened in 2006, offers more than a bed for a few nights. Here women find "wrap-around" services that include counseling, career services, help applying for government programs, nutrition and cooking classes, daily meditation, and yoga. An oasis in the middle of Overtown, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Miami, the shelter sits on a naturally landscaped lot where guests tend to the garden and the pet birds. When a woman is ready to move on, she receives support in locating a permanent home, as well as a house-warming gift of furniture and two weeks of groceries.

How do women find their way to Lotus House?

The same way they find themselves on the street. We have women who have physical disabilities, mental health issues, substance issues, economic troubles, women right out of prison, and young women who've aged out of foster care. Some just show up at a bus stop. The bus drivers know us now, so if they find a woman asking for a place to go, they will bring her here.

How many women can Lotus House serve?

Right now we can house 50 women, for stays of up to a year. That includes as many as 15 pregnant women and mothers with babies under one year old. We don't keep a waiting list because we want to be able to respond if there is a crisis in the moment. If we had another building, we could fill it with 50 more women in a week. But we can't do that right away because what we do costs a lot of money.

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