Lotus House provides free housing for homeless women for up to a year, three meals a day, clothing, transportation, and comprehensive support services, such as individual and group counseling, computer classes, job placement, access to medical and mental health services, educational workshops, tutoring, and legal and other referrals to community resources.  In addition to providing social services support, Lotus House offers a host of enrichment activities such as art, dance, creative writing, crafts, and even a garden club, along with varied field trips, and so much more.  Based on a unique mind, body and spirit paradigm, the primary purpose of the Lotus House is to afford women most in need an opportunity to learn and grow on every level.

Lotus House includes a special wing for women who are homeless and pregnant and their infants.  Pre-natal care, birthing and parenting classes and early infant medical care and screening are provided to pregnant women and their infants through the Healthy Start program.  Together with the primary facilities, Lotus House serves up to fifty women and sixteen infants at a time.

Lotus House is not a typical short term shelter, but a place where the minds, bodies and spirits of women most in need are nurtured and supported to empower them to improve the quality of their lives on every level, achieve greater self sufficiency, and transition to permanent homes off the streets. 

The Lotus House is operated by The Sundari Foundation, Inc., a 501c3, non-profit, public charity dedicated to promoting the education, advancement and social inclusion of poor, disadvantaged and homeless women and children.  Your support is essential to our work to empower women and infants most in need.  We thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment to our mission. Donations to benefit the Lotus House and other initiatives of The Sundari Foundation, Inc. are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

Who we serve

The Lotus House Women’s Shelter has served over 150 women and infants since its establishment in March 2006.  We have been proud mothers to over eight newborns and another five infants since opening the doors of our maternity wing. 

Lotus House is often the shelter of “last resort” for the women we serve, having used up their time at temporary shelters, safe houses and rehab centers, and many come to us from the streets.  Nearly 63% of the women we serve were chronically homeless before coming to Lotus House; 66% report suffering domestic abuse, child abuse or violent crimes; nearly 70% suffer from mental health issues, medical issues or both, and 35% have histories of substance abuse.  Over 10% of the women we serve are in their 60’s and 70’s, and 6% are under 21, in some cases aging out of foster care.

Our combination of free transitional housing facilities and wrap-around support services focused on the gender specific needs of homeless women, including women who are pregnant and their infants, are unique in Miami-Dade County.  They provide much needed support and access to a wide range of resources and benefits to address the many mental health, medical, legal, educational, employment, housing and financial issues facing women who are desperately seeking a better way of life for themselves and their children.

Over 60% of the women at Lotus House have successful outcomes, including securing placement in permanent supportive and independent housing, assisted living facilities, and sometimes reconciliation and reunification with family.  Thank you for making our work on behalf of women and infants most in need possible!  Thank you for empowering women to improve the quality of their lives on every level, achieve greater self sufficiency, and transition to permanent homes off the streets!