Low-rent-apartment project in Cape Coral supports single moms

An organization’s project is aimed at taking pressure off young single mothers. The organization wants to help moms achieve their goals for their families.

Lifeline Family Center in Cape Coral broke ground Thursday in its project to provide a transitional living home for single moms and their families.

“Our board approved this transitional living project to where the girls could live here for two more years and hopefully advance in their career, qualify for a habitat house,” said Kathy Miller, president and CEO of Lifeline Family Center. “And while they’re here, they can continue using our day care center.”

The group gives single moms who are facing unplanned pregnancy a place to go and find work and develop parenting skills.

“Today, the apartments, the cost of rent in Southwest Florida is exorbitant,” Miller said. “They can’t qualify even with their career training and making $26,000 a year.”

The new transitional living apartments at the Cape Coral center will be home to four moms and their kids, giving them a chance to get work and parenting skills while not having to worry about rent.

Single mom Emiliene Joseph has lived at the family center with her son since May. She is one of the mothers moving into the new apartments when the project is finished. She also spoke to us about her challenges as a single mother.

“It’s really a lot of responsibility and hard work especially now that I have to do it by myself,” Joseph said.

The apartments will cost an estimated $630,000 to build. It’s all privately funded, and the group hopes the project will be completed by February 2020.