South Florida Realtor® Honored as Humanitarian of the Year
ORLANDO, Fla. – Proving that Realtors make a difference, Florida Realtors® recognized Steven David, a member of the Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors, as its 2021 Humanitarian of the Year by Florida Realtors. The award was presented at the state association’s recent annual Convention & Trade Expo at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla.
David has long supported efforts to combat homelessness as well as provide assistance to military veterans who may be struggling with injuries or other issues.
He was instrumental in starting a program, the Broward Partnership, that provides temporary shelter to those facing homelessness – often well under market value and in some cases at no charge, along with medical attention, behavioral health services, rental placement and more. David reached out to other like-minded property owners, who joined in his efforts with the Broward Partnership, which now provides shelter assistance in multiple properties throughout greater Fort Lauderdale. Currently, he is responsible for housing “homeless to homed” families in 27 homes or apartments, several of which are in his personal property portfolio.
What inspired David? He has owned residential investment property for 47 years and has seen good people find themselves in tough times. An instructor for many years, he was conducting research for some of his training courses and discovered research by John Hopkins Medicine and others that found approximately 26% of the population faces mental health issues. Thus, in a group of 20 people, at least five are facing challenges that no one may realize.
This reality hit home for David, due to his own learning disability, and that ultimately lead to the creation of his “compassion portfolio” – the units he keeps available for those in need through the Broward Partnership and other organizations.
The Broward Partnership has been going strong since 1986, making a difference in so many lives in David’s community.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to its more than 200,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at floridarealtors.org/newsroom