As we mark 40 years of service, AH Monroe and Florida Keys Outreach Coalition (FKOC) are becoming Keys Health + Housing. Bringing health, housing, and community support together across the Florida Keys.
For 40 years, AH Monroe has been part of the safety net that helps the Florida Keys community care for its own—helping neighbors navigate life’s most difficult moments and find pathways to dignity, stability, and hope.
Founded in 1986 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, AH Monroe began as a grassroots response to an urgent need. At a time when fear and stigma were widespread and resources were scarce, a small group of advocates and caregivers stepped forward so that people in the Keys facing HIV would not have to face it alone.
What began as a community-driven effort quickly grew into a trusted organization committed to meeting people where they are—especially those experiencing health challenges, housing instability, or moments of crisis. From the very beginning, that commitment was grounded in compassion for neighbors who too often faced stigma, isolation, and barriers to care.
Through the years, AH Monroe has continued to evolve alongside the community it serves. That progress was strengthened by the addition of Florida Keys Outreach Coalition, whose longstanding outreach and community care efforts now continue as part of AH Monroe.
Over four decades, the organization’s impact has touched thousands of lives across the Florida Keys. Today, that includes:
Safe housing for more than 700 residents, offering stability and a place to belong
Access to life-saving medical care for nearly 250 people living with HIV
Emergency assistance for more than 2,000 community members, helping neighbors weather moments of crisis
These programs span both health and housing—because experience has shown that the two are inseparable. Stable housing supports better health. Access to care helps people build stable lives. And when people have both, communities thrive.
While AH Monroe was born during the HIV/AIDS crisis, its services today support the health and stability of the entire Keys community—a reality many people may not realize.
As the organization marks its 40th anniversary, it is also taking a step forward:
AH Monroe and Florida Keys Outreach Coalition will now operate under a shared name: Keys Health + Housing—a name that more clearly reflects the full scope of the organization’s programs today.
The new name does not represent a change in mission, but a clearer expression of the commitment both organizations have shared for many years—supporting health, housing stability, and community well-being across the Florida Keys.
“Until there is a cure, our commitment to people living with HIV will remain unwavering,” said Executive Director Scott Pridgen.
“That work is part of who we are and always will be. At the same time, our programs today serve a broader range of individuals and families across the Florida Keys. This new name helps ensure that anyone who may need support understands they are welcome here.”
Keys Health & Housing reflects a simple belief: when people have access to care, stable housing, and a supportive community, they are better able to live healthy, thriving lives.
As the organization marks this milestone year, it is also celebrating the people who made the journey possible—clients who trusted the care, staff and volunteers who showed up with compassion, and community supporters who believed in the mission long before it was widely understood.
Forty years later, that same spirit continues to guide the path ahead.
Health. Housing. Hope.
And a future for our community built together.
