Network of Florida Maternity Homes Growing Amid Abortion Restrictions

In Naples, Fla., Sunlight Home offered refuge and a fresh start for pregnant women on the brink of homelessness. It also required them to get permission before leaving the property and to download a tracking app on their phones, former residents said and its policies show.

At Hannah’s Home of South Florida, near West Palm Beach, women needed a pastor’s approval to have romantic relationships and were compelled to attend morning prayer, according to former residents, employees and volunteers. They also had to hand over their food stamps to pay for communal groceries, a practice that two government assistance experts said most likely violates the law.

In many parts of Florida, where housing costs are soaring and lawmakers have sharply curtailed abortion access, pregnant women and teens who need a safe, stable place to live are increasingly turning to one of their few options: charity-run maternity homes.

The homes, most of which are affiliated with churches or Christian nonprofits, often help women and teens as they flee abuse, age out of foster care or leave drug rehabilitation.

But Florida allows most homes to operate without state standards or state oversight. An examination by The New York Times and the investigative podcast and radio show Reveal found that many homes require residents to agree to strict conditions that limit their communications, their financial decisions and even their movements.