Landing, a network of high-quality, flexible-lease apartments nationwide, launched its Homes for Healing program in 2022 to provide free short-term housing for families traveling to receive medical care for a child.
Project Details
Organization: Landing
Mission: To provide fully furnished housing to families traveling for their child’s medical treatment.
Campaign Began: May 2022
Founder and CEO Bill Smith was inspired to launch the program after his own family’s treatment journey. His daughter, who was born with a rare genetic disorder, needed specialized treatment in Philadelphia, nearly 900 miles away from their home in Birmingham, Alabama. With families spending weeks or months away from home for medical treatment that can be emotionally and financially draining, many do not have the resources to pay for hotels or short-term rentals. With Landing’s network of fully furnished apartments, Smith knew the firm was well-suited to help other families navigate similar situations to his.
“As a parent, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure your child gets the best possible care, but finding a specialized pediatric treatment can be challenging, costly, and requires extended time away from home. Our goal is to help with the accommodations side of the equation, eliminating that obstacle and financial burden during an already stressful time. By offering move-in ready apartments at no cost, our Homes for Healing program helps make comfortable, family-friendly housing more accessible and feel like home,” says Smith.
Bill Smith, founder and CEO of Landing, with his daughter, Carol…
Landing partners with pediatric hospitals to identify and assess family needs, including the number of bedrooms needed, proximity to the hospital, and access to transportation. To be eligible, families must have a child younger than 18 receiving medical treatment, be traveling over 50 miles from their permanent residence for medical care, and require medical housing for less than six months.
Landing’s field operations teams are essential to supporting these families. They ensure the families have all the necessary resources for their stay and even go above and beyond, such as providing a Christmas tree for a family whose son was undergoing a heart transplant during the holiday season.
As of December 2024, the Homes for Healing program had supported 140 families with free stays for over 13,000 nights while their children received medical care, saving a cumulative $2 million in an effort to alleviate the financial burdens.
