ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County is making strides in addressing homelessness. County officials say they’re about a fifth of the way toward their goal of creating 800 new shelter beds.
The county is assessing several sites it owns to establish a shelter with at least 150 beds. This effort is part of a broader initiative to provide more resources for the homeless population in the area.
“As we talk about homelessness, the way to end homelessness is to obviously put people in housing. Orange County has used your tax dollars to do that. And I would tell you not a lot of help has come from the state or other sources. I just want you to remember that,” said Mayor Jerry Demings.
The city of Orlando has launched a shelter bus program called 407 Connect, which aims to provide temporary shelter and connect individuals to case management services.
The county wants to expand this initiative by adding a third bus to service west Orange County, accommodating 20 people per night and connecting them to management services.
In addition to the bus program, a local group has purchased two trailers that can house another 20 people per night. However, they are still in the process of finding a suitable location for these trailers.
Orange County is also focusing on eviction prevention, having launched a program in February aimed at keeping pregnant women and women with newborns in their homes.
For the fiscal year 2025 to 2026, Orange County has committed $51 million to housing and homeless services, a decision that has drawn scrutiny from state auditors.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
