$6.1 million approved to renovate Orlando non-profit that helps homeless

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando will soon spend more than $6 million to help get homeless people off the streets and into stable homes and jobs.

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The money was approved unanimously by City Council Monday evening. It will modernize the Christian Service Center in Parramore.

The Christian Service Center is not a shelter, but provides services including meals, laundry, showers, and caseworker support to those experiencing homelessness.

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However, aging infrastructure on the four-building campus has made it difficult for the nonprofit that runs the center to keep up with growing demand.

The buildings on the Christian Service Center campus have been standing since the 1940s and were last renovated in the 80s.

For the last year, the city has been working with the Christian Service Center on a fix.

Renovating the center is one of several projects which leverage $58 million in federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act to address housing and homelessness.

Now $6.1 million of that money will help modernize the Christian Service Center.

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The money will improve security and the communal spaces across the property.

It will also move portable laundry and shower services inside, giving currently mobile services a permanent brick and mortar building.

It will also create an on-site mental health clinic in a building that is currently only being used for storage.

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“We’re just trying to become more efficient so we can move people off the streets much much faster,” said Christian Service Center’s Executive Director, Eric Gray.

Since September, the Christian Service Center has been a lifeline for former maintenance worker Mark Santos as he navigated experiencing homelessness for the first time.

“I got behind on the rent and just got evicted…if you want to keep the people off the streets you got to have a place for them to go. It’s basic,” said Santos who believes this investment is necessary.

While dozens showed up in support of funding the renovations on Monday, some in Parramore have voiced concerns about the center and its impacts on local businesses.

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Community advocate Lawanna Gelzer was one of at least two people who expressed concerns during public comment prior to the vote.

City Commissioner Regina Hill also voiced concerns about the project earlier this year, but was absent on Monday.

Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke shortly after funding was passed.

He reiterated the need for this investment and explained that he hopes Orlando’s center will serve as a model of care for the region.

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“I’m extremely hopeful that this will be a clearing call to other cities, other counties to do likewise, because this is the first [day center] we need a number of not as large but smaller ones located throughout the region,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer.

The Christian Service Center has housed more than 354 homeless people since January 1st of this year.

It’s also helped 1,528 others avoid eviction in 2023.

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