ORLANDO, Fla. — The day after Orlando leaders announced they pulled a plan to move forward with a 250-bed homeless shelter on West Washington Street from their next agenda, few answers about the city’s plan to tackle the lack of shelter in the area were available.
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The $7 million plan was intended to put a dent in the county’s estimated 700-bed shortage, in a neighborhood with high rates of homelessness.
Residents of District Five rose in mass opposition, however, pointing out the homeless congregated there because the city’s existing three shelters were all located there. They said it was unfair to put another facility on their streets without asking other communities to shoulder some of the burden.
City staff did not give specific answers to a series of follow-up questions emailed to them Wednesday, along with requests to sit down with Mayor Buddy Dyer.
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“The city will continue to explore ways to address the housing and homelessness crisis,” spokeswoman Andrea Ortero said.
Ortero pointed to the “Accelerate Orlando” plan that will funnel $58 million of American Rescue Plan funds toward sheltering the homeless. Projects include the recently-completed Palm Gardens Apartments, which came from a converted, crime-ridden hotel on Colonial Drive, as well as developing parts of Parramore into housing.
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Leaders told the crowd that turned out to oppose the West Washington plan Tuesday night that they had surveyed 20 parcels across the city for potential shelter locations, but didn’t provide specifics.
Staff with the Homeless Services Network said a push had been made to convert the county’s former Work Release center on Kaley Street into a shelter, but that effort did not survive.
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