ORLANDO, Fla. — The homeless have been making news in downtown Orlando, and often it’s not very good.
With thefts, fights and even rape attributed to the homeless, the perception of the life they live has some people calling for change in the city.
Some have asked the police and city leaders to address what they said has become an unsafe environment, but Channel 9's Shannon Butler was provided an inside look at an image of homelessness most never see.
Most people think the homeless population live out on the streets, where most of people work and play, but there is a homeless world you likely have never seen.
It’s down dirt trails and behind the palms and palmettos, where small villages of people have been built piece-by-piece.
The crime at some of the camps has made headlines. From drug overdoses to fights to murders, the attention-grabbing crimes have cities all over central Florida trying to shut the camps down.
But that is just part of the story here; there are at least 10,000 homeless in central Florida, most of them tucked away with the residents trying to stay out of trouble.
“We are not homeless. We are houseless,” said Terry, one woman Butler interviewed during her tour of a world beyond Orlando’s main streets and busy downtown. “I have a tent. That is my home. This is our home, this right here and I love it.”
“Would you trade it?” Butler asked.
“Nope,” said Terry.
She has lived on 18 acres off U.S. Highway 50 for more than a decade.
“How does one survive out here for 15 years?” Butler asked.
“Well, day-by-day,” Terry said.
And her place has a lot of amenities.
“See, I have my bed. I have my dresser,” she explained.
Butler observed homes built with tents and tarps. They have almost everything they need. The residents display their flags and favorite football teams, and they even decorate for the holidays.
Joan and Jack lost their house two years ago. They live on the land as well and set up a three-room campsite with a generator, computer and even a toilet.
They live back in the woods because it's safer than trying to survive on the streets.
They, too, worry about homeless, violent offenders and the perception they are now giving people in “The City Beautiful.”
They aren't ready for their camp to close, because they have to stay there until they have enough money saved for a home.
“Would you trade it?” Butler asked.
“What, for a home?” Jack said. “Yeah. Hell yeah.”
The owners of the private land often let the homeless live there, so it's hard to get the camps closed. But the one Butler visited is in jeopardy. The residents there said the owner is under pressure to kick everyone out.
WFTV
