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Orlando releases list of sites considered to become possible homeless shelters

By Nick Papantonis, WFTV.com

New law makes it illegal for homeless to camp out on streets, sidewalks, parks Tents and homeless camps are something that can soon lead to fines, arrests and even lawsuits across Florida.

By Nick Papantonis, WFTV.com

ORLANDO, Fla. — When residents packed into a meeting room at the beginning of the month to oppose Orlando staff’s plan to place a fourth homeless shelter in District 5, leaders responded to the barrage of inequality accusations by saying they looked at properties all over the city.

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The West Washington Street site, they said, was the ideal candidate because of its downtown location and placement where the services were needed.

“We looked east side, west side, south of town,” Orlando homeless advisor Lisa Portelli explained. “This work is only just begun.”

Portelli said the city’s staff and nonprofits had scouted more than 20 properties in all corners to determine which site was the best.

West Washington won, but the plan blew up amid the fierce opposition. It begged the question: which sites didn’t win?

On Friday, staff provided the list of 23 sites that had been scouted and rejected for one reason or another, be it location, availability, price or another suitability issue.

Specific notes on each location weren’t included.

The list was (scroll down for a map):

  • 1600 Aaron Ave.
  • The Greyhound bus station at 555 N John Young Pkwy.
  • 1800 33rd St.
  • 2750 W Business Center Blvd.
  • 633 E Colonial Dr.
  • 3212 Curry Ford Rd.

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  • 301 W Grant St.
  • 6450 Hoffner Ave.
  • 365 N Ivey Ln.
  • 4777-4785 Old Winter Garden Rd.
  • 6416 Old Winter Garden Rd.
  • 71 S Semoran.
  • 5300 Silver Star Rd.
  • 1207 W Church St.
  • 8401 Valencia College Ln.
  • Car Collision on W Colonial
  • 3600 W Colonial (39 room hotel)
  • 4429 N John Young Pkwy.
  • 46 N Orange Blossom Trail

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  • Matthew’s Hope area in Winter Garden
  • Samaritan Resource Center
  • Orlando Union Rescue Mission vacant lot
  • 712 Gore St.

Of the 23 sites, 20 had specific locations that could be pinpointed:

Portelli was correct: sites could be found in most corners of the city and beyond, barring Lake Nona, which is too far from downtown to be considered suitable.

However, of the 20 sites with known locations, nine of them were in District 5 – plus the site that the city eventually decided to try to move forward with.

During that meeting, community members pushed back on the assertion that the need was greatest in District 5 for natural reasons. They said the presence of the three existing shelters and other resources drew the homeless population there instead of spreading it out to other districts and communities.

“Why is it that some of these entities can’t go in the other neighborhoods and mess their neighborhoods up?” one woman asked.

With the West Washington plan in pieces, Orlando will head back to the drawing board to find other solutions to getting its homeless population off the street at night.

The city and other communities face a looming October 1 deadline, when a ban on camping or sleeping in public places takes effect.

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