Central Florida’s first mobile homeless shelters are one step closer to debuting, after the Downtown Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency board approved an adaptive reuse project Wednesday that utilizes buses to provide emergency, overnight respite.
Citing the state's camping ban and the need for municipalities to come up with immediate solutions to unsheltered homelessness to prevent criminalization, the CRA has been proposing ideas for shelters over the last year. The board voted to move forward with the plan of using buses, stating it expects a warm reception from the rest of the community.
The project is called 407 Connect, after the local area code and the number of people projected to be housed and helped off the streets from being connected to local resources, a major part of this three-year bus shelter program.
If city council members also approve the plans, $300,000 of the CRA board’s money will be used to buy two double-decker buses, which will be fitted for about 20 sleeping pods each. These mobile shelter units will include overnight security, surveillance, beds with clean linens, privacy curtains and storage space, as well as a place for pets, bathrooms, and immediacy — they could be ready within just a couple months from purchase.
The Christian Service Center for the Homeless in the downtown Orlando area has committed to hosting and staffing the buses. Although the organization is a day center, not a shelter, Executive Director Eric Gray said he’s impressed with the idea.
“It's kind of brilliant in its simplicity. While 40 beds isn't going to change the entire scope of homelessness in the community, it's 40 more people who aren't sleeping on the streets,” he said.
Gray said the project will cost about $1 million per year — this will pay for the shelter cleaning and bus maintenance, as well as overnight security staff and, most importantly, case management services.
The plan now is to park the buses at the Christian Service Center campus, allowing guests to have breakfast there in the morning along with access to resources, if they want them. The bus shelters will be mobile and have low- to no-barrier entry for easy access. One of the buses will also accommodate people with disabilities and be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Gray said all the credit goes to the city.
“[The CRA board members] have been really trying to find solutions to address homelessness within the area that they're responsible for, which is primarily downtown Orlando, and I will give them credit — they have been really innovative. They've presented a dozen different ideas, most of them were never workable, but they at least tried,” he said. “This idea was one that caught our attention early; we thought it was outside the box.”
According to Gray, the city’s Housing and Homelessness Initiatives manager, Samantha Levine, is the brain behind the operation.
Levine said she found out about the Dignity Bus program, which is fully operational in Vero Beach. She went to the Indian River County city with a group to see that program for themselves and interview the guests. She said the results were promising.
“We spoke to the individuals down there, and really, all of them greatly appreciated this intervention. For many of them, it was the first good night's sleep that they had had in a long time,” she said. “Many said how this really allowed them to sort of focus on their goal of getting a job or connecting with housing because they're actually able to sleep and focus.”
The city’s Accelerate Orlando plan is putting $58 million in federal funds toward homelessness and housing, aiming to reach three goals in three years: reducing the presence of unsheltered individuals, ensuring no child spends a night on the streets and maintaining clean and safe streets for all. However, Levine said that something has to be done to help the situation in the meantime.
“These goals, however, do take some time,” she said. “We all know from our day-to-day experience that we are seeing more and more unsheltered individuals in our community. This poses a challenge for those who are experiencing homelessness, first and foremost, but also we know our businesses and our residents struggle with individuals who are sleeping on our sidewalks, in our parks, in front of our businesses, and many of you and these residents themselves have been asking for help.”
Some people at the meeting expressed concerns over mixing families with children and other people, as the shelter presents little to no barriers or requirements for use. Others said they would like to see the bus shelters operational during the day as well.
Gray said a no-barrier shelter is the best alternative to get people into safe bedding, off the streets, and connected to resources that are helpful, though the program will be monitored for possible adjustments. He also said organizers will look into opening the shelters during the day, although most unhoused people in the area either work or go to school during business hours.
Gray said the plan still needs to clear the Orlando City Council next month before it can move forward.
This story is part of a collaborative initiative of independent local news outlets working towards a more informed and engaged Central Florida.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
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