By Christine Moore, Orange County District 2 Commissioner

In July, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” This order ends support for “housing first” policies. It prefers programs which exclusively house women and children and encampment removal efforts. The impacts to local governmental funding and existing programs are unknown at this time. 

At the state level, the governor also signed in 2024 a bill dealing with homelessness, House Bill 1365. It prohibits the county from authorizing or allowing any person to regularly engage in public camping or sleeping. Residents, business owners, or the attorney general may bring a civil action against the county.  

The community complaint process for public camping violations is as follows: The Mental Health & Homelessness Department works with 311. Orange County funded an outreach team, and the Sheriff’s Office to address incoming complaints.  

Complaints are received by 311 and distributed to the contract community outreach teams to provide resources and on-site services. Our contracted providers include: Coalition for the Homeless, Samaritan Resource Center, and Pathlight Home. 

Outreach teams provide an on-site connection to available shelter, case management, and services for food, showers, employment coaching, etc. However, the majority of these individuals are reluctant to take advantage of the services offered. 

Nevertheless, one of the county goals is to expand existing services. The first expansion would be to the outreach team’s capacities. The county has added two specialists to assist with Social Security and disability benefits. 

            Details on the outreach program: 

            Cost: $640,308 

            Launch date: March 2025 

            Program clients assisted: 931  

            Total outreach to clients in FY 24-25: 2,118  

The county has expanded services to prevent the eviction of pregnant mothers. The yearly funding for the program is $140,000.  

They are endeavoring to increase shelter capacity with a work group from eight departments. Additionally, plans are underway to purchase more overnight buses in partnership with a homelessness service center provider.  

An overnight bus for West Orange County is in the plan with an estimated budget of $190,000 for purchase and remodeling. Annual operations are expected to cost $600,000 yearly.  

We are in the RFI process to purchase now, and a contract is expected to be finalized and go for a vote at the Board of County Commissioner’s meeting in the next several months. This bus is likely the one to be operated by Matthew’s Hope and parked on several different city of Apopka properties. 

Another program in the works is to increase shelter capacity through overnight trailers. These trailers would provide temporary housing for chronically homeless persons. Each trailer will have restroom facilities and house 10 clients. It includes a small laundry and office.  

Still another initiative is a housing stabilization program to provide temporary housing in hotels to reduce shelter population for families. The provider is the Samaritan Resource Center. The funding needed for this program per year is $933,194.  

Up to 30 rooms will be available for families with additional space for a case manager’s office. Nineteen rooms are currently filled with 154 people served. Ten families have progressed to stable housing. 

Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series.