ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County leaders are proposing a new 150-bed housing facility near Goldenrod Road and Colonial Drive as officials work to address a growing shortage of shelter space.
Community members got their first look at the proposal during a public meeting Monday evening at the Goldenrod Recreation Center. County officials say the project, called “Goldenrod Village,” is designed to serve as a pathway to permanent housing rather than a traditional homeless shelter.
District 3 Orange County Commissioner Myra Uribe said the effort has been years in the making.
[WATCH: Residents to learn about new homeless shelter plan for Goldenrod Road]
“It’s taken years. This is an effort I’ve been working on for multiple years,” Uribe said.
County leaders say Orange County is currently short more than 750 shelter beds each night. The proposed facility would sit on a vacant 10-acre lot along Goldenrod Road, just south of Colonial Drive.
Plans call for a 90-day program that includes wraparound services such as meals, laundry, employment assistance and housing support. The facility would also offer case management, mental and behavioral health services, and educational training. Officials say the site would include 24/7 security and is located along a major bus route, making it more accessible for residents.
Uribe emphasized the goal is to help individuals transition out of homelessness.
“Everyone that comes through the door, we will know who they are. They are going to be assessed, and the goal is to get people off of homelessness and into permanent housing,” she said.
[WATCH: Homelessness doubles in Orange County’s 32835 ZIP code]
During the meeting, residents submitted written questions, including concerns about potential impacts on property values and crime in the surrounding neighborhood.
Some community members expressed support for the project.
“I think it’s something that can be very helpful in the neighborhood,” said Sheri Blomber, a nearby property owner who attended the meeting. “You have to do something instead of nothing.”
Uribe said the project would benefit the broader community.
“If we lift up everyone in our community, it only helps the broader community at large,” she said.
Just a few miles away, the Samaritan Resource Center is already seeing an increase in demand. Executive Director Zeynep Portway said her organization is serving roughly three times as many people as it did in 2020.
“The current need is great. Again, we have no shelter beds,” Portway said.
[WATCH: Homeless advocate responds to viewer comments: Zeynep Portway, Samaritan Resource Center]
The proposed facility is estimated to cost $27 million.
County leaders plan to hold another community meeting on May 11. Uribe said she expects to bring the proposal before the Orange County Commission for discussion by July.