Volunteers at Lake Eola spent their Christmas morning handing out food, clothes, toiletries and more to people experiencing homelessness.
136 people in the Orlando area died this year while living on the streets or in a homeless housing program. A service in Orlando Wednesday gave those people a chance to be remembered.
As part of an effort to reinvent how America handles its homeless, the Trump administration is slashing funding to long-term housing programs, a decision advocates fear will force many of Central Florida’s disabled and most vulnerable back out onto the streets.
Kissimmee is preparing to accept a $200,000 grant from the Florida Department of Children and Families to fund a pilot program aimed at addressing homelessness in the city.
Tenants who were evacuated from the Altamonte Terrace Apartments over structural issues are now being told they have to move out by Friday, leaving them without homes.
Apollo Gardens in Titusville is a $75 million complex with dozens of units for elderly homeless people and people with disabilities who are homeless. But a chunk of funding for the project is in limbo, a bystander in the Trump Administration’s march to tie federal funding to compliance with the president’s executive orders.
Ocoee Police appear to be stepping up arrests of people who are homeless and sleeping outside. Five people, mainly white men in their mid-fifties, were arrested between Aug. 28 and Sept. 17, Vox Populi reports.
The Support Orlando Shelters movement was formed to make it known that not everyone in the SoDo community agrees with the response that shut down a proposed shelter on Kaley Street earlier this year.
The agreement gives the shelter some resources to handle the growing number of people Orlando police drop off at the complex, many of whom are women and children.
The Orlando City Council is set to vote Monday on a $150,000 funding agreement with the Coalition for the Homeless, part of an effort to provide shelter for people at risk under the city’s camping ban.
It’s been close to a year since the passage of the state ban on public homeless camping. A district commissioner says the number of those who are homeless are only going up.
The owner of a historic building in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood had filed a complaint for eviction against its tenant months before the building was condemned, according to court documents reviewed by News 6.
Join me on today’s stream as we highlight the important work being done at the Samaritan Resource Center and learn how you too can be part of transforming lives in our community.
Homelessness among families in Florida has jumped nearly 30% in the past three years, according to a new study from the University of Florida.
More than two weeks after the condemnation of an extended stay hotel forced him to leave, a former tenant is still searching for a place to live.
A portable on an Orange County Public Schools administrative campus along John Young Parkway may look unassuming, but inside are shelves of donations for some of the county’s most needy students.
Daytona Beach city commissioners are set to vote on a ban on public camping as leaders work to comply with Florida’s new anti-camping law that largely prohibits people from sleeping outside.
On Wednesday, Mayor Buddy Dyer joined city commissioners and the Christian Service Center to unveil 407 Connect, a program with two mobile homeless shelters, made from retrofitted charter-style buses.
Daytona Beach city commissioners are set to vote on a ban on public camping, as leaders work to comply with Florida’s new anti-camping law that largely prohibits people from sleeping outside.
Dozens of tenants at a hotel located in the heart of the Orlando tourist district have been notified that they must vacate the property.
Data obtained by News 6 from Orange County Public Schools shows the district identified 8,828 homeless students last year, up over 50% since the 2019 school year. What that means for families and for the district.
Families in Seminole County are getting ready to head back to school in just over a week, and this year they’re getting more help from the community to ensure a successful start.
Homeless and mental health advocates in Central Florida are frustrated by a new executive order from President Trump this week intended to crack down on people living on the streets with an emphasis on increased institutionalization and arrests.
Each bus, which is a former charter bus outfitted with beds and other necessities, will sleep up to 20 people a night. The buses are also supposed to have security and cameras on board. Matthew's Hope is working with other nonprofits and churches to host the buses on a rotating basis each night throughout Brevard County.
News 6 meteorologists are expecting temperatures in the high 90s, with feels-like temperatures stretching into the triple digits. Organizations that help people experiencing homelessness are looking for cooling supplies. Here’s how you can help.
Winter Garden is set to vote to tighten its rules on solicitation. According to the updated ordinance that the city commission is set to vote on Thursday, it is designed to enhance safety and welfare for residents. However, those who rely on small donations say the changes will make life harder.
At a meeting on Tuesday night, council members will vote on a second reading of Ordinance 690, which bans solicitation in certain medians and intersections.
Central Florida continues to experience one of the worst affordable housing markets in the country, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
We asked News 6’s social media followers what kind of fees they pay on top of their rent. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Orlando, said the fees are adding cost burdens to an already cost-burdened rental market.
Volusia and Flagler counties reported an almost 7% decrease in homeless people in the region. But one homeless expert in the region believes the numbers are actually much higher.
A News 6 analysis of Orange County court records found 74 arrests by the Orlando Police Department for “camping prohibited” charges from Jan. 1 through July 1. The public defender's office is noticing these people, all listed as homeless, are spending more time in jail.
On Sunday, feels-like temperatures in Orlando were close to 100 degrees. Aid groups are now not just trying to feed hungry people, they're also trying to keep them cool. They say they need help.
The Apopka City Council approved a preliminary plan on Wednesday evening to work with Matthew’s Hope to allow the ministry to park a motor coach (bus) within city limits that will be used as a temporary mobile shelter for homeless people.
Winter Park's police department now has a Homeless Advocacy Response Team to help people living on the street find resources. Our media collaborative partners at Winter Park Voice followed the team to learn what they are seeing.
The Trump Administration is aiming to transform how homeless services are funded by slashing budgets, distributing money to states instead of local agencies, and ending a program that houses previously unsheltered people with disabilities
Apopka City Council will take up the a proposal to park a mobile shelter bus in the city on June 18, in an effort to help the homeless population.
Groups like The Salvation Army are finding themselves serving more people who are homeless in Osceola County. But these groups see funding trouble on the horizon.
When people think of homelessness, the image is people living on the streets or panhandling. But there are 3,485 students in Seminole County Public Schools, according to district data. Why Central Florida is seeing more homeless youth.
Orange County currently leads the state in student homelessness, according to the school district. Our partner, Vox Populi, looked at how schools help homeless students in west Orange County.
Among the 73,558 students in Osceola County schools, there is a segment of students—3,314, at last count—who struggle with more than projects, peer pressure, testing, and tardiness. These students face all those things in addition to some form of homelessness.
In late January 2025, volunteers across Florida conducted the annual Point-in-Time count, a multi-night snapshot of homelessness in communities across the country.
Preliminary data from the 2025 US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s required annual census of homeless people in Marion County, which is taken on one day and is known as the PIT, or Point in Time count, has been released by the city of Ocala.
A nonprofit focused on issues related to homelessness is taking steps to get approval for a shelter for homeless veterans.
Matthew's Hope provides services to homeless people in Brevard and Orange counties, including food, medical and mental health care. Now those services are in jeopardy.
A small but enthusiastic group gathered this week for the Housing NOW! rally at Orlando’s Gaston Edwards Park, spearheaded by the Framily Support Network and Aaron E. Lewis, a co-founder of the network and a candidate for Orlando City Council.
Brevard’s Homeless Coalition is set to release its latest data, providing a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness in the county. At least one volunteer says the state's camping ban law made it harder to find people to take part in the annual census.
A town hall meeting on Thursday evening invites the public to ask questions about the issue of homelessness in east Orange County, and what people can do.
Matthew’s Hope provides a wide array of services for homeless people in West Orange County and in Brevard County, from transitional housing to medical help to a preschool for homeless children. But after a large donor had to cut back funding, the group's founder says they may have to cut services.
In 2024, Gov. DeSantis signed a bill to force local governments to dismantle homeless camps. Here's how the law has affected the fight against homelessness, and how a group of journalists are trying to raise awareness.
Dozens of people who live in a homeless encampment in Orlando are preparing to vacate the area on the heels of receiving a violation notice demanding they remove their tents.
In Seminole County, there’s now expanded access to free legal assistance for low-income tenants facing housing challenges. It’s a resource provided by Seminole County Legal Aid (SCLA) in a space that’s now available, thanks to the Clerk of Court.
Most people who are homeless don't work, are dangerous, and drug addicts, so goes common belief. But the reasons for homelessness in Central Florida may surprise you. What local advocates want you to know.
Last week’s release of the annual point-in-time count made the challenge abundantly clear: Central Florida still doesn’t have enough ways to house its vast numbers of homeless residents. And a new law banning public camping is making harder to know who needs help.
Advocates say many homeless are now in hiding after state law legalizes arresting homeless campers, short-circuiting attempts to find traditional housing.
Seniors and children make up more than 40% of the homeless population in Metro Orlando, according to new data released Friday.
The WASH Foundation, which is part of the nonprofit Clean the World, offers its free shower service to anyone who needs it at locations throughout Orange County.
The latest studies indicate that, despite extensive efforts from the public and nonprofit sectors, the number of affordable homes in Central Florida has been falling, even as the overall supply of homes has gone up.
The Orlando City Council unanimously approved a plan Monday to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to convert two Greyhound buses into overnight shelters.
A town hall meeting on Thursday evening invites the public to ask questions about the issue of homelessness in east Orange County, and what people can do.
The League of Women Voters of Orange County is bringing attention to the recent changes impacting the homeless community and exploring ways the public can contribute to the solution. On Wednesday, they held a discussion panel titled “Unsheltered: Criminalized and Cast Aside.”
During the two-year gap between closing Daily Bread and opening apartments that will be built for homeless people on Apollo Boulevard called Providence Place, the team will serve the community through mobile outreach like food trucks.
The announcement to drop the shelter plans comes after the city conducted an assessment to determine if the facility was viable while exploring ways to work with the community and businesses to address homelessness.
The Daily Bread, a homeless outreach center that served hundreds of people in the Melbourne area is set to close in a matter of weeks, and a meeting Tuesday could finalize the next step.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has made its first arrest of homeless people after a state law banning sleeping or camping on public property went into full effect this January. The camp was on Raven Park property, at U.S. Highway 17-92 and Raven Avenue in the Longwood area.
One week after residents of Orlando's SoDo district expressed disappointment in a perceived lack of transparency about plans for a proposed homeless shelter in their neighborhood, the city commissioner who represents them fielded their tough questions.
Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Service Network of Central Florida, says they submitted HUD Award applications for federal money used to pay renewals for projects, services, and programs for the homeless community in November.
Faced with fast-rising homelessness and a shortage of shelter beds, Orlando officials are eyeing a mobile solution. They’re considering buying two former Greyhound buses, with bunkbeds replacing seats to house up to 20 people in each. The buses go for $175,000 each, with operations expected to cost about $1 million annually.
In a significant move to address homelessness in the region, the Orlando City Council has approved plans for the expansion of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida shelter. This expansion will include a new 9,000-square-foot facility dedicated to providing more resources for unhoused women and children.
Orlando arrested more than two dozen people for camping violations in January, according to an Orlando Sentinel tally of court records for the first month of a tough new law that many feared would lead to criminalizing the unsheltered.
Volusia County on Tuesday became the latest Central Florida jurisdiction to ban camping in public. With a 7-0 vote, the council unanimously approved an ordinance that mirrors the new state law, better known as “Florida’s Camping Ban.”
Law enforcement leaders, mental and physical health officials, homeless advocates and legal experts convened Friday for the first in a series of meetings to look into the increase in the inmate population at the Orange County Jail.
Winter Park will launch a new program on Monday supported by a federal grant aimed at helping its police department connect homeless people with resources to find housing and other services.
With Congressman Maxwell Frost (D) by their side, representatives of local organizations held a press conference in downtown Orlando Wednesday to celebrate a judge's ruling to block President Donald Trump's efforts to pause federal funding, which was followed hours later by the administration rescinding a memorandum from the Office of Budget and Management that had produced more confusion and anxiety about which programs would be impacted by such a freeze.
There’s new pressure to replace a soup kitchen and start building apartments for the homeless. In Melbourne, where helping the homeless has become a big issue in recent years, the city council is calling on the Daily Bread outreach center to close within months, not two years, as previously expected.
Over the next three days, volunteers with the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida will be going out to count how many people are experiencing homelessness.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives.
Ashley Hildebrandt, who has been homeless for eight years, tells News 6 that this week's bitter temps have gotten to her.
The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida organizes the annual Point-in-Time Count for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Over Jan. 28-30, volunteers find people experiencing homelessness and ask them to take a survey. The agency says they need more help.
Snow is breaking records in Florida and a new t-shirt commemorates the weird weather and raises money for people experiencing homelessness in Florida. And if it's too cold to get a t-shirt, warmer options are available too.
HB 1365 does allow counties or cities to designate an area for public camping, but so far, no Central Florida government has designated an area for camping. So if people experiencing homelessness can’t sleep or camp outside, where should they go? In Seminole County, there’s only one homeless shelter: The Rescue Outreach Mission.
This story is part of a collaborative initiative of independent local news outlets working towards a more informed and engaged Central Florida.
It’s been a problem some say has gotten worse in recent years, now once again, Melbourne is talking about what to do about the homeless population.
A new state law restricting individuals from sleeping on public property is shaking up communities across Florida but has also inspired an unprecedented journalism collaboration uniting 10 news outlets to tell the complex stories behind the issue.
WKMG News 6 is joining 9 other local news outlets in a regional collaboration to report on the local impact of Florida’s new Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping bill (House Bill 1365), set to be enforced on Jan. 1.
Central Florida faces a stark “math problem” when it comes to addressing homelessness. Available resources simply don’t add up to meet the demand. The challenge has been further complicated by new legislation known as the Florida Homelessness Reduction Act, which went into effect last October.
The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida says the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties rose 86% from 2023 to 2024.
