Orlando Standard

The City of Orlando is proposing a $7.5 million investment from Accelerate Orlando funds to establish an Open Access shelter aimed at reducing unsheltered homelessness by 50 percent. This initiative seeks to provide 24/7 accommodations for up to 250 vulnerable community members.

On Monday, September 9, the City Council will consider a one-year lease, with an option to purchase, for a 21,000 square-foot facility at 2140 West Washington Street. The proposed shelter will operate continuously with minimal entry requirements and offer essential services such as employment assistance, healthcare, and counseling. These Open Access shelters are designed to eliminate entry barriers and create a safe environment that allows pets, partners, and entry without identification.

Following community engagement and feedback, the City Council will contemplate purchasing the property for operation by a service provider selected through a procurement process. District 5 Interim City Commissioner Shan Rose will host the first community information session on Tuesday, September 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center.

Orange County has seen a 24 percent increase in its unsheltered population since 2023, with more than half concentrated in or near downtown Orlando. Community outreach conducted in late 2023 around the Accelerate Orlando initiative identified additional overnight shelter as an urgent need.

Accelerate Orlando has leveraged $58 million in federal funding for homelessness relief and affordable housing projects including modernizing campuses of local service centers and developing additional space for essential daytime services through Pathlight Home.

Further investments include converting a blighted hotel into Palm Gardens Orlando Apartments with units dedicated to permanent supportive housing, developing mixed-income affordable housing apartments on Jefferson Street, building single-family homes in Parramore and Holden Heights, and expanding support for low-income residents' housing needs.

For interviews regarding this initiative, contact Lisa Portelli through Andrea Otero at the city's press office.

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