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County leaders work to find Eatonville families permanent homes

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some of the families who were forced out of an Eatonville motel after it was condemned still haven't found a new place to live.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said the county is working to help the homeless families.

The families had just hours to get out of the motel last Friday after a second inspection revealed the building was dangerous and unlivable.

"They were condemning it because of structural and serious life safety concerns," Jacobs said.

Many of the motel's residents told WFTV they had nowhere to go and no plan to find new shelter.

"For the folks living there many of them did not have an immediate alternative," Jacobs said.

Local hotel owner Harris Rosen gave several of the families a place to stay and food to eat after the eviction.

"The six families that were still without housing Friday evening that Mr. Rosen put up in his hotel, all but one of those we have been able to place in permanent housing," Jacobs said.

The mayor said measures will be taken to ensure the families don't find themselves homeless again.

"We need to find a way to help those who really can afford month-to-month reasonable housing, but cannot get into that housing because of a bad credit situation or a prior eviction," Jacobs said.

Officials said they plan to have the remaining family placed in a housing facility by Friday night.