Women's homeless shelter closing down after two decades operating in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — After providing service to homeless women in Orlando for 20 years, the Women’s Residential and Counseling Center on Hillcrest Street is closing down.

The facility’s closure is the latest indication of how homelessness is being addressed in Central Florida, experts said.

A community-wide shift is underway that is putting less focus on temporary housing and more on permanent housing solutions, Coalition for the Homeless CEO John Hearn said.

“Both the city and the county, and other agencies, are working to provide more affordable housing and that’s really the key,” he said.

Finding affordable, permanent housing is still a challenge, and the coalition’s services are still critical, Hearn said.

Even with the closure of the Women’s Residential and Counseling Center, the Coalition for the Homeless’ services will remain available at the agency’s main campus, he said.

Cox Media Group