Churches may help Osceola County homeless crisis

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County commissioner may have a new idea to help cut back on the number of homeless people on the streets.

Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington has proposed a “network” of churches to help fill the county's need for emergency services for the homeless.

He said churches on the list could work on "on call" schedules to ensure there's always a place for the homeless to go.

If the plan is put into place, it would help people like Jacquelin Gotto.

Gotto spent a year and a half on the streets.

“We'd sleep at bus stops, in the woods,” Gotto said.

Gotto found guidance at Kissimmee Christian Church. She now works and is enrolled at Valencia College.

“I credit God with turning my life around, and this church was an integral part of it, but it had to begin with me,” Gotto said.

Pastor Jim Book of Kissimmee Christian Church and his community outreach service has helped thousands of homeless families. He told Channel 9's Nancy Alvarez that he welcomes expanding his program but says there's a lot to consider, like security.

“When you open the doors and let people from the streets in, you can't jeopardize the safety of your other ministries,” Book said.

Arrington has started discussions on how taxpayer dollars could go toward retrofitting areas on church properties by adding showers or kitchens, and helping pay for services.

Book said it won’t be cheap, but it’s an idea worth exploring.

“There are a lot of churches that sit empty five to 6 days a week. This could be a golden opportunity for some churches to rediscover their purpose,” Book said.

Arrington told Eyewitness News that he has staff researching the idea and the costs tied to it.

Arrington said in a statement:

"Homelessness is an issue that effects many in our community and it will take all of us working together to address the issue. That is why I have asked county staff to look at the concept of partnering with Houses of Worship to help make them Houses of Service. The idea would be to create grants to retrofit Churches to serve as Shelter to those on the street.  If we all work together we can help keep folks safe while connecting them to the services that are available."

Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudry said in a statement, “I understand the concerns of my fellow commissioners, however, this is not a problem that can be resolved by one group or one entity. It really needs to be a collaborative effort with many agencies, faith based,  nonprofits community, corporations, and the county. The successful centers are the ones that collaborate and work together to resolve the problem.  I am looking forward to our strategic planning meeting on the 15th to discuss this further.”

Cox Media Group