ORLANDO, Fla. — Members of the community and business leaders came together Tuesday to find a solution for the homeless problem in downtown Orlando. The community wants to get people off the streets and into permanent housing.
A luncheon focusing on helping the city's homeless was held Tuesday for more than 300 people at The Ballroom on Church Street.
“Mayor Dyer has doubled down on chronic homelessness,” said Lori Pampilo Harris, senior advisor to mayor on social services and homelessness.
Harris said that in the last 18 months, efforts have successfully gotten more than 125 people off the streets and into permanent housing.
But she said estimates show that there are about 170 chronically homeless people in the downtown area.
“You've got to help the chronically homeless get housing,” said Andrae Bailey, CEO Central Florida Commission on Homelessness.
To continue doing that, local leaders said they're expanding outreach, putting more workers on the street for more hours to identify homeless people and map out plans to get them help, while also launching a volunteer program.
Officials said the money is available.
“Also a way for businesses and after hours and restaurant hours to say, 'You know, I think I have a homeless person here in front of me. I want to make sure they're served. What are their resources?'” said Harris.
But there is a conflict: Many downtown business owners said the proximity of homelessness to their shops isn't good for business.
“There's an economic cost to downtowns to economic development when you leave these citizens on the street,” said Harris.
But Bailey said community leaders understand the need to help the homeless and want to get them the help they need.