OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The effort to move forward with a shelter and resource center for the homeless in Osceola County gained momentum Wednesday night.
The commissioner leading the charge met with dozens of others who support the idea, and they will now try to get the support of other commissioners, but that might not be easy.
Advocates for the homeless say the homeless population is growing in Osceola County and there's no single place where they can turn for help.
When Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry asked who would help her push for a 24-hour, one-stop shelter and resource center for the homeless, there was no shortage of supporters in this room.
"I believe it's long overdue and we truly need to not only have the conversation, we actually need to take action in doing so," said Choudhry.
She'll have to to persuade other commissioners to back the idea, even though the influx of people from Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria has contributed to the growing problem of families in need.
Among those in the audience Wednesday night was mother of two who found herself homeless a few years ago after facing a health issue.
"You lose your job, you lose your car, you lose everything, then what do you do? Especially with kids. So, you end up going from couch to couch, bothering people, or sleeping in your car,” said Patricia Dossantos.
Commissioner Choudhry recently visited Bergen County, New Jersey, where there's a center like the one she wants in Osceola County.
"They offer many things within the center. They also collaborate with nonprofits, religious leaders and other types of agencies that are helping through the federal level and state level," she said.
There's no estimate of how much the shelter and resource center would cost.
Cox Media Group
