APOPKA, Fla. — Sal Perez Piedra spent most of his life working in hospitality, including more than a decade as a hotel front desk manager.
When he retired at 70, he believed he had planned carefully enough to remain financially secure.
“I had saved money, I crunched the numbers, and I came up with the conclusion that I had enough money for the next 10 years,” Perez Piedra said.
Then he became seriously ill.
Perez Piedra said his Medicare plan did not cover all his medical expenses. Over the next three years, the costs consumed his savings.
“Medicare only pays 80% of your health medical costs. It was that 20% that did me in,” Perez Piedra said. “Looking back, if I would have had extra health insurance, it would have made all the difference in the world.”
Eventually, he could no longer afford his rent and faced eviction.
Perez Piedra moved his most important belongings into a storage unit and sought help from three shelters. When his permitted time at the shelters ended, he found himself sleeping upright on a bench in Apopka.
He kept his essential belongings in plastic bags nearby and endured Florida’s cold, rain and heat. During approximately one year on the streets, Perez Piedra said he was assaulted four times.
“This is not unique to me,” he said. “I could share with you stories that I have heard from other homeless people that make mine look like nothing.”
Perez Piedra’s experience reflects a growing problem among Central Florida’s older residents.
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count, an annual survey measuring homelessness on a single night in January, counted 2,724 people experiencing homelessness across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
More than one-quarter were 55 or older. Homelessness among people in that age group increased 6% from 2025, and nearly half were unsheltered.
“Some of these seniors had been homeless for a while. They aged into senior status. But half of the adults over the age of 65 had never been homeless before,” said Martha Are, executive director of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.
The organization is designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Central Florida’s lead agency on homelessness. It says the region’s shortage of affordable housing forces providers to prioritize residents least likely to regain stable housing without assistance, including older adults and people with disabilities.
Perez Piedra believes he might still be sleeping outside if he had not met Apopka resident Dino Rachiele.
Rachiele, president of Loaves and Fishes of Apopka, initially offered Perez Piedra money and began talking with him. After hearing his story, Rachiele said he could not stop thinking about it.
“I told him, ‘You’ll never be homeless again. I’ve got a hotel for you, and we’re going to take care of you,’” Rachiele said.
Rachiele shared Perez Piedra’s story online. The post received approximately 40,000 views within two days and was shared more than 200 times.
Donations have allowed Perez Piedra to stay in a hotel for the past four weeks.
“I have, again, a roof over my head and a comfortable bed that I can sleep in without any fear every night,” Perez Piedra said.
Rachiele has since involved Loaves and Fishes of Apopka and launched a fundraiser to help Perez Piedra secure permanent housing.
The GoFundMe campaign is intended to help pay down some of Perez Piedra’s medical debt and cover the security deposit on an apartment.
Rachiele said an apartment application is pending. Perez Piedra receives Social Security and Medicare, so the goal is to raise enough money to help him regain stable housing and begin supporting himself again.
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