Matthew’s Hope asks Apopka for parking site for mobile ‘sleeper bus’ outreach

Matthew’s Hope, a nonprofit that provides street outreach and medical services to people experiencing homelessness, asked the Apopka City Council on June 4 for permission to park mobile “sleeper” buses overnight on city property or at partner sites so the organization can operate the buses in the city at no cost to taxpayers.

The request matters because the buses are designed to provide a safe place to sleep plus on‑site medical, mental‑health and case management services — services Matthew’s Hope’s director says are intended to connect people to longer‑term care and housing.

Pastor Scott Blue, representing Matthew’s Hope, told the council the buses are already operating in Brevard County and that Orange County has agreed to fund buses for its service area. “The ask today will cost you nothing,” Blue said. He described the program as a mobile outreach platform with medical and mental‑health staff, onsite showers and laundry, a points system for services, and partnerships with AdventHealth and local churches. Blue said the first Orange County bus would be roughly 120 days from a go‑ahead and that Matthew’s Hope could stage operations while the city identifies parking and support logistics.

Blue said the buses operate with security, cameras, liability insurance and sanitation procedures. He said guests can reserve space; a typical single‑night setup would serve about 20 people, with a policy of a minimum three‑night stay and a maximum three‑night rotation so the service can reach more people.

Council members pressed for specifics. Commissioner Anderson asked, “So what does that look like? More than one location to park? What is ideal?” Blue answered: “Ideal is probably having a couple that we can move from because, again, is pretty good sized place for a municipality. But I'd be happy with one place to park.” He added Matthew’s Hope has partners to service and wash buses in Winter Garden and that the nonprofit has liability insurance “more than I care to have.”

Council members and staff raised standard municipal concerns about liability and insurance. The city attorney said those issues can usually be mitigated by an indemnification clause and insurance requirements in an agreement, and the council directed staff to work with Matthew’s Hope to draft a formal agreement. At the meeting the mayor instructed staff to bring a proposed agreement back for council consideration at the June 18 meeting.

Public comments both supported and urged caution. Several residents welcomed additional services to the unhoused; others said traffic, neighborhood impacts and ongoing coordination with churches and volunteers should be addressed. Blue said Matthew’s Hope already runs outreach in Apopka multiple days per week and would welcome local churches as co‑hosts but preferred to secure a municipal parking location first to avoid putting church properties at risk of community criticism.

Next steps: staff will work with Matthew’s Hope to draft a temporary parking and operations agreement, address indemnity and insurance language, and return the item to the June 18 council meeting for potential formal authorization or further direction.

The council did not adopt a binding contract on June 4; instead, it directed staff to pursue a negotiated agreement and return to the council with a proposed contract on June 18.