Orlando council approves funding for ‘407 Connect’ buses to provide 40 emergency shelter beds nightly

Orlando City Council voted Wednesday to fund a mobile shelter program that city staff and the Christian Service Center said will provide overnight beds, case management and rapid rehousing assistance to people experiencing homelessness.

Council approved a funding agreement to buy two custom-fabricated, retrofitted buses — modeled on the Dignity Bus program used elsewhere — and to operate them in partnership with the Christian Service Center. City staff said the buses would provide about 40 overnight pods and be ready to start operations within weeks: “the bus can be ready in about 4 to 6 weeks,” David Barilla (city housing staff) told council during the presentation.

The council vote follows Mayor Buddy Dyer’s announcement that the city is increasing investments to address homelessness: “we are investing another $8,000,000 directly tied to that commitment,” the mayor said in opening remarks. City staff said the purchase cost for the two buses will come from Accelerate Orlando (the city’s ARPA-backed program) and is approximately $350,000; the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will fund operations at about $1,000,000 per year for three years.

Why it matters: Supporters said the 407 Connect buses will offer immediate, low-cost shelter and a pathway to housing while staff and nonprofits continue work on longer-term housing. Eric Gray, speaking for the Christian Service Center, described the buses as part of a broader outreach plan that could help neighboring municipalities consider similar options and “any 1 person we can get off the streets for any 1 night is always worth it in my opinion.”

How it will operate: City staff and the Christian Service Center described the proposed nightly flow. Individuals would be enrolled through the center, board the bus in the evening, sleep in a pod overnight and receive breakfast and case management in the morning. Staff emphasized the program is not open access: applicants will be screened and priority given to people with some income, disability benefits, family connections elsewhere, or other linkages that make rapid rehousing feasible. Staff said the program is not intended for people who are actively violent, have uncontrolled severe mental-health crises, or who require inpatient addiction treatment.

Scale, costs and expected outcomes: Presenters estimated the program could house roughly 407 people over three years. Staff presented per-person clarifications: one line item of $331,200 is identified to cover move-in costs (security deposits and first-month rent) and was calculated to provide about $2,435 per household served in the first year scenario. Using the city’s cost assumptions for acquisition, operations and wraparound services, staff estimated a per-bed cost of about $78 per night (and about $40 per night if the bus purchase is amortized out of the per-night calculation).

Staffing and service details: The Christian Service Center said the first-year operating budget includes intake staff, two case managers and a small security/operations crew to run a seven-day-a-week operation. The center described a conservative planning assumption that some participants could remain enrolled up to 90 days while case managers work to secure permanent housing.

Community concerns and outreach: The Paramore neighborhood (Parramore) and other residents and business owners voiced mixed reactions at the council meeting. Several neighborhood speakers and representatives asked for more advance local engagement and expressed concern about further concentrating emergency services in Parramore. Others, including service providers and residents with lived experience, urged council to act and highlighted that the buses are an immediate option alongside longer-term housing investments.

Council and CRA votes: The city council approved the funding agreement during the meeting after discussion and public comment; the CRA separately approved roughly $1,000,000 per year for three years to operate the buses. Council members who spoke in support framed the buses as a pragmatic, fast-start intervention, while several council members and speakers pressed for stronger outreach to neighborhoods and for parallel action on permanent housing.

What’s next: City staff and the Christian Service Center said they will continue community engagement about where the buses will park at night, finalize operational rules and pursue additional philanthropic and grant sources to sustain the program beyond the three-year funding plan. Staff also said they would return to council with implementation details and regular reports on outcomes.

Votes at a glance - Funding agreement with Christian Service Center ("407 Connect" Dignity Bus project): Motion to approve purchase and operating funding (two buses); mover: Commissioner Rose; second: Commissioner Sheehan; outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous). Funding: ~$350,000 (Accelerate Orlando) for bus purchase; CRA operations funding: ~$1,000,000/year for three years; estimated program target: 407 people housed over three years; notes: move-in assistance line item $331,200 (first-year scenario). - CRA motion to fund 407 Connect operations: Motion: approve CRA funding; mover: Commissioner Rose; second: Commissioner Sheehan; outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous); amount: approximately $1,000,000/year for three years (CRA operations contribution). - Consent agenda and minutes: Minutes from Feb. 24 workshop (motion by Commissioner Rose, second by Commissioner Sheehan) and consent agenda (motion by Commissioner Stewart, second by Commissioner Ortiz) — both adopted by unanimous voice votes. - Audubon Place decorative street lighting special assessment (final assessment resolution): Adopted; total assessment without interest $22,053.53 ($2,004.87 per parcel); legal authorization referenced: Fla. Stat. §197.3632; outcome: adopted (voice vote, unanimous). - Resolution of intent to use uniform method for collection of non-ad valorem special assessments (Audubon Place): Adopted (voice vote, unanimous). - Ordinances adopted on second reading: ordinance amendments and land-use/zoning matters listed on the agenda (Ordinance Nos. 2024-54; 2025-6; 2025-7; 2025-8) — each moved and adopted on second reading by voice vote; (first-reading items moved as indicated by staff).

Sources and limits of reporting: This article is based on the council meeting transcript and presentations at the March 24, 2025 Orlando City Council meeting. It does not infer outcomes beyond those stated by council or staff. Where staff gave numeric estimates or planning assumptions (for example anticipated counts housed, per-case move-in assistance and per-night cost estimates), those figures are reported as staff’s estimates during the presentation.

Ending: Council members said they will continue parallel work on permanent housing options and explore ways to spread services regionally; staff and the Christian Service Center will return to council with implementation details and periodic reports on placements and costs.