Matthews Hope seeks council backing to park ‘dignity buses’ as overnight shelters amid state deadline

Matthews Hope asked the Cocoa City Council on Jan. 14 for a formal “vote of confidence” to allow the ministry to park three mobile “dignity buses” on Matthews Hope’s private lot and run them as nighttime sleeping spaces while a countywide contract is finalized.

The request came from Scott Belew of Matthews Hope, who told the council the state has made $10 million available for sheltering but that the money must be spent by June 30. Belew said Matthews Hope already has $300,000 pledged by a donor and that each bus would provide roughly 20 sleeping spaces — a total of about 60 beds — that would operate as “sleepers” only and return guests to their pickup locations each morning.

The issue matters, supporters said, because a recent Florida law identified by speakers as House Bill 1365 and described in the meeting as effective Oct. 1, 2024, is increasing pressure on local providers and has created an urgent funding timetable for sheltering.

Belew described the buses and the proposed arrangement: “These buses would…