Local advocates urge sustained funding and policy changes to address Orange County homelessness

Representatives of homeless service organizations and housing providers told the Orange County legislative delegation on Jan. 8 that homelessness in Central Florida remains a growing, multi‑generational problem that requires both immediate funding and long‑term housing capacity.

Speakers asked the county's legislative delegation to preserve recurring state funds used for homelessness services and to expand one‑time appropriations into recurring support. Aaron Lewis, president and CEO of the Grame Support Network, urged lawmakers to maintain $5.2 million in recurring general revenue for homeless continuum of care staffing grants and to preserve a $20 million recurring base budget for homeless challenge grants. He also asked that a $10 million nonrecurring homeless challenge grant be made recurring, arguing fiscal stability for service providers is needed amid rising shelter‑shortages and changes in local enforcement of public camping restrictions.

Martha (Homeless Services Network of Central Florida), the group that coordinates regional data and the point‑in‑time count, reported that the 2024 count identified more than 2,000 people in Orange County, including 759 people who were not in shelter and 371 people under age 18. She emphasized that 43% of the counted population was either a senior (55+) or a child (under 18), and that permanent supportive housing programs targeted at people with disabilities have a high retention rate; she said more housing units are needed to translate those program success rates into county‑wide reductions in homelessness.

Pathlight Home’s CEO Carl Falconer and other housing providers told the delegation that affordable housing supply at very low incomes is still the critical bottleneck: they asked for more appropriations for affordable units and support for related services — case management, mental‑health counseling and employment programs — that enable people to remain housed.

Multiple presenters called for protecting the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund and for targeted use of tourism‑related taxes and state housing programs to increase attainable housing stock. Advocates said that without preserving funding flows that support staffing and local challenge grants, existing provider networks risk losing capacity while demand increases.

Ending: Providers and advocates asked the delegation to champion a mix of recurring operating supports for providers, appropriation requests for building and preservation of affordable units, and policy changes that ease development of low‑cost housing. They also invited delegation members to site visits to shelters and supportive housing projects.