ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A three-year pilot program to help with chronic homelessness just secured funding to continue.

  • Orange, Osceola, Seminole program to help with homelessness
  • Orange Co. commissioners approved $1.8 million in funding
  • Some of funding will go toward case management, rental assistance, utility payments
  • READ IT: Orange County report

The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved $1.8 million for a regional permanent supportive housing program that helps people not only in Orange County, but also Seminole and Osceola counties.

Seminole and Osceola have already approved their portions.

The original pilot program called “Housing the First 100” began in 2015, but the funding ran out in December 2018.

Roy Donberg was one of the first people helped when they found him an apartment of his own three years ago.

“I came in the door and they are like, 'This is your apartment, here are the keys to your apartment,'" Donberg said, recalling the day. "I was wandering around, looking out the window because I wasn’t used to it for a while, because it was like 18 1/2 years being out on the streets and going from woods to woods. It's totally different.”

“Homelessness should be rare, should be brief, and it should be one time," said Donna Wyche, Community and Family Services of Orange County.

Wyche continues to monitor the program’s progress and success. Some of the services the $1.8 million will go toward case management, rental assistance, utility payments, and much more.

Donberg has held a job and kept his apartment. He does love his apartment but said he one day hopes for a place of his own.

At last count, there were just more than 2,053 homeless people in the tri-county area. But it is widely believed that count is much lower than the true number, which is difficult to truly know.