OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla — Dozens of ​seniors living in a Kissimmee retirement community are now looking for a new place to live, after learning their community is up for sale.

What You Need To Know

  • In 2022, a pair of hurricanes hit Central Florida hard

  • Good Samaritan Society in Kissimmee was flooded, causing many units to become unlivable

  • Residents of the retirement community have been left confused on next steps now that it has been put up for sale

The Good Samaritan Society retirement community saw heavy flooding when Hurricane Ian roared through last fall.

Ralph Taylor served in Vietnam, and in the Army for more than 20 years, which caused him to move around the country and the world for a long time.

Back in January 2022, though, the 78-year-old thought he found a permanent place to stay at the Good Samaritan Society retirement community.

Then Hurricane Ian came calling last September, causing historic flooding that devastated the Kissimmee property and forced officials to call for a mandatory evacuation.

But Taylor said he didn’t want to leave.

“If you’ve ever lived in a tent, in Fort Carson, Colo., in February, 28 degree weather and you’ve got a 5-gallon bucket of water and you can take a bath, nothing bothers you,” he said.

He and some of his neighbors returned after some of the property was cleaned up. Taylor said his apartment was OK, but his car had been flooded and was totaled.

“I moved it out of the parking lot up to a higher spot, and that’s the last time the car ran,” he said.

But then, he said, the situation got even worse.

Good Samaritan Society officials say the organization is leaving Florida, along with another dozen states, citing health care challenges and the impact from the pandemic.

According to information from Community Legal Services, which is offering free legal advice to the elderly hurricane victims, more than 100 residents living on fixed incomes like Taylor no longer have a place to live.

Residents have been told they will not get their security deposit back unless they signed papers promising not to sue.

Despite his situation, Taylor said he's still optimistic.

“Something is going to happen," he said. "I don’t know what. When I get there, I’ll figure it out."

Residents say representatives from Good S​amaritan have not shared a timeline on any potential sale.