ORLANDO, Fla. — Over 100 residents living at Kaleo Ministries, also known as the Hope City Refuge in Orlando, are without a permanent place to live on Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- Orange County officials served an injunction to Kaleo Ministries in Orlando, forcing over 100 residents to find other housing
- Officials have found fire and code violations throughout the property
- Most living on the property were once homeless and are in need of food and shelter
- The county has set up social services nearby to assist those displaced with alternative housing
Orange County officials served owner Marcos Diaz with a temporary injunction because of fire and code violations, forcing those living on the property to evacuate immediately.
Most living there were once homeless and are in need of food and shelter, but the county has set up social services nearby to assist those displaced with alternative housing.
Deputy Director of Community & Family Services Levon Williams said they will provide housing for anyone requesting it from Kaleo Ministries.
“What we are doing today is providing support for those that are impacted. Through the family and community services department is providing secured temporary housing as well as offering mental and emotional support for those that seek it,” said Williams at a press conference held on Wednesday.
For eight years, pastor Marco Diaz has been operating Kaleo Ministries located at 1717 Harrell road in Orlando.
It has been a home for those without one, providing safe and clean housing inside large shipping constrainers lined with bunk beds.
“Right now, they said they are going to house them, and they said they are going to do something about it, so it’s in god’s hands,” he said.
Orange County officials say they have been working directly with Diaz about code and fire violations since November 2023.
The county says they have even provided the pastor with smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, but the place is still not up to code and is dangerous should there ever be a fire.
“Today’s measures by law require they vacate that property for lack of safety fire measures,” said Danny Banks Public Safety Director for Orange County.
Diaz is aware of what the county is asking him to do to comply but worries about those who had to leave his property.
“So right now for them to say it’s not safe, but sleeping out in the street is safer than sleeping in here. What they are trying to say,” said Diaz.
Orange County says the injunction means no one can spend the night on the property at this time and if they find out anyone still remains, Diaz will be in contempt of court.
Diaz says he has the money to make the changes and hopes to one day open his door again to those in need.