ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County is experiencing an increase of homeless people in the area.

What You Need To Know

  • The Homeless Services Network said that more than 2,000 people are homeless in Orange County

  • The group said that's an increase of 28% from last year

  • Mayor Jerry Demings is interested in seeing options to address the issue

The Homeless Services Network updated commissioners on the reality of the issue Tuesday. Now, both sides are looking at potential solutions.

The regional homeless count shows there’s now more than 2,000 people in the county who are homeless. That’s about a 28% increase from last year, when it was over 1,500.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida said the county is short 965 beds. Agency leaders said there needs to be a priority of expanding resources throughout the entire Orange County area.

“The ultimate solution is to invest in housing that keeps track with the growth at all income levels,” said Martha Are, CEO at Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.

While Orange County commissioners said they want to help, they want to know where millions of taxpayer dollars are going before committing.

“There just needs to be more accountability and transparency. We can’t keep having this conversation, doing the same thing and expect a different outcome,” said Orange County commissioner Mayra Uribe.

While no action was taken Tuesday, Mayor Jerry Demings said he wants to see what some of the solutions, like rental assistance and diversion services, are costing the county.

Leaders also discussed the new state law that will ban sleeping on public property, which will take effect in the fall. The approved legislation makes camping or sleeping on any public property illegal.