ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City Council members have approved a motion to move forward with plans to expand the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • Orlando city leaders have approved a motion to move forward with plans to expand the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida

  • The expansion would include the addition of seven new properties

  • Among those are a six-story, 92,000-square-foot, 350-bed facility for unhoused women and children and 36 transitional housing units

  • This comes months after a recently imposed state law, HB 1365, made it illegal to sleep or camp in public spaces

Five acres along Parramore Avenue will be developed into seven new properties, including the development of a six-story, 92,000 square foot facility for women and children, to the existing property. 

The expansion will provide 350 shelter beds for women and children as well as 36 units of "bridge housing" for families transitioning from the shelter to off-campus housing.

Other projects include a new 9,000-square-foot, two-story administrative office building and a 160-square-foot security building also located within the site. 

Some residents agree that projects like these are necessary to help counter the growing needs of the homeless and for shelter beds in Central Florida, especially because a new law banning sleeping in public spaces took effect.

Others, like Parramore resident and community activist Lawanna Gelzer, are concerned about the impact on the neighborhood.

“I keep seeing the same organization, people get funding and say they’re going to improve the community, and we see no impact other than negative impact, no improvement,” Gelzer said. “There’s other things that can be done than putting an office facility and just having a place to service 300 to 400 people in one location. Spread it out; it needs to be throughout the city of Orlando, not in a concentrated 1.4 square mile community. How much more do we need to have in our community to feel safe?”

In a statement, Trinette Nation, director of development for the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, says: “This project represents a major step forward in our mission to serve the most vulnerable members of our community. With this new center, we will be able to offer more comprehensive support and a safe place for families to rebuild their lives.”

Nation says site development is anticipated to begin this year and construction is expected to begin early next year, with a possible completion by the end of 2027.

But for Gelzer, she’s not sold on this project quite yet.

“Why do we have to bear the brunt of everything to make you feel comfortable? And if you’re not comfortable, do something about it,” Gezler said.

Nation says more details on the timeline of the project will be shared in the coming months.