Homelessness

Both 2024 presidential candidates have made housing part of their legislative priorities for this election. Two Florida economists weight in on how each of these might affect voters in Central Florida.

The American Rescue Plan set aside $800 million for initiatives to fight student homelessness. States have used a little over $416 million.

The law takes effect on Oct. 1 and focuses on people who don't have housing. Martha Are, the CEO of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, said a lack of housing is at the center of the issue.

SALT’s mobile shower and laundry services downtown will not temporarily shut down this summer, thanks to support from the Big Nova Foundation.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we discussed the attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump, a state law that will ban people from camping or sleeping on public property, a state law restricting local heat ordinances, a study on urban heat islands, Orlando's efforts to help citizens stay cool, an update on the financial impact analysis for amendment 4, and how Florida became a part of the U.S. 203 years ago.

Three years after federal aid was earmarked to ensure homeless students get an education, millions of dollars remain unspent in the Midwest and around the country. In September, what’s left of the one-time funding will be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

The organization is looking to significantly reduce mobile showers and laundry services starting next week and hopes to resume by the fall.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Friday that arresting people for sleeping in public places is no longer considered anti-constitutional.

With the start of Florida’s hurricane season and expected record-breaking heat, Orlando activists said they cannot bear the brunt of helping the unsheltered alone.

The Point-in-Time Count is done annually and tied to federal funding.

This year, at Stetson University’s annual Ending Poverty and Homelessness Conference, organizers and mental health professionals pushed for trauma-informed responses for people experiencing the violence of poverty and the workers who help them.

Shelters are already seeing an influx of new clients, and facing the stark reality that more will be coming