Homeless Services Network of Central Florida

10/02/2026

Shout-out to the great partners who attended our training on de-escalation when working with people in crisis. By the time folks become homeless, they've been through a series of traumas -- the loss of loved ones, major illness, violence, disability, natural disasters, etc.). It takes special skills, and special people, to work gracefully in that space.

RISE Community Solutions Christian Service Center for the Homeless Matthew's Hope, Orange County Pathway Homes, Inc. One Heart for Women and Children IMPOWER

09/29/2026

It has become more deadly than ever to be homeless in America. A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless found "an alarming surge in targeted violence and fatalities against individuals experiencing homelessness."
The report, which covers 2023-2024, documented 197 violent incidents and 127 fatalities across 32 states and the District of Columbia -- a 103% increase in incidents and a 170% increase in fatalities compared to the 2020–2022 reporting cycle.
"Homelessness is not a moral failure of a person; it is a moral failure of society," said Donald H. Whitehead, Jr., executive director of NCH. "Punitive ordinances, encampment sweeps, and the criminalization of basic survival push unhoused individuals into isolated, dangerous areas where they become targets for violent predators and vigilantes."
See the full report at https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:c7fefb2c-6285-403c-8a4f-351e3c4c0650

09/25/2026

How will Amendment 3 impact renters? Maybe not in the way you'd expect. The average Florida apartment unit’s annual property tax bill could go up $406 (14.8%) in 2028, and $554 (15.75%) by 2031, according to a statewide analysis, the Florida Housing Coalition reports. For renters of a single-family home, the cost could be even higher: an average $1,081 (14.6%) increase in 2028, rising to $1,471 (15.4%) by 2031.
About one in four of Florida’s renters live in a single-family home.
Why?
While Amendment 3 lowers the property tax burden for homeowners, the Florida Housing Coalition says renters COULD be faced with covering some of the loss -- if local governments raise property tax rates to cover the gap.
Remember, the property tax break only goes to homeowners who use the property as their primary residence.
Of course, it's not certain that all local governments would raise property tax rates -- but a handful of local cities already have or plan to. And, according to the housing coalition, "Research on past tax increases show landlords typically pass at least 60% of the cost on to tenants, and often nearly all of it over time."
You can read more from the Florida Housing Coalition on the issue and get a link to the statewide analysis at https://flhousingactionlab.substack.com/p/new-analysis-estimates-amendment

09/22/2026

Living an "average" life has simply become too expensive for a lot of people, especially young people, even when they're employed. Realtor.com recently reported that a record 25.2 million Americans under age 35 lived with their parents in 2025—more than at any point on record, including the COVID-19 pandemic peak. That's nearly ONE-THIRD of young adults who are living with mom and/or dad.
As the report notes: "A median home listing price 34% above pre-pandemic levels means the basic math of independent living isn’t working for millions of young adults." For the full report, go to https://www.realtor.com/research/adults-living-with-parents-june-26/

09/18/2026

YOUR VOICE MATTERS! If you support more affordable housing vouchers for families with young children, please tell Congress to pass the Bipartisan “Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act.” (Yes, you read that correctly -- it's BIPARTISAN!)
The legislation would create an additional 250,000 housing vouchers specifically for low-income families with young children to expand their access to well-resourced neighborhoods with high-performing schools, strong job prospects, and other opportunities. Find out more about the impact and how to contact your representative in Congress at https://nlihc.org/resource/take-action-tell-congress-enact-bipartisan-family-stability-and-opportunity-vouchers-act

09/15/2026

How will Amendment 3 affect affordable housing in Florida? The nonpartisan Florida Housing Coalition put out an analysis of the pros and cons. Among the latter is the possibility that renters could see their costs go up.
Today Seminole County FL reported that virtually all of their budget devoted to Meals on Wheels, the Sharing Center, Boys & Girls Club, KidsHouse, Early Learning Coalition and shelters serving almost 500 homeless people (including 120 homeless children) could be eliminated. Because the county is mandated to spend its budget on certain categories (schools, police, fire-rescue, etc.), there's no replacement for the $119 million in tax revenue that would be lost in the first year alone. (The loss increases each year after that.)

09/14/2026

Florida's vacancy rate hit 14.7%, ranking fifth nationally even though median home values stayed above the US average.

09/11/2026

09/08/2026

The ER Can Treat the Crisis. It Can't Prescribe a Home - At Least Not Here, Not Yet.

By Melissa Stout, BSN, RN

As a former ER nurse, I know how much a discharge plan quietly assumes. Go home and rest. Keep the wound clean and dry. Follow up next week. But what happens when there is no home to go to? The emergency department can treat an infection, stabilize an injury, or manage an immediate crisis. What it cannot provide is the safe place someone may need to recover.

Fortunately, Central Florida is beginning to expand resources that address this gap. Pathways to Care in Casselberry provides 34 medical-respite beds and serves about 200 people each year. And the Health Care Center for the Homeless, Inc. has launched a pilot program — Health 2 Housing — connecting highly vulnerable, medically needy unhoused seniors with temporary single-residency occupancy housing and structured healthcare. That work matters, but the capacity remains limited compared with the need.

Other cities show what can happen when recovery includes addressing housing needs. In Cleveland, Ohio, a medical-respite program for women experiencing homelessness was evaluated using admissions from 2022 to 2024. At discharge, 45.2% had transitioned to permanent housing and another 19.2% to skilled nursing facilities. Researchers also reported improvements in self-care, medication management, health knowledge, and primary medical conditions, along with fewer hospitalizations and emergency-department visits. In Denver, Colorado, supportive housing participants had 40% fewer emergency-department visits after two years. Three years after entering housing, 77% of living participants remained stably housed, and the program reduced other emergency public-service costs by about $6,876 per person each year.

Housing is not medical treatment, and emergency departments should not be expected to solve homelessness on their own. However, a treatment plan only works when a patient has a realistic way to follow it. Central Florida has already begun building that bridge between leaving the hospital and having somewhere safe to recover.

The question is this: how much illness, repeat crisis care, and public expense could be prevented if more people had somewhere safe to recover?

09/02/2026

Big thank-you to Jeff Lutes of the Orlando Magic for generously donating to our organization through the Magic's MVP initiative. We know there are many worthy causes in this community, and we are honored that you chose our effort to help Central Floridians struggling with homelessness.