Some people in Osceola County are fighting for a homeless shelter. These advocates are calling on commissioners to open an emergency facility.

  • County currently has no homeless shelter
  • Commissioner Peggy Choudhry starting new subcommittee to examine issue
  • Subcommittee 1st meeting July 24

“The homelessness issue here is ridiculous, it’s out of control,” said Carmelo Garcia, the president for Christians & Chaplains In Action, and a homeless advocate in the county for years.

Karen Ocasio has been homeless for a couple of months now. She is disabled and battles with seizures that make it hard for her to get a job.

“I am very frustrated,” Ocasio said.

Ocasio recently lost her son and the only thing she has left is her service dog, Bella Rose. But Ocasio says it’s difficult to find a shelter, let alone one for her and her furry companion.

“She is the most important thing to me in my life,” Ocasio said.

Ocasio is one of the many residents who showed up to Monday night’s county commission meeting, speaking in support of a shelter.

“It’s time to stop promising. It’s time to stop coming out during election time and saying they’re going to do, they’re going to do and they don't do anything. It’s time to put a building -- a facility here in Osceola County or the city of Kissimmee,” said Garcia. “So that these people can have a place to go and have some stability, get some real sleep and have a place where they can go to become citizens again.”

Commissioner Peggy Choudhry invited those who want help fix this issue to get involved with her subcommittee.  

"One of the things that the commission recently had just allowed me to do is to go visit one of the facilities in New Jersey, that I will be doing soon, and looking for options and bringing them back to the board,” Choudhry explained.   

Ocasio hopes the county listens because she says all she needs is a little help to get back on her feet.

“There’s no place to sleep. I don’t know where I am going to go tonight,” Ocasio added.

The new homelessness subcommittee that Commissioner Choudhry is starting will take place on Monday, July 24, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join.