Mobile shelter bus makes it way to Orlando, first of its kind

Gray explains process of mobile shelter bus

Right now in Central Florida, hundreds of people sleep outside each night. Homelessness advocates say it’s not because they want to, but because there simply are not enough shelter beds available. In Taxation, Incarceration, and the Evidence for Housing First: A Research-Based Analysis of Homelessness Policy in Florida, this argument is well researched and supported. In Orange County, they saw a 24 % increase in unsheltered homelessness over the past year, a rise that underscores the urgency of the crisis.

“We haven't had serious conversations about shelters for unsheltered adults and children in 30 years, not since the coalition for the homeless was created. So I'm glad that we are at least having these robust discussions,” said Gray.

In response, the Christian Service Center for the Homeless, in partnership with the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency, has launched “407 Connect”, a mobile program that is expanding emergency shelter options and helping individuals move toward permanent housing. The idea came from model that already supports a mobile shelter option in Vero Beach known as the "Dignity Bus". Gray says that idea is now a reality in Orlando.

“A significant portion of the budget for this plan is not dedicated towards the operation of the bus at all. It's dedicated towards housing people, getting them into an apartment so that they're not having to use the bus or any of the services in the community. I think my favorite thing about this is the innovation of it,” said Gray.

Two custom-built buses now operate nightly, offering up to 42 climate-controlled sleeping pods, restrooms, and storage for belongings. Each guest is enrolled with case managers who create individualized housing plans and connect them to meals, showers, job assistance, and ID recovery.

“We'll have people, on board between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. They'll have about 8 to 9 hours on the bus, and then they'll offload around 6 a.m. The busses will pull off all the sheets and linens will wash them here. The bus will go back to its parking spot, and nobody will even have known that it was here, because it's only here in the evening,” said Gray.

The program arrives at a time when state legislation requires cities to ban public camping and when enforcement is on the rise. Gray added that in Orlando, 19 people were arrested under the ban in the last half of 2024, while 32 were arrested in just the first two months of 2025. These numbers highlight the growing tension between punitive measures and compassionate solutions.

In my capstone project, Taxation, Incarceration, and the Evidence for Housing First: A Research-Based Analysis of Homelessness Policy in Florida, I argued that fines, arrests, and incarceration do not address homelessness but instead drain public resources. The 407 Connect program offers a striking alternative by investing in dignity and stability, aligning closely with Housing First principles. As Gray explained,

“This is more than temporary shelter. It is a bridge from crisis to stability.”

“407 Connect” stands as an example of how Central Florida can innovate to reduce homelessness. By combining immediate relief with long-term planning, it demonstrates what is possible when solutions focus on people rather than punishment.