Neighbors successfully “Stop SoDo Shelter” Attendees await for the meeting to begin as more residents shuffle in. (Emily Ching)

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ORLANDO, Fla. — After heavy opposition from residents, the City of Orlando halts plans to build an open access homeless shelter on Kaley Street.

In a statement on X, Mayor Buddy Dyer said, “Although this location isn’t feasible for a shelter site, the city will continue to work to offer support and hope to people experiencing homelessness. This includes funding to homeless service providers and initiatives to add affordable housing units.”

The proposal started last year as an interlocal agreement between Orange County and the City of Orlando.

At a city council meeting on Nov. 4, residents argued that the proposal was voted on fairly quickly without any community consensus.

“These meetings were prepared using the minimum legally required time frames, avoiding community feedback, even going so far as to schedule this special single item meeting the day before a national election,” said James Krawczyk, a concerned citizen and former volunteer director of the SoDo Main Street program.

READ: Residents don’t like the City of Orlando’s proposed shelter location, but will the homeless?

Since then, the Stop SODO Shelter movement began, drawing in tremendous support. Octavian Cantilli spearheaded the campaign. During last week’s meeting, he held up a binder and announced to the room that he has collected over 1300 signatures opposing the shelter.

Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Lisa Portelli, the Senior Advisor for Homelessness and Social Services fronting the proposal, were met with an outpour of negative responses at the meeting. They explained that a feasibility study had been conducted to determine whether a former work release center was suitable in terms of costs, a statement that prompted several residents to voice their opinion on the matter.

“I come to [the] city council, and I speak on these issues about the impact,” a Parramore resident said. “The impact is that your property value will decrease. Learn from the people in Parramore, what has happened. We have [sic] went from 20,000 to 4,500. It was designed that way. I don’t want it to happen to you,” the resident continued, “but if you believe what they are saying, and you’re not doing your own research, it will happen to you.”

At the meeting, Cynthia Harris, the executive director of the Carson-Chaney House, a non-profit that aims to reduce homelessness and minimize poverty, said there is “no opportunity for homeless people to grow economically,” and that the shelter would be a “Band-Aid” on the affordable housing issue in the city.

“There’s plenty of space... [as you’ve already said] empty space, but they won’t utilize that because they want to tell you what’s best for where you live and not where they live,” Harris said.

In a statement to WFTV, Cantilli said that he still intends on holding the planned meeting on Wednesday evening. “The purpose is to update and discuss what the community supports as viable, equitable, and compassionate solutions that BOTH help homeless people, but also keep our children, schools, businesses and neighborhoods safe.”

READ: Orlando drops plans for controversial SODO homeless shelter

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