With more than five years of failed inspections and multiple violations, the property known as Kaleo Ministries / Hope City Refuge was served with a Temporary Injunction by Orange County Government, citing numerous serious life safety issues.
The property has been housing more than 100 persons experiencing homelessness. Under the terms of the injunction, the property owner must immediately “cease inviting and allowing persons to continue living in structures and buildings that are unsafe.”
Recent inspections of Kaleo Ministries / Hope City Refuge by Orange County’s Fire Marshal, as well as by the Orange County divisions of Building Safety and Neighborhood Services, revealed multiple violations and severe life safety issues. To date, the property owner has failed to bring the property into compliance according to Orange County.
Following the events surrounding the Temporary Injunction served on the property owner of Kaleo Ministries / Hope City Refuge (1717 Harrell Road, Orlando, Florida 32825), Orange County Government has assisted impacted families and individuals in the following ways:
- On Wednesday, March 20th, 83 people received relocation assistance at our Hope Now Mobile Resource Center, including 69 adults and 17 children. Among the 83 individuals assisted, there were 36 family units. Of the 83 people already provided temporary housing, 5 went to shelters, and 78 went to hotels.
- As of Thursday, March 21st, about 20 people were applying for relocation assistance, and another 20-30 people were expected to come to the resource center.
- Caseworkers will continue to work with all those who have relocated with the goal of transitioning everyone to permanent housing.
- Caseworkers reported that many individuals applying for relocation assistance had multiple boxes of belongings. Orange County Code Enforcement provided two pickup trucks to help people transport their belongings to their temporary shelter locations.
- The Fire Marshal returned to the site this morning to provide notification of the temporary injunction to anyone who was not notified, and he observed only about five people remaining on the property. They were all aware of the injunction. No other violations were issued.
Orange County established an assistance office nearby in the Help Now Mobile Resource Center staffed with social services representatives to direct residents to emergency temporary housing.
