Following a Second Harvest mobile food distribution event tailored to families residing in hotels and motels along U.S. 192, hundreds of Central Florida families now have enough food to sustain them for the upcoming week.
For years, families have sought shelter in extended stays along U.S. 192 in Kissimmee, often resorting to weekly hotel and motel fees due to a lack of savings for first and last month’s rent, a requirement by many landlords for new tenants.
According to the Osceola County School District, as of Thursday, there were 792 students living in hotels and motels countywide.
Laura Cordoba, who spent eight months in an extended stay along U.S. 192, shared her experience, noting that despite her husband’s full-time construction job and her multiple part-time jobs while caring for a one-year-old, their family of three paid $800 weekly for a room until they could afford to move.
Recently transitioning to a townhome split among several families, the Cordoba family now faces a monthly bill of $2,500, with their share totaling around $1,000.
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Cordoba expressed gratitude for the assistance, emphasizing the challenges families face with rising expenses for necessities like food, rent, and bills.
During the Second Harvest food distribution event, approximately 400 families, including Cordoba’s, received food to supplement their groceries, with U.S. Congressman Darren Soto attending to show support. Soto addressed food insecurity and regional housing challenges, highlighting the need for increased housing units.
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“We need to really boost up the number of units built. It’s a supply issue,” said Soto, referencing the Build Back Better Act, which allocated over $200 billion for affordable housing but did not pass the Senate.
Soto emphasized his commitment to advocating for federal funding to bolster regional housing efforts, stressing the necessity for millions of new apartments and homes nationwide, including thousands in Central Florida.