Survey: Orlando homelessness declined by almost a quarter

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A new survey says the number of homeless people in metro Orlando has declined by almost quarter in the past year.

The results of the survey released Monday shows that there were 1,613 homeless people in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties in January.

Last year, the central Florida homeless survey counted 2,112 individuals.

The most recent survey shows that about 60 percent of the area’s homeless are female, almost a quarter were children and about 1 in 7 were veterans.

Homelessness has been in problem in central Florida, given the region’s transient nature and lack of support networks found in other communities.

Local leaders have made it a priority in the past year and embraced a model that seeks getting homeless people housing first before addressing other issues.