On any given day there are over 8,500 homeless people in Central Florida and 6,500 of those people live in Orange County.

The fastest growing population of homeless people is single women with children.

Most homeless families are headed by a young mother with two children under the age of six.

The causes of homelessness are many but may include: lack of affordable housing, lack of healthcare, domestic violence, mental health and substance abuse issues.

Major health issues faced by the homeless include: substance abuse problems, mental health problems (20-25% meet criteria for serious mental illness), HIV/AIDS, acute health problems such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually transmitted diseases.  The homeless also suffer from chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer.

Approximately 80,000 people living in Orlando are without any health coverage.

Approximately 46 million Americans, or 15.7 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2004 (the latest government data available).

The number of uninsured children in 2004 (the latest data available) was 8.3 million - or 11.2 percent of all children in the U.S.

back to top