Homeless Organizations Note Uptick In Homeless Families Living In Cars

ORLANDO, Fla. — As Central Florida continues to grapple with a lack of homeless shelter beds and affordable housing, many homeless organizations say they are noticing a growing number of families living in their cars.

The president of SALT Outreach, Eric Camarillo, said the most substantial increase he noticed at his organization’s three locations — downtown Orlando, Sanford, and Bithlo — happened between 2024 and 2025.

It’s a sentiment also shared by the CEO of the Homeless Services Network, Martha Are. “In many communities, they’re (homeless advocacy organizations) saying the estimates are that you have as many people sleeping in their cars as you have on the streets, which would be a large number,” she said.

As for United Against Poverty’s Executive Director Anjali Vaya, she said the number of unhoused individuals in Central Florida this year also shows an uptick.