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Osceola County
Osceola County continues efforts to support the residents of Kissimmee’s Star Motel in coordination with Community Hope Center, Homeless Services Network and Health Care Center for the Homeless.
As of Friday, 40 families (106 individuals) from Star Motel have been relocated.
Following the shut-off of power and water at Star Motel, residents became eligible for assistance via CARES Act funding, and Osceola County allocated $50,000 to assist in their relocation. The county has worked with the Community Hope Center to secure stable housing for the residents. Additionally, all relocated residents are receiving case management follow-ups in order to ensure they have access to other programs to support self-reliance, such as career training.
“We continue to commit resources to support the well-being of our residents, including these families in transition,” said Osceola Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer. “Their hardships have not gone unnoticed. Of course, our heart always goes out to those in our community in need. The Osceola Board of County Commissioners is proud that we have been able to partner with our dedicated non-profits to find help for these 40 families.”
“We are grateful to Osceola County, and our partner nonprofits, who all have been working tirelessly to support those who were living in the Star Motel,” said Rev. Mary Lee Downey, CEO of the Community Hope Center. “We continue to look for long-term housing solutions for the families we have temporarily placed in other hotels and ask that any property owners who may have open units to please contact us.”
While it has proven difficult to identify the exact number of residents that remain at Star Motel, a total of eight additional households have been identified and work continues to relocate them. It is believed there are no families with children still on the premises.
As previously noted, the county’s Human Services staff has been going to the Star Motel and neighboring Lake Cecile Inn and Suites to provide assistance since December 2019. In recent months, the County conducted two major trash removal efforts at both properties, including the removal of abandoned vehicles. Additionally, vacant rooms that could not be secured at Lake Cecile Inn and Suites were boarded up, and the same process will be done at Star Motel.
Additionally, the county’s Human Services department set up a phone extension hotline for the families to call if they are in need of assistance. That number has been provided to those impacted.
It is important to note that the problems at Star Motel and Lake Cecile Inn and Suites began before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Osceola County. Star Motel currently owes $14,827 to Kissimmee Utility Authority (electricity) and $90,118 to Toho Water Authority (water).
