Sleeping behind bars

Homeless Seminole County students surge 32% in two years

By Abe Aboraya ● News ● May 22, 2025

‘Mama, I have trauma’: What one mother’s story shows in the world of secretly homeless students in Seminole County.

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Martha Are homeless PIT count Central Florida homeless solutions

Central Florida lagging in its solutions for homeless, survey finds

By Oviedo Community News and News Collaborative of Central Florida ● Sleeping behind bars ● April 9, 2025

Get a regional look at solutions for the homeless population in Central Florida after a one-night hunt to get a headcount of the region’s homeless.

Meet Rodney: Counted as homeless and arrested on the same day

By Abe Aboraya ● Sleeping behind bars ● April 5, 2025

Advocates say many homeless are now in hiding after state law legalizes arresting homeless campers, short-circuiting attempts to find traditional housing.

Seminole County makes first arrest in homeless camping ban

By Abe Aboraya ● News ● March 6, 2025

The law allowing police to arrest homeless people for sleeping on public land, saw its first use in Seminole County west of Winter Springs.

Homeless shelter Rescue Outreach Mission Sanford Seminole County Christmas homeless camping

Seminole County braces for lawsuits over public camping ban

By Abe Aboraya ● News ● January 9, 2025

Seminole County now facing enforcement confusion of public camping ban after state lawmakers pass blanket ban for entire state of Florida.

Editorial collaborative of 10 local news organizations to examine the impact of Florida’s camping ban

By Megan Stokes ● OCN in the news ● January 8, 2025

Learn about the regional news collaborative that OCN has joined to provide readers with the most in-depth picture of the impacts of the state’s camping ban.