The face of homelessness in Central Florida has changed
Chelsea is one of the new homeless in Brevard. Since March, she’s been living out of her car. At night, the 31-year-old parks at a Merritt Island Walmart because there are cameras. She’s working, so she has a membership at a gym chain to shower before her shift.
“I try to be as private about it as possible. Because it is so embarrassing. I don’t want people to know. I also look around and I wonder how many other people are just like me. Just trying to make it. Just trying to survive,” Chelsea said.
As the lead agency for the homeless in the county, Brevard Homeless Coalition conducts an annual survey called the Point In Time count which is essentially a census of the homeless and unsheltered population.
And this year, that population is 15% bigger and the largest increase in eight years. With the numbers of those unsheltered, without any kind of proper housing, it’s up 43% for women and 117% for veterans.
“The biggest misperception is that people can see homelessness in our community, whereas a lot of people who are experiencing homelessness, you would not be able to identify who they are. So the face of homelessness has changed,” Brevard Homeless Coalition’s executive director Amber Carroll said.
The best way to help is to donate to agencies that are working directly with the homeless population.
As revealed in the study, the number of homeless in Brevard County are concentrated in the areas of dense population. The numbers are not directly tied to the base income of the area, like with Chelsea in Merritt Island.
“This is in our backyard and it is in all of our backyards and front yards. And it is all of our responsibility to address this. Not just one certain municipality. We all need to share the responsibility,” Carroll said.
The good news for Chelsea? She’s working with the Open Door organization on getting a two-bedroom apartment.
“I feel like they are in it with me. You know what I mean? They really, really care and are in it to help me. And to get my family back together,” Chelsea said.