A City of Orlando program established in August 2025 has been helping homeless people find permanent housing — not through traditional brick-and-mortar shelters, but through buses.
The program, called 407 Connect, is a partnership project involving the city, the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Christian Service Center for the Homeless. The aim of 407 Connect is to help unhoused people by providing them with resources and services during the day — such as meals, showers, job assistance and housing navigation — and with shelter at night via the program’s two buses, according to the Christian Service Center’s website.
Since 407 Connect’s launch, the program has enrolled 119 participants and helped 50 people find housing, said Ashley Papagni, one of Orlando’s public information managers, in an email. According to an April 30 press release, these participants have consisted mostly of single adults.
“407 Connect represents a shift from temporary responses to long-term solutions,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in the press release. “By combining innovation with strong partnerships and sustained investment, we are seeing real results that are changing lives and strengthening our community.”