By Kelly Rippin | WESH Orlando
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A number of local families are in a desperate race to find a new home.
They’ve been in Central Florida since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, and are facing a weekend deadline that could be devastating.
The clock is ticking for dozens of Puerto Rican families who are still calling hotels home.
As the shelter assistance program comes to an end, many people are packing up their belongings and are still not sure what will happen next.
WESH 2 News met Alfredo, a man whose family arrived in Florida on Dec. 3. Eight adults and six children have been staying at the Baymont Inn and have struggled to find affordable housing for the whole family.
The United Way launched a program at the end of March that would help families when the multi-agency resource center closed.
There is still money available for families who qualify.
A spokesperson for the United Way said it takes a few weeks for an application to be vetted and to get the money in the hands of the families in need.
Families are now being directed to local shelters and charities if they can’t find housing or afford to stay in the hotels.
Article last accessed July 3, 2018 here. A print-ready PDF is available here.