APOPKA, Fla. — Leaders with Matthew’s Hope want to bring a mobile sleeper bus to the city of Apopka to help keep people off the streets at night and give them a safer place to rest.

What You Need To Know

  • Three mobile sleeping buses were purchased for Brevard County, but leaders with Matthew's Hope want to buy one for west Orange County

  • CEO Scott Billue says Apopka would be a good location, but he needs city leaders to approve it before purchasing the bus

  • The buses would have room for bunks, security cameras and a guard, and would move from the lot each morning

  • The Apopka City Council says they support it and want to find a lot for the sleeper bus

Founder and CEO Scott Billue says Florida State Statute 1365, which prohibits unauthorized public sleeping, has a direct impact on the homeless and how organizations like his can help them.

“That’s made it a lot harder for us to locate the homeless because they’ve gone deeper and a lot harder to give them the services, or for them to get the services they need to receive,” said Billue.

Matthew’s Hope is an organization dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness through a range of services, including medical and mental health care. They have a location in Winter Garden and Cocoa.

Billue says shelters are full, so there is no place for people to go. He decided to purchase three mobile sleeping buses for Brevard County, but wants to purchase an additional bus for west Orange County, such as Apopka.

“We spend a lot of time and a lot of money in that area already,” said Billue. “So we felt it was appropriate with our relationship with AdventHealth and other things we’re doing over there, that that’d be a good place for us to start.”

Matthew’s Hope mobile sleeper buses have room for bunks, security cameras and a guard, and would move from a lot each morning. (Photo: Matthew's Hope)

The buses would have security cameras, a security guard, beds, air conditioning, bathrooms, and a place to store belongings.

It would pick people up at different locations, park somewhere overnight, then move in the morning. One bus can fit up to 20 people. A reservation system would be in place to prevent anyone from staying more than three consecutive nights.

Each bus costs between $165,000 to $175,000. The cost of operating each bus is roughly half a million dollars.

Billue tells Spectrum News the funding has been taken care of by Orange County. However, he wanted approval from the Apopka City Council that the bus can be parked somewhere before purchasing it.

Mayor Bryan Nelson says he supports the idea and wants to revisit it during the next city council meeting on June 18. An exact location has not been determined yet, but city leaders explored the possibility of picking a church or city-owned lot.

Once purchased, Billue says the bus could make its way into Apopka in roughly four months.