What started as one Mount Dora business owner trying to help a man sleeping near her shop turned into a days-long crash course in Lake County’s homelessness gaps. She paid for a hotel room, gave him work, and even launched a fundraiser, only to run into a harsh reality: there is no year-round, county-funded emergency shelter anywhere in Lake County for single adults who are not veterans, part of a family program, or fleeing domestic violence.
Jessica Andrews, co-owner of RJ’s Dirty Laundry in Mount Dora, is listed on BizProfile. She later recounted spending days on the phone with churches, nonprofits, and agencies, trying to get the man into some kind of program before realizing there was no bed to place him in.
No County-Run Emergency Shelter
County documents show there is no traditional, county-operated emergency shelter system for people in Andrews’ situation. According to the Lake County Consolidated Plan, the county leans on a patchwork of nonprofit providers, the Coordinated Entry System, and regional partners to respond to homelessness, while acknowledging that limited funding and staffing keep emergency shelter capacity tight. The plan identifies the Office of Housing and Community Services as the lead agency for housing programs and directs people to call 2-1-1 or the Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition for referrals.
Owner’s Scramble Made the Gap Public
The story gained attention when Andrews’ personal effort ran into a system with few immediate options. As reported by WKMG ClickOrlando, she covered a hotel stay for the man, brought him in for odd jobs at her laundromat, and started a GoFundMe after contacting churches and agencies and still not finding a longer-term solution.
Providers Say Demand Outstrips Capacity
Service providers say they are seeing far more people than they can consistently house. Capt. Richard White of the Salvation Army of Lake County told WKMG ClickOrlando that the organization sometimes transports people to Orlando or Tampa when there is no place for them locally. He said they provide rental assistance to about 20 families while seeing “more than 50 unhoused people each day,” and added that while a traditional shelter might not be the only answer, Lake County clearly needs more housing options on the table.
Neighbors and Nonprofits Step In
For now, local charities and neighbors are doing a lot of the frontline work. Lake Cares in Mount Dora reported serving more than 74,000 residents in 2025 and says it has had to scale back distributions because of lower donations, according to Spectrum News 13. Regional coordination through the Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition helps route people into available programs, according to ShelterListings.
What Officials Say Comes Next
County officials say they are looking at what a more robust system might take. Lake County reports it is evaluating potential shelter options and working on transitional housing projects while coordinating with the Continuum of Care to expand resources, according to its planning materials. Until those plans become actual beds and buildings, residents like Andrews, along with local nonprofits, remain the de facto safety net for people who have nowhere else to go.
