>> HERE IS A QUESTION THAT SADLY SUMS UP THE SITUATION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. WHERE WOULD YOU GO IF YOU COULDN'T AFFORD YOUR HOME ANYMORE? >> COULD YOU MOVE IN WITH FAMILY? WHAT IF YOU'RE A PARENT? WHERE DO YOU GO THAT KEEPS YOUR CHILDREN SAFE AND STABLE? >> FOR MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS, IT'S NOT A SCENARIO TO SIMPLY IMAGINE IT IS THEIR REALITY. MARLEI MARTINEZ SHOWS US WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE NO PLACE TO CALL HOME. >> EDWIN SALLES TRAVELED A LONG WAY TO GET HERE. THE HUSBAND AND FATHER MOVED FROM 'NEW YORK CITY' TO 'CENTRAL FLORIDA' >> OK, THAT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO PARTY TO THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT. (PASSENGERS LAUGH) ALRIGHT >> EDWIN BROUGHT HIS FAMILY TO FLORIDA FOR A BETTER LIFE SAYING THEY LEFT NEW YORK TO ESCAPE THE GANG VIOLENCE PLAGUING HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WHAT EDWIN DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE HIS MOVE DOWN SOUTH: THE CORONAVIRUS WAS ABOUT TO UPEND HIS PLANS. >> WE WERE PLANNING TO BUY A HOUSE. BUT GUESS WHO FOLLOWED US FROM NEW YORK? THE PANDEMIC. >> EDWIN AND HIS FAMILY MOVED INTO A RENTAL HOUSE IN OVIEDO IN 2019 AND THEN INTO A RENTAL IN ORLANDO THE FOLLOWING YEAR. >> HOW MUCH WAS THE RENT THERE? >> IT WAS $1,795. BUT A YEAR LATER WHEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT $500, AND I SAID, 'WHOA MAN.' THAT'S LIKE $2,600. >> THE RENT WAS GOING UP JUST AS THE STORM WAS ABOUT TO HIT. THE PANDEMIC CUT INTO EDWIN'S WORK HOURS AND THEN HIS WIFE HAD TO TAKE LEAVE FROM HER JOB FOR A KNEE REPLACEMENT. SO THEY COULDN'T AFFORD A HOUSE ANYMORE. >> WE MOVED INTO A 'ROACH HOTEL.' EVERY TIME YOU WENT TO EAT, THE ROACHES JUST CAME OUT. MY BILLS BACKED UP. EVERYTHING BACKED UP. BECAUSE I'M PAYING. ALL I'M MAKING IS $700 A WEEK. SO I'M BRINGING HOME $600 A WEEK. AND $500 FOR SOMETHING IS GOING TO THE RENT. SO ALL I GOT MONEY FOR IS FOOD AND GAS. SO I'M IN A BIND NOW. AND I FINALLY TOLD HER, I SAID, 'HONEY, WE HAVE TO FIND A PLACE TO GO. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, WE'RE GOING TO GET THROWN OUT 'CAUSE I CAN'T PAY ALL OF THIS.' >> SO THEY MADE CALLS. AND THE 'HOPE PLACE' A HOMELESS SHELTER IN DAYTONA BEACH WELCOMED THE FAMILY WITH OPEN ARMS. >> THIS IS MY SON'S BED EDWIN, HIS WIFE AND YOUNGEST SON WENT FROM A HOUSE IN OVIEDO TO THREE YEARS LATER: PILED INTO ONE ROOM. >> I HAD TO SWALLOW MY PRIDE. 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT FOR MY FAMILY. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A FAILURE. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I LET THEM DOWN. BUT LUCKY FOR ME THAT I'M CONNECTED TO GOD AND I PRAY. >> WE MET EDWIN IN THE SHELTER'S PRAYER ROOM. HE'S HOLDING ONTO HIS FAITH USING THAT AS MOTIVATION TO SAVE MONEY IN HOPES OF FINDING HIS FAMILY A NEW HOME BEFORE CHRISTMAS. A DAUNTING TASK WHEN HE SAYS THE ONLY 'AFFORDABLE' PLACES HE'S FOUND DON'T FEEL SAFE. >> I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S THE REASON WHY I LEFT NEW YORK. I LEFT NEW YORK 'CAUSE I WANTED SOMETHING BETTER FOR MY FAMILY. >> ACCORDING TO THE 'FLORIDA HOUSING COALITION,' WHILE THE STATE HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN HOMELESSNESS OVER THE PAST DECADE, THERE ARE STILL OVER 27-THOUSAND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT. DONNA JONES SAYS THAT WAS ALMOST THE CASE FOR HER >> THERE YOU GO! >> AFTER MOVING FROM NEW YORK TOO. THE PLAN WAS TO FIND HER OWN PLACE IN CLERMONT >> THE GREEN BAG EMPTY? >> BUT SHE'S BEEN LIVING WITH HER SISTER, HER SISTER'S SON AND GRANDSON BECAUSE SHE SAYS HER DISABILITY CHECK CAN'T KEEP UP WITH RISING RENT PRICES. >> WHAT I GET IS WHAT I GET AND I STRETCH IT THE BEST WAY I CAN. THE THIRD WEEK OF THE MONTH, I'M BROKE. WAITING FOR THE NEXT CHECK. >> ACCORDING TO THE 'ZILLOW OBSERVED RENTS INDEX,' RENT ACROSS FLORIDA SKYROCKETED DURING THE PANDEMIC, EVEN DOUBLING IN MULTIPLE CITIES LIKE DAYTONA BEACH AND MELBOURNE IN LESS THAN A DECADE. DONNA SAYS SHE'S THANKFUL FOR HELP LIKE THE LAKE COUNTY FOOD PANTRY: 'NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OF SOUTH LAKE' >> THANK GOD 'CAUSE THIS WAS REALLY GOOD FOR EVERYBODY >> AND SHE'S GRATEFUL TO HER SISTER PAM DAILY, WHO'S GIVEN HER SAFE HAVEN. >> IT REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT NOBODY CAN FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE. WHEN THEY FIRST GET HERE, THEY PROBABLY COULD. BUT NOW, IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE. >> IT'S NERVE-RACKING. IT'S FRUSTRATING. IT'S ANNOYING. AND SOMETIMES I GET MAD. >> WITH THREE GENERATIONS LIVING UNDER ONE ROOF THE SISTERS SAY FINDING AFFORDABLE RENT ON A FIXED INCOME IS IMPOSSIBLE. >> I'M JUST GOING TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS: THE RENT IS SKY HIGH AND YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT. I'M DISGUSTED. >> IT'S A TOUGH REALITY THAT KELLYE ROWLINSON FACED WITH HER FOUR KIDS IN PALM BAY THIS YEAR. FOR A WHILE, SHE POOLED RESOURCES WITH HER SISTER FOR A RENTAL HOUSE TOO. >> IT WAS CHEAPER AND EASIER. I WASN'T ABLE TO AFFORD LIVING ON MY OWN AT THAT TIME. SO ME AND HER, SHE'S A SINGLE MOM. I'M A SINGLE MOM. AND WE JUST KIND OF GOT TOGETHER. >> BUT THEN THE LANDLORD DECIDED TO MOVE BACK IN, SENDING KELLYE AND HER KIDS PACKING. SHE WASN''T ABLE TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE WITH JUST HER INCOME, SO THEY JUMPED FROM HOTEL TO HOTEL. >> IT SUCKED HAVING TO UPROOT MY KIDS, MY BOYS, MULTIPLE TIMES. AND HAVING TO EXPLAIN TO TWO LITTLE BOYS WHY WE'RE LIVING IN A HOTEL. CHILDREN WHO ARE LIVING IN MOTELS BECAUSE THEIR FAMILY LOST HOUSING ARE DEFINED AS 'HOMELESS' BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. ACCORDING TO THE 'FLORIDA HOUSING COALITION,' THE STATE HAS SEEN A 122 PERCENT INCREASE IN STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS IN THE LAST DECADE. WITH ONE DAUGHTER IN BASKETBALL ANOTHER IN CHEER AND A SON IN FOOTBALL, KELLYE SAYS IT'S A CHALLENGE: WORKING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. >> IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE ON YOUR OWN. ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS. I MAKE DECENT MONEY. AND EVEN WITH MY INCOME AND HAVING FOUR KIDS AND RECEIVING CHILD SUPPORT FROM THEIR FATHER, ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE IN A HOME, TO GET A NOT INCOME BASE, OR GOVERNMENT OR SUBSIDIZED HOUSE. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE. >> RECENTLY, KELLYE CAUGHT A BREAK. SHE JUST MOVED HER KIDS INTO THEIR NEW ROOMS AFTER THE BREVARD COUNTY NON-PROFIT 'COMMUNITY OF HOPE' COVERED THEIR MOVE-IN COSTS AND FIRST MONTH OF RENT. >> OH GOD. I CAN ACTUALLY GIVE MY KIDS A CHRISTMAS. I CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BREATHING ROOM. I CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A HOME TO COME HOME TO. MY KIDS AT ONE POINT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO CALL HOME FOR 3 MONTHS. >> NOW, KELLYE, EDWIN AND DONNA ALL HAVE THEIR EYES SET ON THE FUTURE DESPITE THE UPHILL BATTLE, THEY SAY THEY'RE DETERMINED TO ONE DAY FIND A MORE PERMANENT PLACE TO CALL HOME. >> MY KIDS KEEP ME GOING. IT'S MY KIDS THAT I DO EVERYTHING FOR. >> I'M NOT GONNA GIVE UP. BLESSINGS AND MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERY DAY. >> YOU HAVE TO HAVE HOPE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH. YOU HAVE TO HAVE BLIND FAITH THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. >> YOU ARE ON THE VERGE OF BEING PRICED OUT OF YOUR HOME, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CALL 211. THE UNITED WAY'S HELP LINE HAS MANY RESOURCES ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH A NON-PROFIT OR GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP. >> THREE YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED REPORTING ON THE HOUSING CRISIS WE HOPED, LIKE MANY PEOPLE, THAT BY THIS TIME WE'D SEE SOME PROGRESS. >> DESPITE THE STARK NUMBERS THERE ARE GLIMMERS OF HOPE. THE BIGGEST BEING THE FULL FUNDING OF THE SADOWSKI HOUSING TRUST FUND THIS YEAR. AND THAT IS THANKS TO PRESSURE FROM YOU, THE PUBLIC, PUT ON ELECTED LEADERS TO KEEP THIS ISSUE AS A LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY. >> A NEW SLATE OF LEADERS ARE ABOUT TO TAKE OVER INN TALLAHASSEE. SO KEEP IT UP. BECAUSE ONLY WHEN WE HOLD THE POWERFUL ACCOUNTABLE W
