Orlando received a significant expansion in emergency homeless shelters with the launch Wednesday of a duo of buses-turned-shelters providing 42 new beds for the region’s unhoused population..
Building upon the “Dignity Bus” program, the 407 Connect consists of two, Greyhound-style buses that were purchased by the city for $350,000 to be reconstructed as sleeping pods. Each bus has 20 double-stacked twin beds – and an additional one that’s adaptable for disabled access – running down the sides.
Each pod has its own light, an electrical outlet to charge devices, clean linens and pillows, and a privacy curtain. The design includes a hallway down the middle of the bus leading to a washroom in the back, providing a toilet and hand sanitizer, but no running water…