Academic

With no direction home

The deadline has been extended since this notice was posted.

Homeless people have lived in woods on the west side of Orlando for as long as anyone can remember, surviving on disability checks, military pensions or odd jobs.

Now at least 60 homeless people will have to find another place. They are being offered services like housing assistance and health care, but many of them will chose to find another spot in another wooded area.

Orlando police officers say the crackdown stems from a nearby neighborhood group that "bombarded" police with complaints about registered sex offenders living in the woods.

Owners of the land -- a local investment group and an Ohio-based bank -- say their hands are tied. Orlando's code-enforcement office sent them notice about three weeks ago that they need to clean up the property or face stiff fines.

Read the Orlando Sentinel article here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on April 27, 2008 (boomark / email).