PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Charlotte Care Center shelter is now at capacity after an increase in the number of people needing shelter following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Experts expect the need for housing for displaced people to increase.

St. Vincent de Paul Cares now runs the Charlotte Care Center, formerly known as Homeless Coalition, on Kenesaw Street in Port Charlotte. Mark Cooper, the organization’s chief of staff, told Fox 4 that shelters often see an increase in the number of people needing shelter after natural disasters.

Watch Fox 4’s Alex Orenczuk report on the growing housing needs in Charlotte County in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton:

Charlotte Care Center reaches capacity as housing needs rise after hurricanes

“Shelters are seeing a large influx of people who have been impacted by the storms,” Cooper said. “Families, individuals, people of all demographics, if they’re impacted, these shelters are seeing a huge increase in everything from people just gathering information about what resources are available to people who have lost everything. »

Cooper says the Charlotte Care Center, a shelter with more than 50 beds, has reached capacity.

He says displaced people who use their savings for short-term housing will likely run out of funds and the need for housing will likely increase.

“People have a certain amount of emergency funds and they spend their own personal emergency funds,” Cooper said. “Then they will contact friends and family and try to find temporary help as much as possible, but eventually either the funds will run out or help from other people.”

Despite the anticipated growing need for housing, Cooper said St. Vincent de Paul Cares has experience and success with a rapid rehousing system that finds housing for people seeking help.

“The idea is to get people into a shelter, get them off the street, then get them into housing as quickly as possible and we have an 80 percent success rate in doing that quickly,” he said. Cooper said.

In addition to shelter, the Charlotte Care Center also works to prevent hunger and provide meals. Its drive-thru food pantry program serves approximately 5,000 people per month and its hot meals program serves 3,000 to 4,000 meals per month.

Fox 4.

To help the mission of the Charlotte Care Center, monetary donations can be made by by clicking here. Donations of non-perishable food items, personal hygiene products and child care items can also be made to the Charlotte Care Center, located at 476 Kenesaw St. in Port Charlotte.