Millions of people flock to Disney World each year to experience the joy and magic of the park. But thousands are now living in motels, encampments, and their cars just down the street from the Florida theme park. Why won't the multi-billion dollar corporation care for the local community that it has impacted so tremendously?
Sign now to demand that Disney care for its community and donate funds to help those suffering and struggling in Kissimmee, as well as guarantee that all of their employees have housing!
Within just eight miles of the entrance to the iconic Magic Kingdom, thousands lack adequate housing and are unable to make ends meet. Most people believe that all of Walt Disney World fits within Orlando's borders, but actually, a large stretch of the property is adjacent to Kissimmee, another Florida city. Median rents in the area have risen by a shocking 57% to an average of $2,295. The stories of those experiencing homelessness in Kissimmee are harrowing, from folks struggling to pull together money to pay daily rates for hotels, to those giving up on housing altogether and resorting to living in their cars with their spouses and young children – and some of these unhoused people are Disney World employees! How can the "Most Magical Place on Earth" sit by while those that keep its door open suffer?
Obviously, Disney isn't solely responsible for the housing crisis. Things like unemployment relating to the COVID-19 pandemic have of course increased the number of unhoused people throughout the country. But Disney actively contributes to housing insecurity in the region – and the rise of rents in nearby communities is of course related to the massive theme park. It is the job of corporations to solve problems that they actively contribute to, and there is no excuse for a company that consistently rakes in tens of billions of dollars to continue to ignore the housing crisis that exists in its shadow.
Sign the petition now if you agree that it is time Disney step up and provide assistance to the community that it has impacted so much – and relied on to make a profit. No more housing crisis in Kissimmee!
