Bill bans homeless from sleeping in public places
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed into law a hotly debated bill designed to prevent homeless people from sleeping in public places.
DeSantis, who signed the measure (HB 1365) during an appearance in Miami Beach, said the bill will keep sidewalks from becoming “tent cities” and “ensure that Florida streets are clean and that Florida streets are safe for our residents.”
Democrats and homeless advocates who opposed the bill contended it would increase local government costs and drive homeless people into the woods.
But DeSantis said the bill “is the absolute right balance” of providing safety while addressing issues facing people who have fallen on “hard times.”
“I don’t think there’s any other way you could approach it and expect to have a result different than what’s happened in places like San Francisco and New York City,” DeSantis said.
Starting on Oct. 1, the bill will prevent cities and counties from allowing people to sleep on public property, including at public buildings and in public rights of way. It would allow local governments to designate certain property for sleeping or camping if the sites meet standards set by the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Such areas, which could only be used for one year, would have to include restrooms and running water, have security and be deemed alcohol- and drug-free. Also, the sites could not harm the values of nearby properties or safety.
The law also will give legal standing to residents and business owners to file civil lawsuits against local governments that allow sleeping or camping on public property.
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the measure “targets individuals who are homeless and creates a scenario for local governments, where the only option, if they can’t meet the demands of the Legislature, is to potentially criminalize homelessness.”
“So, not only are we not offering clear solutions,” Eskamani said. “We’re actually making a bad situation worse and not helping people get out of that economic instability that they’re facing.”
Jeff Brandes, a former Republican senator who founded the non-profit Florida Policy Project think tank, cautioned the measure is an “unfunded mandate” on local governments.
“Nobody kind of said, ‘What happens next’ and followed the natural progression of that question,” Brandes said during an appearance on the “Florida This Week” program on WEDU in the Tampa Bay earlier this month. “I think when you get to the end of that, you realize people are still going to be living on the streets. Either the cities are not going to be able to do that or the jails are going to be full.”
An annual report from the Florida Coun
cil on Homelessness released last June said “over the past five years, Florida has seen a 9% increase in the rate of Floridians experiencing ‘literal homelessness.’ ”
“According to an analysis conducted by the Government Accountability Office, for every $100 monthly median rent increase there is a 9 percent increase in homelessness,” the council report said.
“Therefore, Florida’s unprecedented increases in rent rates will have a significant impact on the rate of homelessness.”