In the Sunshine State, a law banning homeless people from sleeping on public property — including streets, parks, and sidewalks — takes effect on Tuesday, months after being signed into law.
The bill was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), but the effects of the new state statute are beginning to be felt as most of the law takes effect. However, a part of the law that empowers the state, residents, and businesses to sue a city for not doing enough to comply, does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2025.
House Bill 1365 also calls for alternative shelters to be erected if all the homeless shelters in the area are full and for localities to provide “access to behavioral health services” for homeless individuals.
DeSantis hailed the new legislation as helping preserve quality of life for Floridians while helping homeless people “get back on their feet.”
“Florida will not allow homeless encampments to intrude on its citizens or undermine their quality of life like we see in states like New York and California,” DeSantis said in a statement in March. “The legislation I signed today upholds our commitment to law and order while also ensuring homeless individuals have the resources they need to get back on their feet.”
Homeless populations overtaking public property has been an issue in several major cities around the country, including Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
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The law has received pushback from some officials in the state, with Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony saying that he would not arrest homeless people for unlawful camping.
To prepare for the influx of homeless people who will have to be placed in shelters, Miami-Dade County has converted an old hotel into a shelter for older homeless people, and Palm Beach County has floated designating overnight parking lots as lawful places for people who live in cars to stay, according to the Associated Press.