Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a hard-line approach on homelessness with a new initiative aiming to ban camping in public spaces statewide. Channeling a law and order message, DeSantis, alongside Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, voiced plans for empowering counties with additional shelter support and financial aid for mental health and substance abuse programs. The measures, House Bill 1365 and Senate Bill 1530, are steaming ahead, passing a Senate Judiciary Committee vote and moving onto further hearings, as reported by NBC Miami.
In a statement reminiscent of a directive, DeSantis said, "I think what we're envisioning is providing some support for counties for additional sheltering, providing some financial support for both substance abuse (programs) and mental health," according to NBC Miami. His rhetoric is sharp – at a news conference, DeSantis stood against signage reading "Don't allow Florida to become San Francisco," positioning Florida's approach as a divergent path from the homelessness crises seen in other metropolitan hubs. DeSantis leverages a preventative stance, seeking to nip the issues of public encampments in the bud before they can take root in Florida cities. This initiative is a shift from the "housing first" strategy, which focuses on providing permanent housing, and is endorsed by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
However, these bills are drawing fierce opposition from homeless advocates who argue that such legislation effectively criminalizes a symptom of broader socio-economic issues. Martha Are, CEO of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, pointed out that the permitted encampments proposed by the bills would burden local governments with considerable expense and might still fall short of providing a real solution. "Ultimately what we know we need is housing and services," Are explained to the Orlando Sentinel.
The legislation outlines standards for any sanctioned encampments, including 24-hour security, mental health services, and an environment free of drugs and alcohol. While Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, urges dialogue with local governments and advocates to refine the bills, the proposed encampments must not harm nearby property values, an additional challenge for cities vying to align with the new mandates. The possibility of the public suing cities and counties that fail to clear sidewalks and parks is another layer to the proposed law. DeSantis, on his part, remains open to the provisions of state funds to help cities shoulder costs for sheltering and providing mental health support to the homeless population. "This is going to move us in the right direction with a very big step," Martin told the Orlando Sentinel in an effort to sway opinion.
