Florida has seen a 17% increase in homelessness in the past year alone and local leaders say a new bill prohibiting municipalities from allowing homeless individuals to camp or sleep on public property will likely do very little to address the issue.
As he signed HB 1365 on March 20, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the law serves the best interests of “law-abiding citizens.”
“Too often people in other states, other cities, they’re not doing well. It’s like they let the inmates run the asylum,” DeSantis said, from a podium that read, “Don’t Allow Florida to become San Francisco.”
But the measure doesn’t include any specific penalties for those sleeping on the street. It does, however, allow residents and business owners to sue local governments for not enforcing the law.
And that is a problematic approach, according to some Polk County leaders.
The bill allocates $30 million in preparation to enforce the new law, but for the most part local officials in Polk County aren’t sure how HB 1365 is going to be enforced.
Former Republican Senator Jeff Brandes said on the WEDU program “Florida This Week,” “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. And you’re going to hear from the sheriffs that you’re going to need to expand the jails.”
On April 22 the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case regarding the legal treatment of unhoused people as well. In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson the court will decide whether it is considered cruel and unusual punishment to imprison homeless people for sleeping outside, even when shelters are unavailable. If the court’s decision is that you cannot punish people for sleeping outside.