A new Florida law banning homeless individuals from sleeping outdoors took effect Tuesday, aiming to address public camping while offering support services for those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
House Bill 1365 prohibits camping on streets, sidewalks, and parks across the state. The law requires local governments to provide temporary housing options with a strict no-drug-use policy. In addition, those housed will have access to substance abuse and mental health treatment programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill and called it “the right balance,” stating, “We must prioritize public safety above all else.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The law also allows citizens to sue county governments if they fail to enforce the public sleeping ban. However, this provision will not be active until after a three-month grace period. The ban on outdoor sleeping is already in effect, with Florida estimating its homeless population to be around 31,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some residents affected by homelessness expressed frustration with the new restrictions. Mildred Forti, who has been homeless with her husband in Miami, told CBS News Miami, \u201cThis is another stupid law. We will start moving again and looking for a new place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, acknowledged the challenges and said efforts are underway to increase housing options. “We are working hard to create more opportunities for shelter and housing,” Book said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted plans for a new navigation center, a step down from traditional shelters, expected to open by the end of the year. The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust also aims to place over 140 people into rental units at the La Quinta Hotel by December 2024. Additional developments include an 8-unit building in Overtown and 190 single-occupancy units for men near Krome, alongside an 80-bed shelter expansion within 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a social media post, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony commented, \u201cHomelessness is not a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the new legislation, local governments can designate county-owned land where homeless individuals can stay, provided they maintain cleanliness and safety. Those housed in these areas must have access to essential services like showers and mental health care. For approval, counties must demonstrate a lack of shelter beds and prove that the camps will not negatively affect nearby property values or safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new Florida law banning homeless individuals from sleeping outdoors took effect Tuesday, aiming to address public camping while offering support services for those in need. House Bill 1365 prohibits camping on streets, sidewalks, and parks across the state. The law requires local governments to provide temporary housing options with a strict no-drug-use policy. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,47,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-poverty-homelessness","category-social-issues"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n