Gov. Ron DeSantis is signing legislation that creates a state framework to get unhoused people off the streets and out of sight, and compels local jurisdictions to foot the bill for what a sponsor called a “carrot and stick” approach and a “Florida model” for dealing with the problem.
HB 1365, sponsored by Republican Sen. Jon Martin and Republican Rep. Sam Garrison, requires local jurisdictions to pick a piece of public property and wrangle people who are camping or sleeping in public spaces toward that location.
The Governor says the bill will keep streets “clean” and “safe” for residents.
“We have to govern this state and our communities with an eye towards what’s in the best interest of the law-abiding citizen, what’s in the best interest of families who are trying to raise kids, what’s in the best interest of our seniors who are here to retire. That’s what it’s got to be,” DeSantis said, framing the legislation as a “quality of life” issue.
DeSantis compared a California city to one in Northeast Florida to illustrate his point.
“San Francisco is actually slightly smaller than the city of Jacksonville, yet San Francisco’s homeless problem has cost their taxpayers $1.1 billion in 2022 alone. That’s almost 80% of Jacksonville’s entire city budget,” DeSantis said, slightly underselling Jacksonville’s $1.75 billion General Fund budget to make his point.
Sen. Martin said the “cutting edge” bill “shows we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” and contended the bill offers state “help” without micromanaging extant homeless service organizations.
“We can do better. We can synergize. We can put everybody in one place. Not just the homeless, but the non-profits that are helping,” Martin said.
Rep. Garrison described “great cities” elsewhere “brought to their knees” by the homeless problem, which assails “civic pride” in those municipalities that have “embraced comfortable inaction.”
The bill, passed by an 82-26 vote in the House and a 27-12 vote in the Senate, would ban counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or camping on public property without explicit permission.
It also compels these localities to round up the homeless and put them somewhere. Local camps must include clean restrooms, running water, security on premises and bans on drugs and alcohol.
Furthermore, these camps can’t be permanent, but must be moved every 365 days.
Democrats noted that the bill presented an unfunded mandate. DeSantis’ worry, apparently satisfied by the legislation’s final form, was that he didn’t want “Sodom and Gomorrah” style homeless camps.
Criticism came in from familiar voices as the bill was being signed.
“Every Floridian deserves the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe, but Ron DeSantis would rather ban homelessness to cover up for his lack of solutions to the real issues facing his constituents that he refused to address as he focused on abandoning the state he was elected to serve during his disastrous bid for the presidency,” claimed DeSantis Watch.
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