ORLANDO, Florida. – Next month, a controversial law will take effect in Florida that would prevent homeless people from sleeping in public places while requiring local governments to address the problem.

Starting October 1, 2024, cities and counties will be prohibited by law from allowing people to spend the night in places such as public buildings and on public rights-of-way.

Senate sponsor Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) said the goal is to provide people with safer places to stay overnight than in parks or under overpasses and pavilions.

“Inadequate emergency shelters and inadequate permanent housing solutions result in unhoused people sleeping and camping in public places, places we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy, like parks,” Martin said. “This bill is a compassionate response to the shortage of emergency shelters and assisted living by providing an alternative to sleeping on the streets.”

Democrats argue that the state would provide only limited resources to local governments to implement the measure, potentially exposing them to lawsuits.

Senator Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) said the measure “literally changes the visibility of homeless individuals without providing an exit strategy for homeless people.”

“I understand that this bill does not make it illegal for people to sleep in public,” Jones said. “But it seems more likely to make it illegal for local governments to ignore people sleeping in public.”

The measure allows local governments to designate certain properties for sleeping or camping, provided the sites meet standards set by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Such areas, which could only be used for one year, would have to provide access to toilets and running water, have security guards, be alcohol and drug free, and the locations would not affect the value of neighboring properties or safety.

The bill gives residents and business owners the right to file civil lawsuits against local authorities if they allow illegal overnight stays or camping on public land.

Financially weak counties – mostly rural counties – would be exempted from certain requirements if compliance with those requirements would result in financial hardship.

HOMELESSNESS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

The Point-in-Time Count is a survey that collects estimates of the number of people who are homeless on a single night in January.

During the PIT Count, trained volunteers and social workers go into communities and count the number of homeless people.

Homeless shelter providers count the number of people in emergency shelters and transitional housing. The data collected during the count is used to better understand the extent of homelessness in Central Florida.

Here are the latest survey data.

ORANGE: 2,013 (24% more than 2023)

SEMINOLES: 420 (53% more than 2023)

OSCEOLA: 343 (4% decrease compared to 2023)

BREVARD: 1,116 (6% increase since 2023)

VOLUSIA: 1,053 (17.8% increase since 2022)