Florida's strict homelessness law is putting cities in trouble

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — As the sun rose Tuesday, Robert Robinson rose from the sidewalk in front of the Fort Lauderdale bus depot. He had slept there – and had become a violator of Florida's newest law.

Under one Statutes Since the law went into effect Tuesday, it is now illegal to sleep on sidewalks, parks, beaches or other public places in Florida – one of the strictest anti-homelessness measures in the country.

“Where are they going to put all these people?” Robinson asked, pointing to several other homeless people nearby. The 61-year-old former fence builder packed up his few items of clothing, toothpaste and a box of cat food that he planned to sell for $2 and loaded them onto the wheelchair he uses as a walker and cart. “There are not enough sleeping spaces in the animal shelter.”

Fort Lauderdale and Florida's other cities and counties only have three months to figure it out. Starting January 1, residents, business owners and the state can sue municipalities that they believe are not doing enough. The law requires local governments to adopt ordinances to create, strengthen, and enforce programs to get homeless people off the streets.

Florida estimates there are about 31,000 homeless people, although advocates say that's likely an undercount. That's a fraction of California and New York, but large majorities in the Legislature said the law was needed. Residents complain that homeless people take over parks and sidewalks, threaten children, litter, and urinate and defecate in public.

“It is our responsibility to address homelessness, and that is why we cannot wait any longer,” said Republican Sen. Jonathan Martin, a sponsor of the bill signed into law in March.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called the law “absolutely the right balance.”

“We want to make sure public safety comes first,” he said.

But the threat of lawsuits under the law worries local officials.

“There will be a whole host of enterprising lawyers who will use this as an opportunity to rake in tens of thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, adding that this money will not be available to alleviate the problem .

The state has budgeted $30 million to help communities pass the law and provide mental health and substance abuse treatment to homeless people. But many local officials said that wasn't enough. The largest district allotments cost about $600,000 each.

If counties don't have enough emergency shelter beds, the law allows them to set up satellite camps where homeless people can live for up to a year – requiring the largest counties to provide them with sanitation and 24-hour security.

“We send our money to Tallahassee, and they don’t send it back to help us,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss said recently.

In South Florida, cities and counties are struggling to find solutions that will protect them from potential lawsuits without resorting to mass incarceration. About 8,500 of Florida's homeless people live on waiting lists for affordable housing in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

About 1,650 people are looking for housing in Broward, up from 1,220 two years ago. Only a handful of the 700 animal shelter beds in the county become available each day.

“Homelessness is not a crime and the county jail system is not a solution,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony recently wrote in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He said his deputies would not arrest anyone because he was simply homeless, and his jail would not accommodate anyone arrested by city police.

Miami-Dade converted an abandoned hotel into a shelter for elderly homeless people and may buy 175 two-bedroom, 450-square-foot (40-square-meter) manufactured homes.

Palm Beach could designate overnight parking spaces for people who live in cars.

Broward recently committed $750,000 to purchase prefabricated housing. Patrice Paldino, director of the county agency that helps the homeless, said after Broward places individuals in a shelter or shelter, it offers counseling and other services to help get their lives back on track.

On deterring lawsuits, she said, “It's an interesting question, but our goal is to continue to provide excellent service.”

The TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness, a group Broward works with, helps individuals find housing, counseling and other services. The word “fore” in its name is intended to show that it is taking a leadership role on this issue.

Jacob Torner, vice president of the program, said the law focuses too much on the minority of homeless people with drug problems. He said most are people who can't afford rent and are victims of domestic violence, veterans, the elderly and the disabled.

“The impact of this law will make it more difficult for these individuals to receive the services that get them off the streets because they will become more anxious,” Torner said.

On Tuesday, Erica Dorsett, the group's program administrator, drove around Fort Lauderdale's homeless hotspots to check on the people the group helps.

She spoke to a man sleeping outside a large hospital whose cracked, shoeless feet were swollen and inflamed. When asked why he didn't go to the emergency room for treatment, Dorsett said the hospital would just take him back outside.

At the end of the street, Doresett stopped at a park to check on another man she had found sleeping on a wall. After he woke up, he excitedly asked for water; She brought him bottles and a cookie sandwich.

Dorsett said the lack of shelter and shelter means her group has limited options.

“We can walk them to the door and do everything for them, but then our hands are tied,” she said.

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Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida.