Invisible People: Florida state lawmakers approved a bill that prohibits camping on public property at a time when homelessness has increased by more than 8% across the state since 2022. The law, also known as House Bill 1365, would prohibit cities and counties from allowing people experiencing homelessness to sleep or camp on public property. Governments or agencies that offer alternative shelter options like Safe Outdoor Spaces or Safe Parking Spaces would also be required to ban the use of drugs and alcohol from their premises.

Alternative shelter sites must also be in areas of town where they “would not adversely and materially affect the property value or safety and security of other existing residential or commercial property,” according to the bill’s text.

HB 1365 was delivered to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk on March 12 and the governor is expected to sign the legislation imminently. When it was introduced in early February, DeSantis said the bill aimed to “keep Florida’s streets safe and clean.”

However, the bill has drawn the ire of housing advocate David Peery, founder of the Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity. Peery said the bill is “incredibly discriminatory” and seeks to “dehumanize the poor” under the guise of connecting people with services and support.

Read full article: Florida passes public camping ban as homelessness increases

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