Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came up with a novel solution to Florida’s homelessness problem: put people in camps.
The idea, which may seem authoritarian and reminiscent of the lunacy displayed during the Chinese Coronavirus Pandemic in the 1980s, may be a viable one.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that DeSantis was considering legislation that would move homeless people from the streets to specialized camps, where they could enjoy access to various services.
DeSantis, however, confirmed that at a press conference held in Miami Beach Monday morning, the idea is still “a work in progress.”
He said: “We believe that if the Legislature wants to get involved, we will be there, ready to support them, but they have to do it right.” “It has to be done with a focus on maintaining public order, residents’ quality of life, and property values.”
DeSantis continued:
We can’t allow any Florida city to be like San Francisco where drugs, homelessness, and crime have eroded the quality of living, the economy, and freedom.
We will continue to promote policies in Florida that encourage accountability and safety for the community, unlike California which is promoting policies that are dangerous and harm the economy and communities.
The Florida legislatures are currently considering House Bill 1365, and Senate Bill 1530. These bills aim to give local authorities the ability to ban sleeping or camping on public land.
Accordingly, cities and counties may designate certain areas as camping and sleeping grounds, if they do not negatively impact residential and commercial properties nearby.
Sen. Jonathan Martin of Fort Myers, the lawmaker who sponsored the legislation, set out the goal to help homeless people.
It is our goal to make sure that people with mental health issues or substance abuse issues who sleep in public parks – parks we fund every year in Tallahassee – are using them for their intended purpose.
A report published last year by Florida’s Council on Homelessness shows that the number of homeless in Florida is increasing due to various factors including the rising cost of living:
According to the annual Point in Time Count, Florida has experienced a 9% increase in “literal homeless” Floridians over the last five years (from 28,328 to 30,809 from 2019 to 2023) The Counts of the past two years have shown an increase; however, because the COVID Count was conducted under limited conditions, it is not possible to confirm the accuracy.
We do know that Florida faces a housing affordability crisis unprecedented in the country. Florida has the second-highest population growth in the nation. Housing costs are increasing at an extraordinary rate due to fundamental market forces such as supply and demand. This factor, combined with population growth has increased the pressure on the rental market.
It is impossible that this idea will be worse than California where drug addicts are homeless and occupying the streets of San Francisco. Los Angeles, among other cities. It could serve as a model for other states to combat the growing problem of American homelessness.
