It is the governor’s view that homeless encampments hurt the quality of life for everyday residents who are coming and going. He also pointed out that unlike California and New York, Florida is threading the needle between upholding the law and supplying the homeless with necessary resources to better their situations.
This new bill goes into effect before 2025
H.B. 1365 officially became the Sunshine State’s law of the land on Tuesday, October 1. As of that moment, homeless individuals in Florida will be legally prohibited from sleeping in parks, city streets, and sidewalks.
Instead, they’ll have access to different shelters and other areas carefully monitored by law enforcement. In these spaces, people without homes can sleep and set up encampments.
Under H.B. 1365, once homeless shelters reach capacity, alternative spaces must have running water, suitable restrooms, and other services, such as behavioral and mental health support.
The Florida governor signing off on this bill elicited strong opinions from the public. On social media, state residents and Americans as a collective are weighing in with their thoughts and opinions.
