Florida - Monday January 5, 2024: At a news conference in Miami Monday Governor DeSantis announced he is working with the Florida Legislature to craft legislation that would avert the kind of homeless crisis facing many other U.S. cities.
“We cannot allow any city in Florida to become like San Francisco, where homelessness, drugs, and crime have decimated the quality of life, hurt the economy, and eroded freedom,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “In Florida we will continue to enact policies that promote accountability and community safety, unlike in California where they are promoting dangerous policies that harm their communities and economy.”
Under consideration are laws that include:
- Prohibiting camping on city streets, sidewalks and parks.
- Creating state enforcement tools to ensure local governments comply.
- Increasing funding for homeless shelters, while requiring occupants to not use drugs and utilize workforce services.
- Increasing funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment.
The legislation is patterned after a new city ordnance in Miami Beach whose Mayor, Steven Meiner, spoke at the news conference.
“Since enacting our new ordinance against public camping this past October, we have seen more homeless individuals using available beds in shelters and therefore receiving the services they need,” said Mayor Meiner.