FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — As the sun rose Tuesday, Robert Robinson stood up from the sidewalk near the Fort Lauderdale bus station. There he slept and became a violator of a law recently passed in Florida.
Under the law that took effect Tuesday, it is now illegal in Florida to sleep on sidewalks, parks, beaches or other public spaces, one of the nation’s strictest measures against homelessness.
“Where are they going to put all these people?” Robinson asked, pointing to several homeless people nearby. Robinson, 61, who once worked as a fence installer, gathered his few clothes, toothpaste and a box of cat food that he hoped to sell for $2 and loaded them into the wheelchair he uses as a walker and wagon. “There are not enough beds in the shelter.”
Fort Lauderdale and the other cities and counties in Florida only have three months to solve the problem. Starting January 1, residents, business owners and state authorities can sue municipalities they believe are not doing enough. Under the new law, local governments must enact ordinances to create, reinforce and enforce programs that help get homeless people off the streets.
There are an estimated 31,000 homeless people in Florida, although homeless advocates say the true number is likely higher. Although the figure is much lower than that of California and New York, a large majority of the Legislative Assembly considers that the law is necessary. Residents complain that these people occupy parks and sidewalks, threaten children, leave trash, and urinate and defecate in public.
“It’s our responsibility to take care of the homeless and that’s why we can’t wait any longer,” said Republican state Sen. Jonathan Martin, who sponsored the bill signed in March.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new law certainly strikes “the right balance.”
“We want to make sure we put public safety above all else,” he said.
But local authorities are concerned about possible lawsuits that could be filed under the new law.
“A few enterprising lawyers will take advantage of this opportunity to pocket tens, 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 budgeted $30 million to help municipalities enact the law and provide the homeless with mental health and substance abuse treatment. But many local officials said it’s not enough. The counties with the largest budget allocations for this issue do not exceed $600,000 each.
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Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida.
