Florida legislature set to vote on banning public sleeping

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - Florida lawmakers are ready to vote on banning people from sleeping on the streets. Committees in the House and Senate approved bills banning public camping Thursday.

Just this week, the City of Gainesville put up signs and flyers telling people to move off the sidewalks.

“Folks it’s not safe on the streets,” Rep. Michelle Salzman, (R) Escambia County, said.

Rep. Salzman knows what’s it like to be homeless. She described her experience growing up during Thursday’s House Health & Human Services Committee meeting.

“There’s a reason why my parents would go hunting for a home for us to hide in. It wasn’t because we thought the streets were safe. It’s because we knew if we would be there we would be vulnerable,” Rep. Salzman said.

The bill Rep. Sam Garrison, (R) Fleming Island, is carrying would ban people from sleeping in public places like parks and sidewalks. Counties would have to create a place for people to go if their shelters are full.

The counties would need to provide services at these camps too.

“We don’t tell the local governments how they have to do it. We are just going to say as it relates to those public places, the sidewalks, the libraries, the parks, they are public places and have to be protected,” Rep. Garrison said.

Democrats have been speaking against the bill. Representative Dianne Hart, (D) Tampa, said the proposal isn’t practical.”

“We cannot take all the homeless people and put them together because there’s no way to really do that. We can’t really find them all and that’s why I participate in the count in my county,” Rep. Hart said.

However, homeless advocates said putting people in one place would help people.

“Local governments, now, can’t provide a lot of the services to the homeless people because they are all spread out. If you put them all in one place then you’re going to have the ability to provide those services,” Barney Bishop from Florida Smart Justice Alliance said.

Governor Ron DeSantis said he supports the proposal and plans to sign it if it passes both chambers.