Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Monday where he announced his support for a potential law that would ban people from camping in public places.
The proposed bill seeks to address the state's ongoing homelessness crisis by prohibiting anyone from sleeping or camping in public. The governor joined the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner, Mark Glass, at the Rum Room venue located in Miami Beach.
Roughly 30 minutes from the start of the event, DeSantis took the podium where he started by touting the state's economy and education. He also praised the administration's efforts to increase the salaries of teachers.
This is considering that the state is ranked one of the lowest states in median teacher salaries in the nation based on a report by the National Education Association in 2023. The Republican governor then criticized the condition of San Francisco, particularly the city's crime rates.
He said that they are not going to let any city turn into something like San Francisco, specifically alluding to Miami Beach, whose mayor was in attendance at the event. DeSantis also acknowledged that some of the sources of crime stemmed from poverty and mental illness, as per CBS12.
The Florida governor then said that he would be open to providing financial support to municipalities in the creation of shelters and mental health resources. When Glass rose to speak, he praised the DeSantis administration for its stance on crime.
The commissioner also applauded the Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping bill, grouping the issues of homelessness and crime together. The bill, also known as HB 1365, will allow municipalities to permit public sleeping on the condition that they provide basic sanitation amenities and substance abuse and mental health treatment resources.
The bill would also allow residents or businesses to file suit against the local government if they do not meet these conditions. DeSantis said that they do not want homelessness to become an issue in everyday life.
Addressing the Homelessness Crisis
In the last week, legislators have advanced bills that would require counties to ban homeless people from sleeping in public places and instead allow them to stay in designated camps with security, sanitation, and access to behavioral health services, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
While the Florida governor said that the legislation is still a "work in progress," he already endorsed its goal of moving homeless people off the streets. DeSantis said that if the Legislature was willing to lean in on the bill, they would be able to offer support.
However, he noted that it has to be done in ways that are focused primarily on ensuring public order, ensuring quality of life for residents, and ensuring that people's property values are maintained.
The Republican said that they do not want to see any incentive to create homeless camps, particularly in areas that would interfere with the public conducting normal business. The bill was proposed by Fort Myers Sen. Jonathan Martin.
The Senate proposal would limit to one year the continuous use of areas designated for homeless people. It would also require that the locations have access to such things as restrooms and running water, said NBC Miami.