The city of Pensacola is considering new ordinances that crack down on camping on public and private property ahead of a new state law that prohibits local governments from allowing people to regularly sleep or camp on public property.
The law, HB 1365, goes into effect Oct. 1 and the Pensacola City Council will vote Thursday on whether to adopt a new ordinance banning camping on private property and on amending an existing ordinance that bans camping on public property.
“We have prepared, and come Oct. 1, our city will be enforcing the state law established by House Bill 1365,” said Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves. “We continue to do proactive outreach to unhoused individuals and to also inform them of the changes in our ordinance coming next week.”
Some neighbors and business owners who deal almost daily with problems that come with people camping nearby welcome the changes.
Hearing Aid Specialist Patricia Russo has been seeing patients at her clinic, Professional Hearing Aid, on N. Palafox near downtown Pensacola for over 50 years. She works full-time running her business and part-time moving people along who camp out around her shop. From cigarette burns and urine, to people passed out, the fallout is an ongoing problem.