( The Hill ) – A Florida law banning homeless people from sleeping in public spaces, one of the strictest anti-homeless statutes in the country, took effect Tuesday.
Under the law, municipalities are required to create designated spaces for camping and sleeping if homeless shelters are full. The spaces must have access to “clean and operable restrooms and running water.”
Florida residents, business owners and the state will be able to sue municipalities they don’t think are doing enough to deter homeless people from sleeping in public spaces, including in parks or on benches, starting Jan. 1, 2025, The Associated Press reported.
The state estimates it has about 31,000 homeless people but advocates say that’s an undercount.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) signed the bill in March and said the state will not allow homeless encampments to “intrude on its citizens or undermine their quality of life.”