SCOTUS ruling clears path for Florida's ban on public sleeping and camping

JACKSONVILLE Fla. — With the US Supreme Court upholding an Oregon city’s ability to penalize public sleeping a path has been cleared for Florida’s new law banning public sleeping and camping to take effect.

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“It’s a common sense ruling that allows us to do what we need to do to try to address this problem,” said State Representative Sam Garrison (R-Fleming Island).

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Garrison sponsored the law this past legislative session.

Now, with the law’s effective date just three months away, Garrison argued it’s time for counties to get serious about how they’ll come into compliance.

They’ll have to decide how to enforce the ban and where they might designate public spaces where sleeping and camping is allowed.

“What are they ways we can comply with the law and best preserve public spaces while also respecting the dignity of every human being? And it’s gonna look different. It’s going to look different in Orange Park than it does in downtown Jacksonville,” said Garrison.

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The law only allows local governments to designate a space for public sleeping and camping if there are not enough shelter beds for the local homeless population.

Designated camping grounds must also not impact surrounding businesses or residential properties.

Counties must provide security, running water, restrooms and behavioral health services at the sites and drugs and alcohol could not be permitted.

“There was no funding tied to that law. So, there’s nothing in it to help a city or county set up an encampment,” said Dawn Gilman with Changing Homelessness.

RELATED: NE Florida unsheltered homeless population spikes as state and local leaders search for solutions

Gilman suggested due to the cost, county-run encampments may not be the best option in Northeast Florida, where she estimates costs for local governments could total $15 million a year.

“Most of them are trying to figure out how can they expand existing shelters, how can they increase non-congregate shelter capacity. Oftentimes that is less expensive than trying to spin up an encampment,” said Gilman.

Mayor Donna Deegan’s team told Action News Jax the administration is working on a five-year plan to bring homelessness under control.

The administration said recommendations specifically address the new law and, “include options such as increasing shelter beds, contracting with local hotels, and creating a homeless village”.

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But no final decisions have been made yet.

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