Florida Senate Bill 1530 would ban people from sleeping in public spaces. If approved, local governments would be required to establish safe campgrounds where people could legally stay overnight.
St. Francis House Executive Director Lauri Schiffbauer said she is hopeful for this temporary solution. She said to be effective, these campgrounds would need to have security measures, substance limitations and mental health resources.
Schiffbauer shared two concerns with this plan to improve the issue of houselessness in Florida: affordable housing and project funding. Without affordable housing for low-income individuals, Schiffbauer said rehabilitating people is difficult. Additionally, without proper governmental funding for these safe campgrounds, she said this bill would essentially criminalize homelessness.
Schiffbauer expressed gratitude for the dedication that the Gainesville City Commission has shown toward this issue. City commissioners voted Thursday to allocate $700,000 to combat homelessness locally.
The bill passed favorably through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 5. If enacted, it will be put into effect in October of this year.