Is Florida’s Homeless Crisis Being Erased by New Laws?
In the heart of Florida, a new law is stirring debate over how we measure and address homelessness. As 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) counts reveal subtle shifts in numbers, questions arise about whether these changes reflect real progress or simply force the unhoused into the shadows. With rising costs of living and strict public camping bans, understanding this issue is crucial for communities nationwide, as it highlights the tension between policy and human needs.
The controversy centers on Florida's HB 1365, a law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024 that prohibits public camping and sleeping. Effective in full by early 2025, this legislation has prompted local governments to scramble for solutions, fearing lawsuits from residents if homeless individuals aren't cleared from public spaces within days. Advocates argue that while the law aims to tidy up communities, it may be distorting homelessness data by pushing people into hidden or mobile camps, making them harder to count.
Recent PIT counts across Florida's regions paint a mixed picture. In the FL-507 area, covering Orlando and surrounding counties, the 2025 count showed a mere 0.18% increase from 2024, a stark slowdown from the previous year's 23% jump. Meanwhile, Brevard County's count dropped by 4.84%, with Sarah Slone, CoC Planning Director for the Brevard Homeless Coalition, noting that the new law likely influenced this. "We anecdotally know it's had an impact," Slone said, as unsheltered residents expressed fear of enforcement during the count. In Marion County, however, numbers rose by 3.44%, with Karla Greenway, CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, pointing out that mobile camps due to the ban could be skewing results. "It's the best method, but it can be misleading," she explained.
Comparisons with other areas, like North Central Florida's Continuum of Care, show a 128-person increase to 887 homeless individuals, attributed to better surveying techniques and economic pressures such as high rents. Jacob Torner, from the TaskForce for Ending Homelessness, emphasized the human element: "These numbers are more than statistics—they reflect real people facing real challenges." In Marion and Polk counties, the count surged to 2,154, with nearly half experiencing homelessness for the first time, largely due to inflation and housing costs. Jimmy Jones, executive director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, called this a "function of a bad economy," where low-income families are forced to choose between food and rent.
These trends suggest that while some regions report declines, they might be artificial, driven by fear of legal repercussions rather than genuine housing solutions. For instance, in Lake and Sumter Counties, a 28% drop was linked to community efforts and the camping ban's chilling effect, as Barbara Venditto from the Mid Florida Homeless Coalition noted: "There were rumors that law enforcement would use the information to seek them out." This raises ethical questions about whether such policies truly help or merely hide the problem.
In summary, Florida's evolving homelessness landscape underscores the need for balanced approaches that prioritize support over enforcement. Are these laws truly reducing homelessness, or just making it invisible? As communities grapple with these questions, your thoughts matter—share your views in the comments below and help spark a broader conversation on how we can better address this crisis.