President Donald Trump is taking steps to "beautify" the nation's capital by invoking the Home Rule Act. He took control of the Capitol police and said he was relocating all the unhoused people at a press conference on Monday.
“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people. And we're not going to let it happen anymore,” Trump said.
In Florida, more than 28,000 people are unhoused every night, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Florida Coalition to End Homelessness.
And each night, nearly half of them are unable to get into a shelter because Florida doesn’t have enough space.
Misconceptions of the unhoused
Tony Moorer, 36, in Pompano Beach, has not been able to find a place to sleep more than once. Moorer grew up in foster care and has struggled with homelessness on and off throughout his life.
"Some of us have to either survive or end up out on the streets," he said. "There's a lot of discrimination when it comes to the homeless community. You’re kind of cast away as lesser.”
Moorer said there are many misconceptions about the homeless. A lot of narratives paint unhoused people as drug addicts or people with severe mental illness.
Trump signed an executive order on July 24, "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets." He said the "overwhelming majority of people living on the streets are addicted to drugs, have a mental health condition, or both."
But the coalition found fewer than 20% of Florida’s unhoused people live with substance abuse and/or severe mental illness.
Moorer said there are people living in the streets who are on drugs or have mental illness, but he said it is a small percentage of people he came across.
Personally, he said he didn't battle addiction or mental illness, but has struggled with congestive heart failure his entire life. And while unhoused, he said he'd wait until he was incredibly sick before finally going to an emergency room.
Moorer has usually stayed employed and said he’s never used drugs or been in trouble with the law. He simply fell on hard times.
Florida's public sleeping ban
The state's attempt at addressing homelessness, House Bill 1365, prohibits outdoor sleeping and camping on public property, including streets, sidewalks, and parks.
It took effect last October. It requires local governments to designate specific camping areas with basic services if shelters are full.
Critics have voiced concerns over the law, saying it criminalizes homelessness and doesn't address the root causes, like the lack of affordable housing.
Supporters, like Gov. Ron DeSantis, said the ban would uphold the state's commitment to "law and order."
“Florida will not allow homeless encampments to intrude on its citizens or undermine their quality of life like we see in states like New York and California,” the governor said in a press release.
Want to join the conversation or share your story? Email Meghan at bowman4@wusf.org.
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
