Homelessness

The unhoused in Sarasota hope on a daily basis to go unnoticed by anyone who may pose a threat in the middle of the night — or ask them to move. In Sarasota, and throughout Florida, that includes the police, because lodging outside on public property is illegal.

Criminal citations for sleeping outside in Sarasota have increased more than fourteenfold since 2020, driven in part by expanded police training that now empowers officers throughout the department to enforce the city's lodging ordinance.

The ban led to an immediate increase in demand, said GRACE Marketplace CEO Darius Williams.

The recent death of a woman sleeping in an alley has stirred homeless advocates against the state’s ban on public camping. Is the law necessary or simply driving our most vulnerable into dark, dangerous places?

The woman was sleeping in a St. Petersburg alleyway when she was killed after being run over twice last weekend. Advocates say anti-homeless laws and ordinances need to be reexamined.

The 2024 hurricanes may be a distant memory for some. For St. Petersburg resident Kevin Batdorf, the floods that drenched his Shore Acres neighborhood prompted him to run for mayor.

While community donations and volunteers met the immediate surge in need, advocates say the emergency response highlighted deeper gaps, including limited shelter access, enforcement of anti-camping laws and a shortage of affordable housing that leaves many people cycling between the streets and short-term aid.

"Homelessness, or the state of unhoused, is not in and of itself a crime," an attorney for Winter Haven wrote in response to a violation notice from the Attorney General's Office.

At last month's Human Rights in the Americas Symposium at the University of Miami, panelists argued that homelessness should be addressed as a pressing human rights issue. Florida, they noted, is leading the way in criminalizing being without a place to sleep.

Once complete, Vincentian Village will offer 73 apartments for households earning up to 60% of the area median income. The developers, Ability SVdP, will dedicate 37 units to residents who are, or are at risk of, becoming homeless.

The teams of paid staff and medical school student volunteers aren’t just bandaging cuts and handing out aspirin. They’re providing follow-up visits for chronic conditions and working with specialists.

Homelessness among Florida families rose by 28% in the last three years, a report from the University of Florida found.