Lawmakers to vote on homeless sleeping ban as St. Pete neighbors see rise in issue

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Lawmakers in the Florida House are set to vote Friday on a bill that seeks to ban unhoused people from sleeping in public places. 

Critics say it doesn’t do enough to help those in need…while some people in St. Petersburg say they’re looking for any solution.

"We aren’t going to have everything turned into defacto homeless camps, we just aren’t going to have that," said State Rep. Sam Garrison (R-Fleming Island ) while debating on the house floor.

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HB 1365 would allow local governments to designate homeless camps, and outlaw sleeping in public places.

Some residents in St. Petersburg say they see the problem first hand.

One man, who didn't want to show his face on camera, said the situation has gotten dangerous.

He shared one video of a recent interaction after a man came onto his property.

"The gentleman tried to take the key away from my assistant as she was trying to enter the home, he said it was her home, she was very scared," he said.

He shared another video of the man screaming at the camera, "Under Barak Obama, you will be assassinated."

Police arrived and arrested that man for trespassing.

"I’m sympathetic to the homeless situation and the problems the city has in addressing it, but when it starts to seep into the community- and turns into crime and then you have to be in fear of yourself and your family," said the neighbor.

Even with the issue, he’s not sure the proposed bill is the solution.

The bill gives residents or business owners the ability to sue local governments for allowing sleeping or camping on public property..

"Maybe one-on-one care would be better than just leaving people outside," he said.

It also, could be costly. 

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The city of Tampa opened a temporary homeless tent camp during the pandemic, and estimates it cost $60,000 per month for 100 people. 

Some lawmakers said the bill fails to tackle the root cause of why many find themselves on the streets in the first place. 

"We have to have compassion and realize that these are complex issues and this bill does not address the nuance it just says we don’t want to see it," said State Rep Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando). 

The bill doesn’t provide any state money to cover the costs of those temporary camps; the state Senate is also considering a similar bill.