Shelter shortage: advocates say new state law banning ‘Public Camping’ pushes homeless into hiding

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A new law cracking down on public camping goes into effect Tuesday and local governments are readying themselves for possible consequences.

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According to the law, local governments can’t allow camping or sleeping on public property, but currently, there’s a major shortage of shelter beds across Central Florida.

On Monday, Channel 9 crews went inside of an encampment to hear from the unsheltered and a local expert.

Inside one East Orange County encampment, which was cleared last week by deputies, residents have already returned.

Read: New Florida laws to take effect Oct. 1

Our crews watched as residents on edge quickly left the encampment once we arrived.

Some experiencing homelessness told us they had nowhere else to go.

Advocates told us residents who had returned to the East Orange County camp were previously warned they could face arrest.

As the new statewide public camping ban takes effect Tuesday, Orange County is short at least 759 shelter beds according to the annual point-in-time count.

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Advocates said many of the unsheltered don’t have an alternative but to hide out…

“I think there’s a lot of whac- a-mole happening here, moving from place to place. And then I think it’s pushing people farther out, deeper into the woods,” said Tim McKinney, the CEO of United Global Outreach.

McKinney said East Orange County desperately needs a safe shelter location for a growing number of folks sleeping in the woods.

While the City of Orlando and Orange County have been working for months to create new shelter facilities, no plans have been solidified. 

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Local governments across the state have until January 1st, before residents and businesses can file lawsuits against their governments for allowing people to sleep on public property.

Once lawsuits are filed, counties will have only five days to find a correction.

Meanwhile, both OPD and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office weighed in on the new law today.

Read their statements below.

Statement from Orange County Sheriff’s Office:

“When we see criminal violations taking place, we take enforcement action. But homelessness is not a crime, and there are significant limitations to what we can do regarding “public camping.”

If someone is “camping” on private property, the property owner can call law enforcement and ask that they be trespassed.

In some places, like the City of Orlando, there are ordinances which prohibit solicitation, or people “camping” on sidewalks. However, there are no such enforceable ordinances in unincorporated Orange County.”

Statement Orlando Police Department:

“Homelessness is a complex, regional issue that requires a collaborative effort. The City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department remain committed to investing in and partnering with our local homeless providers to provide housing, resources, and innovative opportunities to prevent and reduce homelessness in our community.

Recognizing the unique needs, challenges, and barriers of unsheltered residents, in early 2024, the city launched a new initiative with OPD, the Homeless Intervention Unit (HIU). HIU is a new team of specialized and trained police officers who respond to calls for service from or about unsheltered residents in encampments. All of our officers work with community partners to connect unsheltered residents to homeless services and resources while complying with the law.

OPD officers will continue to proactively patrol and respond to calls from residents and businesses to keep everyone in the city safe.”

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