ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Homelessness is an issue that has not gone unnoticed in Central Florida.
Apopka residents said that recently, they have seen more people experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods.
Someone posted this picture on Facebook of a tent and grocery cart near South Hunt Club Blvd.
The post reads in part: “So you can legally plop a tent on 436 in a commercial area?”
Ten minutes away at Edward’s Field, another picture was snapped of a person blocking a sidewalk while lying in a hammock.
That prompted several complaints from residents.
News 6 reporter Treasure Robert asked Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson whether there is a camping policy in the city code.
Nelson said camping on public property is prohibited in Apopka.
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“If one of our officers were to see it, they (would) probably tell them they’d need to move,” Mayor Nelson said.
Lawmakers are working to ban camping at the state level, too.
Republican Florida Rep. Sam Garrison introduced House Bill 1365, which would prohibit public camping or sleeping on public property statewide.
“We are not going to have our public libraries, we are not going to have our city halls, we are not going to have everything from the sidewalks to the streets turned into de-facto homeless shelters, we’re just not going to have that,” Rep. Garrison said.
While some state lawmakers think this is a great way to get people off the streets, others believe the plan is unrealistic, especially since local governments may have to foot the bill.
The bill tasks local governments with establishing a designated camp for the unhoused that provides 24-hour security and running water.
“We all know we (have to) be a part of the solution. You’d like to hope that the state would step in to have some grants available,” Mayor Nelson said.
Rep. Garrison said the state will work with the Continuum of Care program to get local governments some resources.
“The state is not going to pick up the tab,” Rep. Garrison said.
Democratic Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani questioned where the camps will be located.
“Good luck finding a place where residents want a camp,” Rep. Eskamani said.
Lawmakers will have a final vote on this bill Friday.
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