Homelessness in Florida

Of this high number, 2,846 are family households, 2,019 are unaccompanied young adults (aged 18–24), 2,817 are veterans, and an estimated 5,615 are individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

In contrast, the report estimated the cost of permanent supportive housing at "$10,051 per person per year" and concluded that "[h]ousing even half of the region's chronically homeless population would save taxpayers $149 million during the next decade — even allowing for 10 percent to end up back on the streets again."

[6] There are similar studies showing large financial savings in Charlotte and Southeastern Colorado from focusing on simply housing the homeless.

[7] In December of 2022, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, endorsed legislation that would further allow the conversion of retail spaces such as shopping centers and empty office buildings into affordable housing for Florida Residents.

[8] The legislation endorsed by the Senate President Passidomo builds upon a law passed in 2020 that removes the requirement for locations approved for affordable housing construction be rezoned from commercial to residential.

In April of 2023 Florida passed more legislation (SB 102[9]) aimed at providing more Floridians with affordable housing through the use of "incentives, tax breaks, and $811,000,000 in funding".

[10] The law also cemented in place that it is no longer required for locations approved for affordable housing construction to be rezoned from commercial to residential.

Those who do not have a home in many Florida cities are facing the dilemma of being outlawed for begging to make money and then criminalized again for being homeless and having nowhere to place their belongings, compounding systemic social issues within the communities.

[19] In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it is forbidden to give food to homeless in parks also, illustrating the extent of anti-panhandling laws and their expansion in society.

[24] In July 2019, officials in West Palm Beach, Florida, were criticized for playing a continuous loop of the children's songs Baby Shark and Raining Tacos throughout the night outside city-owned Waterfront Lake Pavilion rental banquet facility as a way of deterring rough sleepers.

Some of these measures includes "criminalizing sleeping outside in public or private property without permission", the removal of public benches in parks that are often used by homeless residents in the area to sleep on, and the creation of joint effort teams of police officers and social workers specifically tasked with dealing with homeless residents hands on.

[26] A special problem exists in Miami-Dade County, in which restrictive local legislation makes it almost impossible for sex offenders to find legal housing.