MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - During a South Florida stop, Gov. Ron DeSantis talked about tackling the growing homeless population in some areas.
7News cameras on Monday captured DeSantis speaking at a news conference at a venue on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.
DeSantis told the crowd that Florida will continue to be a “Law and Order” state, and plans to work with the Legislature. He also specifically mentioned House Bill 1365, which would make unauthorized public camping illegal.
This refers to people putting up tents on streets, along sidewalks and parks where camping is not allowed.
“My bottom line is this; people that live in Miami Beach, people that live anywhere in the state of Florida, I take it as like kind of the dad test. Can I just take my kids and just walk down the street?” DeSantis said. “You should be able to do that at every place without having to worry about homeless or being accosted by somebody. So I think these protections will be very good for Floridians. It will ensure that we don’t see any part of our state descend into the madness that you see in places like San Francisco, New York City or Seattle.”
DeSantis also talked about more financial support from the state for municipalities that need more help for sheltering the homeless population and help with mental health services.
Ron Book with the Homeless Trust said that Miami-Dade has a fraction of homeless compared to other big cities.
“There’s a reason we don’t look like like them, and that’s because we follow a discipline plan, we have a dedicated source of revenue to end homelessness, and we’ve reduced unsheltered homelessness by 90%,” Book said.
Book supports the bill but said it’s critical that the encampments stick to a one year-time limit.
“Nobody, nobody, has had the successes in this country that we’ve had in Miami-Dade,” he said. “I wish the 66 other counties in the state have what we have.”
If the bill is passed, it will go into effect in October.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.