“We cannot allow any city in Florida to become like San Francisco, where homelessness, drugs, and crime have decimated the quality of life, hurt the economy, and eroded freedom,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis this week.
He even had a placard with the quote placed on a podium as he delivered a speech on the topic.
DeSantis – who recently suspended his campaign to become the GOP 2024 presidential nominee in the face of former President Donald Trump’s continued domination in the primaries and at the polls – made the remark regarding new proposed legislation in his home state.
This legislation would: prohibit camping on city streets, sidewalks and parks; create state enforcement tools to ensure local governments comply; increasing funding for homeless shelters, while requiring occupants to not use drugs and utilize workforce services and increasing funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment.
“In Florida we will continue to enact policies that promote accountability and community safety, unlike in California where they are promoting dangerous policies that harm their communities and economy,” said DeSantis of the proposal.
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, California and Florida both have some of the highest homelessness rates in the nation. California does have the highest and accounts for 28% of all homeless people in the U.S. with an estimated homeless population of 181,399 and a total population of approximately 39 million people. Florida accounts for 5% of all homeless people in the nation with a homeless population of 30,756 and a total population of approximately 23 million people.
San Francisco, Calif., does have a considerable homeless population. As of the most recent point-in-time count from the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the homeless population in the city was 7,754 people, down 3.5% compared to 2019. It has a total population of 808,437.
Jacksonville, Fla., has a slightly larger population than San Francisco at 971,319. By comparison, its estimated homeless population was 1,247 as of last January, per the Florida Times-Union.
Still, as the national numbers indicate, homelessness is an issue in Florida as well.
“Despite Florida’s progress on homelessness, the state still has the nation’s third highest homeless population,” the Homeless Voice explained. It also said that things could get worse since wages in the state have been impacted by inflation.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said he believes the new policies will curb homelessness growth in Florida.
“This legislation will make all citizens safer by keeping our streets clean. Once again, Florida is a national leader,” he said.
According to a report from NBC 6 in South Florida, Ron Book, the chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, said the proposal has strong support.
“This has bipartisan support... I think you will see people supporting this across the board. We need to end homelessness in the state and this is the beginning of that dialogue,” he said, according to the outlet.
As for San Francisco, data shows that policies there have also brought down the homeless and unsheltered homeless count in recent years.