Altamonte Springs proposes ordinance to punish homelessness
According to this article, Altamonte Springs seemingly has issues with a single homeless person, so they are proposing an ordinance to punish all those who are homeless and may encounter certain public spaces. Other articles suggest this issue is broader with general homelessness growing and requiring a solution.
While the City seems to provide shelter space for many homeless, seasonal transience overwhelms what they can do. It isn’t clear if the City has a demographic profile of the homeless within their community. A survey of this population and a breakdown of causes could shed light on how many homeless were living this way due to drug addiction, economic hardship, loss of support structure, mental illness, SORR and other reasons.
With this analysis, it might also help understand if the city or county is actually causing a significant component of the homeless issues due to SORR ordinances. If that were the case, this would be a double bind for persons forced to register with housing insecurity. Those folks could be told by one city or county office to go live somewhere and are then told by another local government agency that living there is illegal.
Let’s hope there is deep enough thought and analysis into this proposed ordinance to not cause more harm and create unintended consequences.
The worse it gets, the more housing the homeless seems like a viable solution. We’ve had government housing before, so it shouldn’t be super difficult to build government housing again.
My mention of housing is not your typical government housing. The housing I mentioned is small individual units about 16 by 24’. They are simple with utilities and appliances. Furnished. There is a close association with law enforcement to make sure rules are followed and they are not defaced or vandalized in any way. There is a close association with social services to see that there needs are addressed and taken into account.
The government at all levels would rather waste tax dollars on jails and prisons but not mental health hospitals, addictions and job programs, or the like. The reason for such ideologies? Also politicians like Lauren Book and her ilk.
I have successfully helped fight against people like Lauren Book in California. I had some help via ACSOL but mostly was on my own harnessing local communities by doing in salon and barber shop services to get people elected. I encourage you and all others to get involved with FAC by using your time, talents and resources. Together we WILL make change happen! I use to think that I am only one person…what can I do? Well, alone I did make an impact but together we made a change…now there is a tiered registry in California and many like myself are now off the registry. Together we can do the same in Florida!
The compassion in out psyche says its horrible to be homeless. Giving homes to the homeless will create other problems, worse problems. Yes the govt has provided housing and in no time at all those were the havens for crimes of all sorts. Honestly, I dont believe it is the responsibility of the govt to provide housing. SOOO, That isnt the answer.
Making homelessness a crime also isnt the answer. We all know of, first hand, the horror stories connected with what leads to loss of housing.
We all know of, first hand, the horrible side effects of rules that cause homelessness. And the politicians all know the easiest way to remain in office is to create a problem (that may or may not exist) and then publicly tout how they fixed the problem.
What is the answer? IDK. But maybe more a hand up instead of a hand out? Definitely less rules that make criminals out of those trying to make it through tough times.
I think your wrong. There’s plenty of success stories involving public housing. You’re making faulty assumptions of it being connected with crime, just as people make false assumptions about children not being safe around registrant communities. A lot of times, the private sector doesn’t step up to the plate, so state & local governments need to get involved in public and subsidized housing. And I’m speaking as a conservative. I don’t want tramps sleeping & urinating on the sidewalk in front of my house because some “ideology” prevents the government from providing them housing in place of billions spent on new weapon systems.
The solution is really easier than they make it out to be. Kansas City is actually made up of 4 city destinations KCK,KC Mo, North Kansas City and Johnson County Kansas. They all work together in some form in dealing with it. Building mini homes free meals and clothing free transportation turning Motels which aren’t using there full capacity into residents for homeless. There is never any special destination as to there criminal history. That is irrelevant. I am not aware of ever any problems that were bad enough to make news. Law makers are making the problems not the homeless.
You treat all people with respect and it’s amazing how many problems can be avoided.
Identify what homeless is. Many choose to live in their cars, rv, mini-vans and truck campers. So the term “less homeless” should also apply. How can we help people become less homeless? These people in vehicles are NOT homeless they are just houseless.
Wrote the following to the city manager:
“Regarding the proposal to fine the homeless $500 or jail them for 60 days is an absolutely brilliant idea. But wouldn’t ordinances against mental health issues, drug addiction, unemployment, sex offender registration, or just plain bad luck be just as effective and do something to prevent homelessness in the first place? Just a thought…
Also curious why the one individual that inspired this particular piece of legislative brilliance couldn’t have been simply arrested for loitering. Seems pretty disingenuous to claim that would be cruel yet enact another law with different wording to apply to the same circumstance and carry equal or worse penalties.”
Anyone else that wants to write to him can do that here:
https://www.altamonte.org/FormCenter/City-Manager-9/Altamonte-Springs-City-Manager-Contact-F-72
Did anyone see on fox website the new law passed that states small cities officials have to make public how much money they make and all business deals and a bunch quit. They as government employees state that doing so puts them,family and business in danger as in safety by making it public… how is it dangerous for them but not for us and ours is 100 times worse. I emailed the link to fac about it