Florida Is One Of The Three States With The Largest Increases In Homelessness, Per Report

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Over the past couple of years, as Florida has become a popular landing spot for retirees and people looking to relocate, those living in or moving to Florida have had to deal with much higher housing costs and rising rents - causing some studies and publications to note Florida's "affordability crisis."

A lack of affordable housing is arguably one contributing factor to the increasing problem of homelessness in the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development indicates that Florida is seeing a notably large spike in homelessness, according to News 4 Jax.

The Numbers: According to Fox 13, the HUD report indicates that nationally, the number of homeless reached more than 653,000 in 2023.

The report found that the number of Florida's homeless rose by around 5,000 - which propelled Florida to one of the 3 states with the largest increases in homelessness (the other two were California and New York.)

According to Barron's, the HUD report indicated that Florida's homeless population in 2023 amounted to around 30,756.

Fox 13 reports that the biggest groups seeing rises in homelessness are Florida's seniors and families.

A Recent Proposal From The Florida Governor's Office: According to information from the Florida Governor's office, Governor DeSantis has recently proposed legislation to "make all citizens safer by keeping our streets clean." Included in the proposal is:

prohibiting camping on Florida's streets, sidewalks, and parks;

creating state enforcement tools and;

increasing funding to homeless shelters, substance abuse, and mental health treatment.

A statement from the Governor's office reads, in part:

“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. In Florida, we will continue to enact policies that promote accountability and community safety..."

What Some Floridians Are Saying: Some Florida-themed social media threads discuss homelessness. In a post focusing on Orlando, a poster with the handle Salty Dog claimed to witness approximately 30 homeless individuals in shopping centers.

And a poster called zotti d posted that "panhandling is out of control" in Fort Lauderdale, to name just a few examples which suggest that Floridians are becoming increasingly aware of the issue.