FTL's New Homeless Policy Exists, is Important and Under-Reported

1 year ago, in the aftermath of the City of Fort Lauderdale's semi-secret meeting at the Women's Club, and subsequent raid on the homeless camp at Stranahan Park, future Mayor Dean Trantalis called that raid a "disgrace" and "shameful." Earlier this month, the new City Commission gathered for another annual "visioning workshop" at the Women's Club, which has a front row view of the activities at Stranahan Park, and talked again about how they would again "eradicate" the homeless camp in the next year.

Honestly, the fact that the Mayor and Commissioner repeatedly used the phrase "eradicate," in regards to homeless activity around the downtown library, was out of step with their intended approach. Indeed, local press has been happy to pick up on small signs of empathy with the homeless coming from the new Fort Lauderdale City Commission, such as the new "Community Court" proposal, Ben Sorenson hanging out (we're not gonna say camping) at the Park, and commitments from a new business coalition to throw money at the problem. Sun Sentinel is practically crying out with relief, that these nice new politicians are finally gonna help these wet & hopeless people 

Therefore, it's somewhat surprising that no one at all has reported on many of the concrete plans that were expressed at this year's visioning workshop in regards to the homeless. Some of them seem pretty progressive. Some of them are more like a slap in the face to people who dealt with these commissioners in their past lives as minority voices in City politics.

1. The City's proposed "Community Courts" are being readied in order to dismantle the camp at Stranahan Park. This was pretty obvious from the beginning, but the City made it clear at this workshop that they do not think kicking people out of the library will do any good until they have this new program in place to get them in touch with social services. Of course, once all this happens, what happens with those that reject those services...?

Either way, it seems like the people of Stranahan Park have until at least the fall before the City comes to shut them down.

2. The City IS moving forward on a new day shelter project in downtown. AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which already has offices in downtown, is ready and willing to use their own funds to build a new day shelter on their properties just south of the County Courthouse. The property needs to be approved for re-zoning, so this project will likely come up at City Commission in the coming months.

Again, the fact that *absolutely no one has reported on this project,* that advocates have been pushing for for years, is beyond us. This is the first time that this much specific information about this project has been heard in public.

3. Despite a lot of good talk in recent years, the new, "nicer" commission does not have any intention of repealing the infamous homeless hate laws. Mayor Trantalis, the sole vote against some of these laws in the past, doesn't seem to have a problem with them anymore, and Commissioner Sorenson, who even advocated for these laws to repeal as he campaigned for office, seems to have backed down as well.

During the Visioning Workshop, Sorenson specifically brings up the sharing ban and essentially advocates for enforcing it again in the future, pending on-going litigation in Federal and State courts (which will likely not be ending anytime soon).

The enforcement of all the other anti-homeless laws came up as well, and one by one, the Commissioners advocated for the continuing enforcement of laws that criminalize panhandling, camping, and storage in downtown. But they also verbally exempted the sprawling homeless camp at the downtown library, due it being on County property, and due to the aforementioned plan for dismantling the camp through the "Community Court" project.

However, it is also worth noting that there was talking about the County themselves adopting tougher anti-camping laws that could have an impact on the future of the camp regardless.

The City has had very, very litle to say in public about homeless policy since the elections - but it was spelled out very well for those that could afford to spend 2 whole weekdays hanging out at the Women's Club. There's still a lot to unpack from what all this means for the future of the homeless residents of downtown Fort Lauderdale. But it seems clear, at this time, that the new Commission will not be much different that the old one when it comes to criminalizing homelessness.

Resist Homeless Hate Laws.