Homeless advocates protest city of Miami’s treatment of the unsheltered. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOVEJUSTICE.COM

Miami Beach, Fla. – Protesting a Miami Beach ordinance that gives local police the authority to arrest homeless people camping out or sleeping in public places, the NAACP and the Miami Coalition of Advance Racial Equity are organizing a homeless solidarity sleepover in the barrier island.

The Stop Criminalization of Homelessness initiative is scheduled for Saturday, August 3 at 7 p.m. until Sunday, August 4 at 7 a.m., near Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive.

The sleepover is an effort by the two organizations to urge Miami Beach officials to rescind its anti-homeless law and address the root of the problem: lack of affordable housing.

Miami Beach was the first MiamiDade city to levy a penalty against homeless people for sleeping in the city’s public places including parks and under the facades of businesses.

Police can arrest them if they refuse to enter a homeless shelter.

Since Miami Beach’s law went into effect in 2023, several homeless people were reportedly arrested in Miami Beach and most individuals left the coastal city to avoid prosecution.

The NAACP South Dade Branch said in a statement to the South Florida Times that it stands firmly against the recent actions taken by Miami Beach authorities to criminalize homelessness within the city’s limits.

"This approach not only lacks compassion but also fails to address the causes of homelessness which include affordable housing shortages, mental health issues and economic instability," the NAACP said. "Homelessness is a social issue that requires comprehensive, human solutions. Criminalizing individuals for their lack of stable housing exacerbates their struggles and marginalizes them further from society. It is a policy that punishes the vulnerable rather than providing them with the necessary support to improve their circumstances."

The NAACP is urging Miami Beach officials to reconsider their stance and adopt policies that focus on support, rehabilitation and reintegration. "This includes increasing funding for affordable housing, expanding access to mental health services, and creating job opportunities that can help individuals regain their footing," the NAACP said.

The Miami Coalition of Advance Racial Equity said Miami Beach’s decision to pay for prisons for homeless people who can’t afford skyrocketing rental rates is unfair.

"Jails cost three times more on a daily basis than apartments, and criminal records make it harder to escape homelessness," the organization said in a statement. "And the homeless will be released from jails only to return back to Miami Beach and repeat this expensive and futile cycle."

City of Miami Beach officials didn’t respond to a request for an interview.

It’s unclear if the sleepover violates Miami Beach’s ordinance but the coalition is urging participants to have conversations about the legal risks with a Florida licensed attorney.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis was so impressed with Miami Beach’s effort to wipe out homelessness in public streets and parks that he backed legislation which forces governments statewide to do the same.

The state law will go into effect October 1, 2024.

In addition, starting in January 2025, residents, local business owners and the state attorney general can file lawsuits to prevent cities or counties from allowing homeless encampments on public property.

But the encampments might be allowed if local homeless shelters reach maximum capacity with provisions for sanitation and security.

The law was designed to improve access to services for issues like substance abuse and mental health problems while prioritizing public safety.

Homelessness advocates were hoping that the Supreme Court of the United States would ban governments from enforcing anti-camping laws including criminal laws against homeless people. But the highest court in the nation ruled on June 28 that governments can enact such laws in the case of City of Grants Pants, Oregon versus Johnson.

SCOTUS overturned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision that the law in Oregon was unconstitutional.

The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, which assists Miami-Dade County with resolving the homelessness issue by administering grants and overseeing operations and fiscal activities for more than 100 housing and services programs, said the Supreme Court’s ruling was a setback for people experiencing homelessness and trying to rebound.

"Banning people experiencing homelessness from camping outdoors will not solve homelessness," the Homeless Trust said in a statement. "We have seen legislation like this in our own community. You don’t solve homelessness by corralling people outdoors, pushing it to the community next door, or thrusting it onto the criminal justice system. Every one of those so-called solutions is impractical and a waste of taxpayer dollars. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach with real solutions. We need investment and coordination between every level of government, as well as the private sector."

Local governments are struggling to find housing solutions for the homeless population as they face a stiff penalty from the state if they don’t comply with Florida’s new law.

Broward has an estimated 10,000 homeless adults and the number of children is approaching 3,000, county officials said. An estimated 24 percent of Broward’s homeless have a mental health issue, which could contribute to a segment of the population refusing to leave the street, officials said.

Broward County administrators recently addressed a handful of Broward’s 31 cities to brainstorm what would be an “appropriate response” to what they called a “pretty devastating statute.”

With time running out to come up with the money to build new homeless shelters to accommodate people off the streets, county officials said they need “any and all ideas” for answers and there needs to be a “collective assessment” of what is still to come.

Miami-Dade and the Homeless Trust and other organizations are in the planning stages of finding more spaces for homeless people rather than arresting them.

Anyone interested in taking part in the sleepover in Miami Beach can visit bit.ly/aug3sleepover or call the NAACP South Dade Branch at 209-0195.