This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in support of House Bill 1365. The bill, filed last month, would make it illegal for anyone to sleep or camp on public property without a permit if passed.

As it gains traction, local homelessness advocates here in Central Florida are voicing their concern, saying that there is nowhere for many people to go.

“For a two-bedroom apartment, fair market rent has gone up more than $600 dollars in the last five years, general accounting office tells us when the rent goes up $100 dollars you’ll have a 9% increase in people experiencing homelessness,” explained Martha Are, President of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida. “Since our shelters are full and we have not added additional sheltered in many many years, that means by default many of those people become unsheltered homeless.”

Are believes this bill would especially impact the mentally ill, youth, elderly and women with children.

Beverly Collins falls into one of those categories. She’s a mom of three, and rolls suitcases filled with everything they own that she brings to the Christian Service Center in Downtown Orlando nearly every day.

“I’ve been coming here since September, trying to get help,” Collins said. 

She’s been homeless since last April after being evicted, unable to keep up with rent after being hurt in a car accident and losing her job as a dishwasher. Now this is all she has to keep her family warm as they sleep on the streets.

“It’s hard, when its cold, I am like shivering,” Collins said. 

However, proposed legislation could soon make what Collins does illegal, as it would ban sleeping or camping on public property without a permit. That stirs up a lot of feelings for her.

“I feel pissed…because they haven’t been in our shoes. If you haven’t been in my shoes, you can’t tell me nothing,” Collins said. 

With shelters full, she feels like the street is the only option for her and her kids.

She knows it is not ideal as it keeps them out of school and makes her worry about their safety.

“Being on the street, don’t know where to go, don’t know what is going to happen if you go to sleep,” she said.

But the idea of losing that option worries her even more.

“Where is a good spot to lay?” Collins asked. 

As the bill is written, it would allow local governments to create areas for those experiencing homelessness to sleep, but it would need to have things like security and water, while not impacting anyone’s property values. Matha Are, the President of Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, does not think this is a good solution for people like Collins.

“If jurisdiction was able to find an area like that it would be in an area not connected to public transportation, it would not serve the population very well,” said Are. 

Collins is nervous about what could happen if this passes and instead hopes for more assistance in putting a roof over her head.

“Like me I’ve got two evictions, so it’s going to be hard to get a place," she said. "I feel like as long as I am trying to make those payments every month with you, you should be like, ‘I am going to look over that I understand that she needs a place, her children need a place, that is going to be hard.’”

In the meantime, she hopes the legislators and the community take more time to understand what those like her family are dealing with.

“I just want people to understand our situation,” Collins said. 

Are shared they are reaching out to legislators about this bill, making it clear that they’d like to assist them in making it better for everyone. She says it’s also crucial that any kind of legislation like this includes funding sources. If passed, it would go into effect on Oct. 1.