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Fort Lauderdale expands enforcement, outreach and plans municipal processing site under new camping law
Summary
City staff described recent ordinance changes that implement the state—mandated camping ban, described outreach and shelter funding, and outlined plans for a municipal processing facility and diversion program to handle people who refuse services.
Fort Lauderdale public officials reported progress implementing a local ordinance aligned with Florida Senate Bill/House Bill 1365 that bans overnight camping on public property and described new staffing and program changes meant to reduce unsheltered encampments and connect people with services.
City staff said the city adopted a local ordinance to comply with the state law and then extended the prohibition in some locations. "Our ordinance, though, extends that to prohibiting that activity at any time of the day," staff member Chris said, describing the law's definition of camping and the city—s enforcement progression.
Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said the city is seeing high public concern about safety and quality of life tied to unsheltered activity, and they are balancing enforcement with service connections. Staff reported $12 million budgeted for homelessness-related programs in fiscal 2025 and described both general fund and grant-funded spending (about $2.5 million from general fund and roughly $9.4 million in state and federal entitlement grants).
The city described a four-step enforcement progression for camping reports: (1) engagement and information; (2) referral to services; (3) notice to appear for community court; (4) municipal ordinance enforcement up to possible arrest (the latter is limited by the county sheriff—s current policy). Chris said that since October 1 the city received about 383 service requests tied to the ordinance and averages two inspections per service request, typically closing within the five-day timeframe required by state law.
Staff and commissioners also discussed a planned municipal processing facility (described by staff as a "municipal processing" or transitional site rather than a traditional jail) to hold or triage people who repeatedly violate camping and other municipal ordinances and who decline services. "The goal isn't to make it a municipal jail ... more a wraparound service type facility to help intervene and try to get folks with those services to help them who are chronically homeless," a staff speaker said. Commissioners pressed staff for detail about: whether the facility would hold people overnight, capacity, whether people would be held voluntarily or involuntarily, how long stays could be, and what oversight or medical care would be provided on-site. Staff said design and operational details remain under development and promised a timetable.
Shelter capacity and transitions: Staff said the community has roughly 774 shelter beds spread across the Central HACC, North HACC and Salvation Army and noted capacity constraints and temporary reductions at some providers because of capital work. The city also contracts with a county task-force provider to move people from the streets into shelter and reported a range of new grant awards, including funding for 20 shelter beds dedicated to the city, 10 mental-health beds and 10 substance use treatment beds from a HUD-like program, and a new grant for non-congregate shelter options. The city funds a 20-bed placement at the Caring Place in Hollywood and is acquiring additional clinical and case-managed beds.
Enforcement limits: Commissioners were told Broward County Sheriff's Office policy currently refuses to accept municipal ordinance arrestees into the county jail for municipal ordinance violations; the county accepts some arrests under county ordinance and accepts violent offenders. City staff said the city is pursuing either an interlocal agreement with the county for jail beds or building a city holding/processing capacity as an alternative. Staff reported retaining an existing police headquarters space previously used as a jail and working on designs to repurpose that space for triage and short-term holding tied to diversion and treatment routes.
What commissioners directed: They asked staff to keep pursuing design and operating timetables for the municipal processing option, to continue multi-agency coordination to reduce hospital- and jail-related discharges to the street, and to return with cost and capacity estimates for the proposed facility and for ongoing shelter/operational funding needs.
Ending: Staff emphasized that the city will keep pairing enforcement with outreach and referral: officers and outreach teams continue to engage people, refer willing clients to services and pursue community court or diversion options when necessary.
