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Local resident urges county action on homelessness after state law, cites lack of shelter options
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Summary
Justin Ducasse, a Martin County native, told commissioners he and others are effectively criminalized by a state law that outlaws sleeping in public, urged designation of a camping area and asked the county to treat the situation as an emergency and civil‑rights concern.
During the public‑comment period, Justin Ducasse, who identified himself as a Martin County native and graduate of Martin County High School, appealed to the board for immediate help for people sleeping outdoors. He said House Bill 1365 (enacted in late 2025) has the practical effect of making sleeping in public illegal in many circumstances and that he had no available shelter options: “There are no shelters for me to sleep at tonight or any night. So, I have to commit a crime in order to go to sleep along with the hundreds of Martin County residents who do not have a house to sleep.”
Ducasse described the situation as “an emergency” and “a civil rights crisis,” urged the board to consider designating a camping area or similar interim measure, and said he had exhausted legal remedies though a federal lawsuit is pending. Chair and staff invited him to come forward to fill out a request‑to‑speak form and to be referred to county social‑services staff for follow‑up; Commissioner Vargas asked that the matter be referred to the county social services department for assistance.
The board did not take action on the comment during the meeting but commissioners acknowledged the social‑service pathway and directed staff to assist with referrals.
