Anti-Camping Law
The "Unauthorized Public Camping and Public Sleeping" bill became law on Tuesday. It prohibits camping on streets, sidewalks, and in parks. It also requires municipalities to develop designated public spaces to allow for camping, pending the approval of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Supporters of the bill argue it is necessary to combat a public health threat posed by skyrocketing numbers of unhoused in the region. In addition to a lack of addiction and mental health services, untenable housing costs are driving up the area’s unhoused population. Critics are concerned that arrests of unhoused Floridians will create more barriers to overcoming homelessness as well as placing a strain on law enforcement services.
Andrew Sullivan is an assistant professor in the School of Public Administration at UCF. With a team of faculty and student researchers, he developed The Collaborative for Homelessness Action, Research, and Transformation or CHART, a collaborative effort to gather data on homelessness and use it to connect dots to effective policies. Sullivan’s data analysis found a spike in arrests of Orlando homeless, beginning a year ago. He joins Engage to discuss his team’s findings, and how it correlates to the anti-camping law that went into effect this week.
New Laws Impact Alzheimer’s Patients
New state laws went into effect this week impacting people living with Alzheimer’s and the people who care for them. The Alzheimer’s Association of Florida reports more than 50,000 people living with the disease in Orange, Osceola, Lake, and Seminole counties combined. That number doubles to over 100,000 if you add in Brevard, Volusia, and Polk counties. One of the new related laws that went into effect October 1 involves training for law enforcement. It creates continuing education courses on dementia for officers, so they are equipped to handle encounters with people living with Alzheimer’s. A second law involves designating a diagnosis on motor vehicle registrations. During the application process, applicants can voluntarily indicate a disability or disorder including Alzheimer’s, so that information is readily available to law enforcement during an encounter. Jennifer Braisted is Director of Government Affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association in Florida. She joins Engage along with CherylAnn Haley, an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association and caregiver for her mother who was diagnosed in 2018. They discuss the real-world impact of the changes now in effect in Florida.
Homestead Tax Amendment
When Florida voters cast their ballot, they’ll be asked to weigh in on a number of Constitutional Amendments. The outcome of their vote on Amendment 5 could impact property taxes and what homeowners will pay in this state that’s experiencing skyrocketing home values. Amendment 5 would provide an annual adjustment for inflation for the value of the homestead property tax exemption. It’s worth noting that this does not include school district taxes. Dale Brill is Chief Policy Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Osceola County. The organization offers free courses to the public to teach people about homeownership, property taxes, and financial literacy. Brill joins Engage to break down the implications of Amendment 5.
Halloween’s Spooky History
For some, the most coveted time of year is the spooky season. Halloween inspires events around Central Florida from theme parks to trick or treating to haunted houses. At the History Center in Orange County, they’re uncovering the origins and evolution of our region’s scary and silly traditions that entice people to celebrate around Halloween. Historian Rachel Williams is presenting a lunch and learn event Friday, October 4, at noon focused on the history behind Central Florida’s spooky themed attractions and she joined Engage to talk about Halloween in Central Florida.
