Florida Homeless Seniors Face Constant Displacement Under Anti-Camping Policies

Florida’s anti-camping restrictions are reshaping what daily survival looks like for older adults experiencing homelessness in Brevard County. For Tina, 60, and Tony, 75, life on the streets has become a cycle of displacement, enforcement, and long waits for services that rarely materialize.

Both say they have repeatedly reached out for help, including through local resource lines.  “I called 211… they said they can’t help you,” Tina said, explaining that she has been homeless for six years after losing her home of twenty-five years when her husband died.

Florida’s 2024 public-camping law prohibits sleeping or resting on most public property unless counties create approved encampment zones—something few counties have done. Critics argue the policy effectively criminalizes homelessness rather than resolving underlying housing barriers. Florida’s anti-camping law (HB 1365)

Tina and Tony describe being confronted or removed from public spaces, even when they are simply resting. “You’re not allowed to stay on the streets of Melbourne… We can’t sleep anywhere,” Tony said. “All I want is to take a nap for a while.”

Their experience reflects broader statewide trends. Recent homelessness reports note that older adults now represent a growing share of Florida’s unsheltered population, with long waitlists, limited shelter capacity, and few specialized programs for seniors.

Florida homelessness data or report 2023

Tina says she has been repeatedly trespassed from parking lots throughout the county. “I’ve been trespassed… by every parking lot in Brevard County,” she said. According to both, police often wake them with flashlights during early morning hours and demand they move immediately, even in storms. “When it’s raining… they want us to go away,” Tina said. “We’re just sleeping.”

Tony says the pressure has only increased. “We can’t even lay down in the street and take a nap without getting harassed… anywhere,” he said.

Community advocates say the lack of shelter beds, the cost of housing, and the health challenges associated with aging on the street leave many seniors in an impossible situation. Efforts by volunteers and churches help, but cannot replace long-term housing solutions.
https://www.centralfloridahomeless.org/

For Tina, Tony, and their small dog, Lucas, the uncertainty is constant. Their story highlights the growing crisis facing older adults in Florida who are living unhoused—not by choice, but by circumstance—and increasingly pushed out of public view without a place to go.