MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Treasure Coast nonprofit said they have growing concern over the impact of a new law surrounding homelessness.
Tent City Helper's President Gail Harvey told WPTV she's been seeing multiple homeless encampments around Martin County raided by law enforcement.
It comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis' bill prohibiting sleeping in public places took effect in October.
"We treat our dogs better than we treat our homeless people, and these are people's children, these are people's parents," said Harvey.
Harvey said at least 15 to 20 people she serves throughtout the county told her their camps or tents were removed by law enforcement, one of which was Bradly Borozny's, who said he recently became homeless.
"My father passed away, and I basically just lost everything financially," said Borozny via video, unable to meet with WPTV in-person. "Now, I have to find another place to hide a tent. I've just seen people surveying the roads, they're clearing the whole property."
WPTV's Kate Hussey took those concerns to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.
"We are absolutely going into homeless camps, which are on private property of individuals who own them and pay taxes," said Budensiek. "There are people in this county with real needs, and I am extremely compassionate to them. Those people that want help— we're going to help them."
Budensiek said his deputies always offer resources and rides to places that can help, like Love and Hope in Action (LAHIA) and other places that offer assistance to those in need.
However, he said not everyone wants the help, and pointed to a recent encampment his deputies had to clean up that accumulated debris and garbage. Budensiek said places like that can be hubs for alcohol abuse and crime.
"Critics will ask you if that's a proper use of taxpayer resources, what would you say to them?" asked Hussey.
"It absolutely is," Budensiek replied. "Again, my job is to protect both sides, the homeless people and the Martin County residents. And not addressing the issue — just turning a blind eye to it — letting them work the system however they want, doesn't work. It only gets worse."
The other facet here is Florida Senate Bill 1365, which prevents camping and sleeping in public. It took effect this past October.
The law requires counties and cities to come up with a congregant place for those experiencing homelessness to sleep.
If they don't, that municipality could be sued by a business or property owner affected by someone camping on or near the property.
The other alternative to is to arrest, or at least remove, anyone camping or sleeping in public before a complaint is filed.
Since Martin County has not created a congregant place for those without a home to go, removing campers from public places is the only option for Stuart Police Chief Joseph Tuminelli, who is currently writing up a policy for how his officers handle that.
"I don't want to arrest anybody for being homeless. I understand they have to sleep somewhere, but unfortunately the new law comes out and unfortunately, I have to follow the law," said Tuminelli. "The problem is this area doesn't have a shelter."
Last year's reportreleased by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found Martin, St Lucie and Indian River Counties had one of the highest rates of unsheltered people in the country compared to other suburban areas.
Recent numbersfrom the Treasure Cost Homeless Services Council show the number of homeless individuals on the Treasure Coast decreased slightly from 2023 to 2024.
However, the same report show less people who are homeless are able to find a shelter or a bed to sleep in.
In 2023, 29% of people who were homeless were able to find shelter, or unable to find a place to lay their head.
In 2024, only 19% of individuals were able to find shetler.
"Do you think this is a growing problem?" Hussey asked Harvey.
"It's definitely a growing problem," Harvey replied. "We've served 20 more people a week than we did last year."
Budensiek agreed the issue is complex, but said not interfering is not an option.
"[In encampments] it's not uncommon to find decomposed bodies, sexual assault, sexual abuse, we've had homicides so if we just allow them to do what they want to do and leave them alone, we see that it doesn't help the process," said Budensiek. "So, I'm not doing them a service and I'm certainly not doing a service to our Martin County residents who expect a certain quality of life."
A complex issue with not an easy fix, one Borozny captured well in a poem he wrote himself.
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"There I sit, lonely I get, alone by myself, I'm a wreck. My problems are huge, my loving is small, my heart tends to feel like a speck," reads Borozny. "The nicer I am to the people around me, it seems the meaner they are to me. Alone by myself, I got no one to tell, I wish this didn't have to be."
"[His poem] is a perfect example of how our homeless people have valuable assets for our county," said Harvey.
Harvey wrote a letter to commissioners, suggesting they turn the Martin County Fairgrounds here into a congregant place for people to camp, but a county spokesperson told us at this point, commissioners have no plans to create an encampment and aren't discussing Harvey's suggestion as an option, telling Hussey they instead plan to have people trespassed.
Budensiek also said he has safety concerns about creating an encampment in the county.
