Florida has outlawed sleeping outside if there is shelter space available, giving residents the tools to sue their municipality for failing to uphold the law.
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Contributers
Mary Stewart
6 11 12 4 8
Florida Bans Camping In Public
Outdoor camping outlawed with the public given the power to sue the municipality
By Andrew Fraieli
Criminalizing Homelessness
Outlawing the necessary behaviors of the unhoused helps no one
By Mary Stewart
Stop Sarasota's Anti-Homelessness
Fines, fees and repercussions in Sarasota
By Mary Stewart
Shelters are obviously beneficial and necessary, but can also be strict and callous
By Mary Stewart
Clark's Story
A man who loved the outdoors, his friends, and his family
By Mary Stewart
Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli
Inever wanted to be homeless, nor have I ever met another homeless person who woke up one day and decided that it would be cool to sleep outside.
But still, some people believe that homelessness is a choice and that it's just a way to avoid going to work and handling responsibilities.
That couldn't be further from the truth, and yet there are anti-homeless laws and ordinances everywhere.
The cost of living has become so high that many people who have jobs and homes are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. And for some of us, the rental rates are beyond our reach completely.
Palm Beach County, along with multiple others, specifically bans sleeping in public adding to the risk of being charged with trespassing every time we sleep or hang out in a public place. We've also faced fines or arrest for panhandling.
Although there are few resources in Palm Beach County, and the community is far from being homelessfriendly, I must say that it’s a little better than other areas. For instance, Fort Lauderdale has previously attempted to enforce ordinances banning not only sleeping but storing belongings in public.
These laws are meant to deter homeless people from existing, but have little effect as they do nothing to help get us off the streets. We're still stuck sleeping on a park bench either way. All the anti-homeless laws do is place us at risk of occasionally spending a night in a holding cell, or being charged a fine that we can't afford to pay.
If we could afford to live in a nice apartment, we'd be in one. It's not like we can just say, “Oh, there's a panhandling ban and a ban on sleeping in public, so I better land a good paying job and start looking for an apartment.”
We can start taking steps in that direction, but we didn't get in this situation overnight and it's going to take
time for us to get our lives back together. Additionally, many of us have barriers to self-sufficiency, such as a disability or credit and background issues.
It's harder than people think to go from chronic homelessness to gainful employment and stable housing.
Even though the minimum wage has increased in Florida over the past few years, most retail and restaurant jobs are only part-time positions without benefits. It's also becoming hard to land a job at Walmart or McDonald's as those types of businesses have begun to rely heavily on self-checkout.
I have an Associates degree and have tried to get hired as a receptionist or office assistant. For the most part, I have the skills and qualifications to do the job, but my applications were repeatedly denied because I have little office experience. My suspended drivers license and criminal record were also an issue.
Speaking honestly, a homeless person can easily come up with a million excuses as to why they haven't gotten a job and a place to live. Some of those excuses are indeed a bunch of bologna, others truly reflect how difficult it is to get back on your feet after years of homelessness.
My point is that anti-homeless laws do little to nothing to combat homelessness. We may take the Tri-Rail to another spot where the laws are more lax or try to get into a shelter, but we're still going to be homeless nevertheless.
These anti-homeless laws only perpetuate homelessness and make it even harder to get on our feet. When we're charged fines that are held against our license or arrested for being homeless, the resulting license suspension and criminal record inhibits us from getting a good job or renting an apartment. These laws defeat their own purpose — they are counterproductive and unfair.
Just imagine if it were a crime to not have a car. If that were so, you'd probably say that the law isn't fair and that you currently can't afford a car, or that yours is in the shop. You may complain that the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle has become too expensive.
All the antihomeless laws do is place us at risk of occasionally spending a night in a holding cell or being charged a fine that we can't afford to pay.
The same thing is happening when the authorities criminalize homelessness. It's not like we want to sleep outside and pitch tents on properties that we don't own, or sleep in plazas making it bad for business. We simply can't afford the cost of moving into and maintaining an apartment.
Should we face fines or arrest for being poor?
I have numerous panhandling citations that are being held against my license as well as court costs for trespassing, open container, and criminal traffic charges — I was told to stop panhandling on the offramp and didn't obey the order. As a result, I owe Palm Beach County about $5,000.
I'm not alone in this either. Most of my friends also owe thousands of dollars in fines and court costs for homeless-related charges. They also have criminal records either partially or wholly caused by homelessness.
Initially, Florida was holding fines for ordinance violations against people's drivers licenses. Then, a few years ago, the ACLU and Southern Legal Counsel filed a lawsuit on behalf of a homeless man in Ocala whose license was suspended due to unpaid court fees on two ordinance violation cases. The judge ruled that licenses can only be suspended due to criminal acts, not ordinance violations. Almost 13,000 people had their driver's licenses reinstated as a result of this case.
Although that lawsuit was a huge win for homeless
On the contrary, antihomeless laws only further contribute to continued homelessness and make it even harder to get on our feet.
people who've had their license suspended for ordinance violations, it still isn't enough for many of us. If we receive traffic citations for panhandling or are criminally charged with trespassing for sleeping outside — which is a misdemeanor — those court fees are still held against our licenses.
Some jobs require applicants to have a valid driver's license, others simply ask that you have reliable transportation. For the most part, the Palm Tran bus will get you to and from work, but your availability will be limited. It also goes without saying that you can usually get a better job if you have a license.
Most homeless-related criminal charges are minor offenses — misdemeanors and ordinance violations. I doubt that they'd be considered serious enough to disqualify a person from a job or rental apartment unless they also had felony convictions. But it definitely doesn't look good on applications.
My husband lives in South Carolina where they may have found a solution to this issue. They call it Homeless Court. In Spartanburg, South Caralina, homeless people are not fined for homeless-related offenses and the conviction doesn't go on their record. Instead, they are referred to social services and ordered to a diversion program to get help.
I think this approach is more effective. We really shouldn't be bothered at all for sleeping outside, panhandling, stashing our belongings, etc. But I acknowledge that some housed people complain about us and that some homeless people make it bad for the rest. Something has to be done.
At the same time, if the resources just aren't available or we face too many barriers to self-sufficiency, there shouldn't be consequences for sleeping outside. Believe me, if I could afford a condo, that's where I'd be sleeping tonight.
The National Coalition for the Homeless once named Sarasota as one of the meanest cities towards the homeless. While the city continues to have strict anti-homeless ordinances, so far, I wouldn't describe Sarasota as overly mean.
I just moved to Sarasota to escape domestic abuse and try something different as Palm Beach County obviously wasn't working for me. I was able to temporarily stay with my friend, Deb, but will soon be seeing firsthand exactly how mean Sarasota truly is — or isn’t.
Photo illustration by Andrew Fraieli
What was impossible not to notice while downtown were the signs stating that it's against the law to store belongings in public. After struggling with chronic homelessness for many years, I knew quickly how problematic this type of ordinance can be for the homeless.
To be fair, I do realize that maintenance workers get tired of discarding belongings that they come across. Most of the time, homeless people naturally hide their stuff out of the public eye to prevent theft, but their stash spot could sometimes interfere with lawn care. Also, the homeless may go to jail, a shelter, or a treatment center and leave their belongings behind. Or their stuff could get mildewed from the rain and need to be replaced. Then, it's up to maintenance to clean up the mess in the bushes.
But it's not like we have many places to keep our stuff, especially if we don't have a camp. I've seen homeless people in Sarasota toting huge duffel bags on their backs or pushing around shopping carts full of their belongings. One guy was really creative: he had a cart attached to the back of his bicycle containing everything he owned.
However, you can't go to a job interview carrying large bags or pushing a buggy. Half the time, restaurants won't even let you in! It's unreasonable to expect the homeless to carry all their personal property wherever they go.
Fortunately, there are a few better alternatives. Sarasota does have the Salvation Army shelter and from my past experiences with shelters, I know that they'll usually offer clients a locker. There's also the Resurrection House day center for the homeless. Day centers sometimes have storage rooms or lockers where homeless people can keep their stuff.
If local homeless centers don't currently offer those options, I'd strongly advise them to do so. Alternatively, you can split the cost of a small storage unit with another homeless friend. Speaking of friends, a lot of formerly homeless people in Sarasota now have HUD apartments — housing supplied by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you have a friend who's gotten off the streets, you can ask them to hold your stuff for you.
As far as panhandling goes, my friends tell me they get two warnings when panhandling in the medians in Sarasota, so they usually stick to the sidewalks instead where the money isn't all that good. Sarasota's reasoning behind panhandling bans is eerily similar to Palm Beach County’s — the city feels it's a safety issue. Both specify the term “aggressive panhandling” in county and city ordinances which includes following, touching, or “persistently” asking someone for money after they’ve said no.
Recently, Sarasota came up with a new way to try to deter panhandlers: banning sitting and laying on sidewalks during the daytime and evening. This ordinance has been criticized by homeless advocates for targeting homeless panhandlers.
However, the Sarasota City Attorney Robert Fournier explained to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that the ordinance is to help safety on crowded sidewalks by keeping them unobstructed. I can't speak to what their true intentions are, but I will say I've never panhandled while laying down.
Sarasota is also infamous for their previous ordinance against camping and sleeping in public which led to many homeless people being arrested. In 2015, the ACLU filed a class action lawsuit against the City of
Sarasota's reasoning behind panhandling bans is eerily similar to Palm Beach County’s — the city feels it's a safety issue.
Sarasota on behalf of six homeless people over its unconstitutional anti-homeless laws.
The case concluded with Sarasota agreeing to add 10 more beds to the only shelter in town — the Salvation Army, which the ACLU found to have exceeded its maximum capacity on 235 nights in 2015 alone — requiring police to offer someone sleeping outside a ride to the shelter in lieu of being arrested, and that if the shelter is full, the city must provide alternative arrangements before enforcing the ordinance.
A few years ago, my friend Clark told me that all the homeless people were sleeping at the downtown library without having any issues. Also, panhandlers do get run off the sidewalks but I haven't seen any arrests so far, and I know a few people who are still happily camping.
I’ve noticed many people who have managed to overcome homelessness here in Sarasota. My friend Deb was panhandling one day when a police officer hooked her up with the Homeless Outreach Team who helped her get an apartment. There are some good programs here, but the waiting lists are insanely long.
Even if the city of Sarasota and its surrounding areas are focusing more on housing the homeless and less on making arrests, the days of camping out in Florida may sadly be coming to an end.
Florida's statewide camping ban is set to go into effect in October. Local areas throughout the state will no longer be able to permit public camping or even sleeping outside in public — unless you have a car. However, municipalities are supposed to set up large encampments for when shelters are full.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a high appeals court that has legal coverage over Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, already found in 2018 that arresting someone for sleeping in public when there is no shelter to be cruel and unusual punishment.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 22 for a similar case — Johnson v. Grants Pass — that could determine that precedent for the entire country. It's yet to be seen whether Florida will be forced to repeal their state law in response.
These various camping bans specifically target the homeless population and interfere with our freedoms. But unless the new Florida-wide law is overturned, I strongly urge the homeless to start getting on the waiting lists for housing now or prepare for relocation. I'm currently on the waiting list for the Salvation Army transitional program. The facility offers several different programs including emergency shelter and homeless outreach. However, some of their programs charge a daily fee and there's a waiting list for services. Alternatively, there's the Center for Assisted and Supportive Living that offers both assisted living facilities and independent living apartments. Sarasota also provides subsidized HUD funded apartments for chronically homeless people with disabilities, but I was told there's a thousand people on that waiting list.
Even though you may be able to find somewhere else to stash your belongings, it isn't always easy to find a place to lay your head. And it's ridiculous that they charge a fee for emergency shelter, yet don't want people panhandling.
It's well worth seeking out a longer term solution whether it's getting on the list for transitional housing or moving to a state that's more affordable, then you won't need to worry about where to store your belongings. And in the meantime, whatever you do, don't panhandle while sitting or laying down.
Photo illustrationbyAndrewFraieli
By Andrew Fraieli
As of the new year, Florida residents, business owners and the state’s Attorney General will be able to bring a civil lawsuit against a town or county if someone is sleeping outside on public property.
Reminiscent of Texas’ abortion law allowing anyone to sue anyone else for performing, aiding or intending to aid in an abortion, the bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in March encourages the public to hold Florida municipalities accountable to state law.
Florida has been one of the three states with the highest rate of homelessness for decades, with town after town like Ocala, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota trying to criminalize homelessness through anti-panhandling laws and banning urban camping. But these laws are well known to experts as only exacerbating the issue for both the municipality and those who are homeless, with each eventually being amended or altogether appealed after lawsuits.
And yet, Florida has taken the broad step of banning urban camping statewide as the Supreme Court hears an unrelated case that could decide whether Florida’s law is even constitutional.
Continued on next page.
Internment Camps
More than an avenue for accountability lawsuits, the state law provides a legal mechanism for municipalities — towns, cities, counties — to create designated camping areas on municipal land for up to one year, requiring bathrooms, running water and substance abuse and mental health services be available.
DeSantis cited a commitment to “law and order” in a statement, “while also ensuring homeless individuals have the resources they need to get back on their feet.” But opponents to the legislation say the law does not solve homelessness at all, but hide it.
“It's pretty clear that this law doesn't seem to be intending to make homelessness better. It's actually intending to remove unhoused people and put them out of sight so that the public does not witness the political failings of the elected leaders who passed this law,” Antonia Fasanelli, the Executive Director of the National Homelessness Law Center told the Homeless Voice. She elaborated that the state law essentially is intending to make internment camps for the homeless.
Executive Director Martha Are of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida brings up the concern of cost to the municipalities in an Orlando Sentinel column. But, even as DeSantis touts the services aspect of the new law, it also provides an exception for counties that feel the cost would be a “financial hardship,” exempting them from providing bathrooms or running water, any substance abuse of mental health services, and any security by law enforcement.
It is strict, though, in its criteria in creating and where to allow these designated camping areas.
The municipality must majority vote for its creation, request certification from the Department of Children and Families through proving there are not sufficient open beds in shelters, also prove the property picked “would not adversely and materially affect the property value or safety and security of other existing residential or commercial property in the county or municipality” and “would not negatively affect the safety of children.”
Are believes this segment of the law will lead to designated areas being in an industrial area without public transport or access to jobs or other services.
“No one is served well if people experiencing homelessness lose their job so that a city or county can comply with this legislation,” she wrote.
Private Attorney Generals
Florida’s law also gives people the power to hold municipalities accountable through civil lawsuits if people are found sleeping outside while there is shelter space. This is a tactic that seems unprecedented to Fasanelli.
“I don't know whether it's an abdication of its own governmental responsibilities to respond to societal concerns or a triggering of hostile actions,” which includes litigation, she explained. She describes the law as a way of transferring a typical governmental responsibility — addressing homelessness in this case — onto the public, making people what she calls “private attorneys general.”
The municipality has only five days to remedy any situation they are made aware of like someone sleeping in a shopping plaza, a scene that Mary Stewart, a Homeless Voice contributor and Boca Raton native
who has been homeless on and off for almost 20 years, says is already often reported to police.
“The people sleeping in plazas, if they're still there when the business opens in the morning, then usually the cops get called,” she said. Even sitting and reading a book in a shopping plaza would have police approaching her due to calls from the public reporting her being there. “We had to stay out of sight out of mind.”
Repeals and modifications to similar city and county ordinances criminalizing sleeping outside have been successful in the past, due mostly to the 2018 case of Martin v. Boise heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which deemed repercussions for sleeping outside when there is no available shelter to be cruel and unusual punishment.
Fasanelli points out that there is not enough shelter in cities like Orlando, otherwise people like Stewart wouldn’t be sleeping in the plazas.
According to the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are almost 31,000 people experiencing homelessness in Florida as of January 2023 — the third highest population of any state. As one example, The Homelessness Services Network of Central Florida found that there were 1,626 people experiencing homelessness in Orange County, which bulky consists of Orlando, a fifth of which were unsheltered.
“Unless communities across Florida very, very quickly, open up tens of thousands of shelter beds, or create affordable housing units, it's really questionable whether the state of Florida is going to even be able to enforce this law, whether the public is going to be able to enforce this,” she said.
Across the Nation
Florida is not unique in their statewide camping ban.
After the Austin City Council lifted their own encampment ban, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a statewide ban two years later in 2021 with some similar provisions as Florida’s: law enforcement has to try to direct people to local resources, and the city would need approval from Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs before using a public area for encampments.
Advocates and people experiencing homelessness themselves have said that criminalizing does not resolve being homeless.
Stewart has been fined from panhandling and sleeping outside repeatedly, and said she has about $5,000 in fines held against her license stopping her from transporting herself to a job, making it more difficult to get out of the rut of sleeping outside. And Fasanelli blames the lack of affordable housing as a root cause of homelessness, which she says this state law does not help.
But on April 22 the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case called Johnson v. Grants Pass — a case that could nullify Florida’s new law anyways, or overwrite Martin v. Boise and uphold the law.
Martin v. Boise held that cities could not use punitive measures to punish the unhoused when there was no available shelter, clearing the way to force some states to reform their laws. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court in 2022 but the body declined to hear the case.
Johnson v. Grants Pass started as a lawsuit filed by people experiencing homelessness in Grants Pass,
Oregon alleging that the city fining them for sleeping outside was, similar to Martin v. Boise, cruel and unusual punishment. After five years of litigation and appeals, the Supreme court decided to hear the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass, and its opinion is expected by June.
Fasanelli explained that the Supreme Court’s opinion could go many ways. It could affirm the precedent that “if you do not have enough places for people to go, you cannot punish them,” or the court could agree on some parts and not others. “So it's truly a wait and see,” she said.
Depending on how much the Supreme Court agrees with the 9th Circuit's opinion, it could force Florida to repeal their recent law. Or, in the end, affirm it. “It frankly, is bad policy. It's a very poorly thought out law and it's a very harmful and aggressive law,” Fasanelli said. “And ultimately what it does is it penalizes people who have done nothing wrong simply because they live their lives in public spaces. And the elected officials don't want that to be seen anymore.”
It's pretty clear that this law doesn't seem to be intending to make homelessness better. It's actually intending to remove unhoused people and put them out of sight so that the public does not witness the political failings of the elected leaders who passed this law.
Good Food, Bad Food, Warm Bed, Tight Beds
Staying at shelters have immense benefits, like getting a break from the outdoors, but can also be callous and restrictive.
By Mary Stewart
The State of Florida is in the process of banning public camping and lodging in public as a whole.
Homeless Floridians will soon be forced to move into large state-run campgrounds — unless they manage to get a bed in a homeless shelter. Overall, shelters have a bad reputation amongst the homeless. Many of us prefer to camp out rather than deal with strict rules and a large group of other homeless people who we don't know and trust.
When I moved to Sarasota, I had nowhere to go. A friend lives in the city, but I knew I could only stay with them temporarily because she's in housing from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. Since I'm on a Supplemental Security Income check, she said that I'd also qualify for HUD and that the Homeless Outreach Team, or HOT Team, program at the Salvation Army in town could help me get a voucher.
I went down to the Salvation Army and filled out an application for services. They told me that there was a waiting list and that a caseworker would call me. I was also informed that they have an emergency shelter program — also with a waiting list — that could provide me with three free days of shelter. Afterwards, I’d have to pay a daily fee of $10 to $15 per day to stay in the shelter.
On my way out the door, a man stopped me and explained that there's already 1,000 people on the waiting list for HUD in Sarasota and that priority goes to chronically homeless Sarasota residents. He said that I couldn't just show up from Palm Beach and expect help. He also told me that my SSI isn't enough to afford housing in Sarasota as even a shared room costs $850 per month.
The lucky ones who have managed to get a bed at the Salvation Army had mostly good reports about
the programs, though. I met a couple of people who went through the shelter’s substance abuse program and were very grateful for the help they received. I've also heard that the food is good. My friend's neighbor went through their HOT Team program and now has a beautiful HUD apartment.
I've had a few personal experiences with shelters. I recall one time when I did a phone assessment with the Lewis Center in West Palm Beach. My husband started screaming at me while I was talking to the navigator, so she sent the police to my camp to take me to the shelter immediately. I mistakenly thought they had a bed for me in their program. I was wrong. They only took me in for three days for an assessment and then placed me on the waiting list for Housing First.
My three days at the Lewis Center were a little boring but a much needed break from the streets. They put me in a room with three beds divided by partitions for privacy and gave me a locker nearby to securely store my belongings. The facility was clean and there was a small sitting area with a TV. Aside from that, there wasn't much to do.
Back then, they were serving the same food as the county jail and it was cold by the time it reached the shelter. I chose to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for three days instead because of how bad the food was. Fortunately, I've heard that's changed. Overall, the Lewis Center wasn't a bad place. I wish I would've been able to stay longer. On the other hand, I was getting antsy. After many years of homelessness, I wasn't used to being cooped up inside. From my understanding, though, residents of their program can go out and look for a job, but I was only there for an assessment.
I've also been to a few shelters in Kentucky and South Carolina. At Miracle Hill in South Carolina, the facility
was clean and we each had evening chores and had to participate in a nightly Bible study. We were also required to go to church every week, but the food was delicious.
I had my son with me at the time, so I was in the family section where the shelter provided a crib and a locker. I was only there for a month before moving into a trailer. I have nothing but good things to say about their program. There are, however, some downsides to living in a homeless shelter in general.
Most of the shelters that I went to in Kentucky were also clean and well-run and had good food, but one shelter had beds that were only a foot away from one another and the food was terrible.
I quickly learned to eat at the downtown soup kitchen and only come back there at night for my warm bed. To say the place was chaotic is an understatement, but I was able to find a cozy chair in a corner where I could read a book and mentally escape. And that's the stereotypical view of homeless shelters.
One of the most common reasons why homeless people are reluctant to go to shelters is the fear of their belongings being stolen. However, I've been given a locker at most shelters and have never had a problem with theft in a shelter. Rather, my stuff has been stolen on the streets and in halfway houses.
Another common excuse is the rules. Shelters do have curfews. I was personally kicked out of a domestic violence shelter for missing curfew and can imagine some homeless shelters being just as strict. Also, many shelters prohibit substance abuse — you can get kicked out for drinking a beer. But if you have a substance abuse problem, some shelters offer programs to help with that issue.
A very valid reason why some homeless people refuse to go to a shelter is the cost. Some shelters are federally funded or run solely off of charitable donations, but others charge a fee. I don't know how the Sarasota Salvation Army expects a homeless person to come up with $15 per day, especially when panhandling is illegal in the county.
The transitional housing programs that The Lewis Center refers you to are sometimes expensive as well. Other shelters I've been to have charged $5 per day or $25 per week but gave you time to get a job before requesting payment.
But my biggest complaint with shelters is dealing with different personalities.
I have emotional problems and some people simply don't understand. I've often been bullied by other residents and have even had verbal disagreements with staff which has resulted in me being kicked out of the homeless shelters in Kentucky.
That's why I prefer camping out. But soon that will no longer be an option in Florida due to it’s newly passed state law banning it. If you're homeless in Florida, I strongly suggest getting on the waiting list for your local shelter now or preparing to relocate.
For the most part, the idea of the municipal-run encampments that the new state law requires, with bathrooms, security, and access to resources, doesn't sound that bad. But I don't trust it. It feels like we’re being rounded up, and I'm sure many homeless people would agree.
I'll definitely miss the freedom of camping out, but shelters aren't usually as bad as you may think. However, there are rules and personality clashes to deal with — and of course, the insanely long waiting lists.
Clark's Story
By Mary Stewart
There are certain people that touch your life and leave a lifelong impact. My friend Clark was such a person.
Clark’s grandparents came to the U.S. from Trinidad and Barbados, with Clark himself spending most of his childhood in Florida aside from briefly living in Georgia. He came from a Catholic family as one of five children with a father who owned a construction company and instilled a strong work ethic in his kids. Clark loved the beaches and practically lived in his swim trunks.
It may be hard to believe that a free-spirited surfer boy from a good family in Venice, Florida would become homeless, but it wasn't surprising to his family.
Although Clark always had people who would take him in, he preferred living a simple life outdoors, perfectly content sleeping underneath a blanket of stars. He once told me, “God gave us all a home. It's called Earth.” He never understood why people would spend their entire lives working just so they could live between drywall. Homelessness can happen to anyone — even a young man from a well-to-do family. But few people understand choosing a life on the streets. Having come from money myself, I understood that there's more important things in life than material possessions. In that way, Clark and I were kindred spirits.
Clark's niece, Michele, recounts how her uncle was always a lot of fun.
“As a child, he'd throw socks at the ceiling fan and one time, he opened the minivan door while we were driving and started skateboarding while holding onto the van,”she said. “At age 18, he skateboarded all the way from Florida to Oklahoma.”
Even though Clark didn't believe in paying rent, bills, and taxes, he wasn't lazy. His long term girlfriend Deb describes him as a bouncer — he could never sit still. His niece agrees that he was a hard worker and held many jobs throughout the U.S. I've personally never seen him turn down a job offer.
Clark was humble enough to go out and panhandle when he needed to though, never afraid to ask for help. He was tall and skinny and said that he had the “hungry look,” making him good money panhandling, but that never interfered with his willingness to go to work.
I first met Clark in West Palm Beach when he was still dating his ex-girlfriend. Bubbly and talkative, he was always the life of the party. He had a kind, pure heart and was one of the most humble and grateful people that I've ever met.
Clark spoke highly of a daughter from a previous relationship that he made sure was well taken care of, but said he stayed out of her life for her best interest. He knew that he lived a wild alternative lifestyle and didn't want to be a negative influence on her.
In alignment with his unselfish nature, Clark gave his youngest two children up for private adoption and told everyone that God had a hand in the process and his kids were well cared for. His decision gave me the courage to also choose private adoption for my youngest two kids. If it hadn't been for Clark, I doubt that I could've ever made that decision.
Clark also made a lifelong impact on his long-term girlfriend Deb who he had plans to marry. Deb has bachelor's degrees in psychology and accounting. She was always an indoor girl and a huge animal lover. But her entire life was shattered when the bank foreclosed on her house and her former husband ended his life as he couldn't bear to live without money and a home. That's when she met Clark. After he broke up with his
ex, their relationship blossomed despite having to move into a tent in West Boca — a far cry from the lifestyle that Deb was accustomed to.
“Those two years of homelessness were the worst two years of my life. There's no way that I would've survived without Clark,” Deb recalls.
I never could tell that Deb was unhappy while homeless. My camp was only a few yards from her and Clark. She was always smiling, reading her books, panhandling, spending time at the library, and feeding Rocky the racoon. And she and Clark ate very well every night, cook-outs were the central part of our social life.
One particular cookout is still embedded in the memories of our crowd. Clark was grilling barbecue
ribs and our friend Cowboy forgot to take the lid off the can of baked beans before putting them on the grill. The beans, ribs, and everything went flying. It was hilarious! I remember another cookout long before that one where we were all grilling pork chops outside an abandoned Denny's restaurant. Someone called the cops and they busted out laughing and said we looked like we were lounging on the beach or something. We had to move the get-together behind the wall, but still had a great time.
Our BBQ had been around Christmas and also Clark's ex’s birthday. I received a $100 Walmart gift card and bought gifts for everyone including a huge pack of AAA batteries for Clark who loved his music and had earned
Photos courtesy of Mary Stewart
the nickname Triple A. He was extremely grateful for that special celebration, just as he was grateful for all the small pleasures of life.
Clark loved the outdoors, but he loved his Debbie even more. One day he got a job offer from a highschool buddy on the West Coast and took Deb with him. He saved up the money to rent an apartment where he lived with Deb, another friend, and their beloved dog Georgie for three years before returning to his wilder lifestyle.
Deb managed to get another apartment through the U.S Department for Housing and Urban Development and allowed Clark the freedom to live his life. Their love for each other never fizzled. They just loved each other enough to let go. Deb knew she couldn't change Clark so she let him be himself. He always knew where home was. That is, until the day he had a massive heart attack and didn't make it home.
He could've had a nice home, a great job, and all the bells and whistles in life, but instead chose to live a humble, simple life. He knew that you didn't need to be confined to walls and have a bunch of possessions to be happy. Clark knew that true happiness comes from within.
In Clark's memory, his niece Michele hopes to one day open Clark's Closet to provide homeless people with items that are often overlooked, such as tents, air mattresses, propane stoves, and lots and lots of batteries.
We can all learn something from Clark. It really doesn't matter if you live in a drywall house or a vinyl tent or if you just lay a blanket out on the beach at night. It also doesn't matter whether you have a nice car or ride your skateboard everywhere. All it takes to be happy is some good music, good food, and good friends. Clark's life is
At his funeral service, Clark's relative felt in her heart that Clark wanted them to play Rod Stewart. The song “Forever Young” fits him perfectly as he knew how to be young at heart in spite of natural aging. He always loved being active and riding his bike and skateboard, telling me once that he wanted to bike across the U.S. But Clark leaves an even deeper legacy.
He could've had a nice home, a great job, and all the bells and whistles in life, but instead chose to live a humble, simple life.
