Two brothers who survived in a Miami park fear impending attacks on the homeless

MIAMI – On a hot August day all too familiar to Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, people stay home to listen to the sweet premiere of A/C. With no shade, the two brothers continue to play basketball at a local park. After sweating profusely and playing a one-on-one game to 11, they sat on a coral wall at Peacock Park in Miami and began eating from a box of snacks. Happy leftovers from a child’s birthday party.

Khalib and Elijah Carter, 20 and 22, have been homeless for four years. They had just reached adulthood when they became homeless and drove an SUV from their native Philadelphia to Miami in search of income and a better life. They ended up living in their car.

“After our aunt kicked us out of Philadelphia, we went to Miami because our friend said he had a job for us,” said Elijah Carter, the oldest brother.

Looking for job opportunities in the area, they commuted to work by car to various warehouses. After they had an accident with a vehicle that destroyed their car and their only shelter, they were forced to take to the streets.

As of October 1, a new law in Florida will make it illegal for siblings to sleep in public places anymore. Under the upcoming legislation, counties will not be allowed to allow public sleeping or camping. Signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, House Bill 1365titled “Unauthorized Camping and Sleeping in Public Places,” was passed on March 20 and appears to primarily target homeless Floridians who sleep in public parks.

READ MORE: Since the new law was introduced, the number of arrests of homeless Miami-Dade residents has skyrocketed

“This (bill) applies to everyone. This is the outside world, this is the Earth we live on,” said Khalib Carter, the younger brother. “Urbanization leads to bills being passed where people can’t feel comfortable being outside.”

Many counties and cities already have public ordinances prohibiting sleeping in parks, including: Deerfield Beach AND Ft. Lauderdale. The effectiveness of these ordinances remains unknown as homeless individuals continue to seek shelter in public spaces in these areas.

According to the City of Miami, encampments on public lands are prohibited and may contain fabrics or other materials intended for residential or residential purposes.

This regulation uses language similar to Florida’s comprehensive bill, which would likely result in similar situations occurring across the state.

The two brothers still haven’t found permanent housing and often sleep on blanket-covered benches in parks where city ordinances apply. They take turns sleeping and exercising, so one sibling is awake all the time.

“While I was sleeping, a policeman came up to us and told us we couldn’t stay,” Elijah said. “If you take a picnic blanket to the park, it’s fine, but when we spread it out, we get kicked out.”

They still choose to sleep in these parks, despite city of Miami ordinances, because it is much safer for them than in other areas of Miami.

Under the new law, homeless people camping in public places, including sidewalks and parks, will be moved to temporary shelters under the supervision of law enforcement who will monitor them. This can place a burden on police departments that may not have the resources to effectively implement this law in their districts. It is also unknown how many such temporary shelters will be created.

The new law authorizes the Department of Children and Families to oversee local governments that seek to designate designated areas for temporary homeless camps. It is still unclear how often public places will be designated for homeless people, it depends on the decisions of individual counties at the local level.

The Miami-Dade Police Department already enforces the city’s ordinance, but also plans to enforce Florida’s upcoming statute. However, according to their statement, the department will monitor its impact once it goes into effect.

“The details of the agreement and the implications of its ratification continue to be monitored and evaluated by our department,” Detective Andre D. Martin told MediaLab.

Both brothers expect police officers to enforce the new law.

“Becoming a police officer, you have so much on your plate. Waking up people who are sleeping isn’t really your main concern,” said Khalib, 20. “But now it’s the law, so if a cop gets bored at night, he’s just doing his job.”

Homeless people in Miami receive help from various homeless shelters throughout the area. These shelters often offer food, clothing, and even temporary or permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. Camillus House is one such shelter in Miami-Dade County. They reportedly serve 33,000 individuals and families each year who do not have a permanent home.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has committed $2 million to Camillus House to end homelessness in the city as part of a campaign promise to achieve functional zero homelessness. The goal of this zero homelessness initiative is to ensure that unhoused people find permanent housing within the year that they lose their home.

Elijah and Khalib do not use shelters, instead using food banks. “But that’s all,” Khalib said. “Maybe church.” Churches often provide assistance to those without food and shelter through giving programs.

Homeless people still dominate Miami, often seen on street corners or in parks, such as Elijah and his brother Khalib. With the upcoming bill coming into force next week, siblings will have to look for alternative places to sleep or seek support from homeless shelters in the area.