Florida is grappling with a surge in homelessness, marked by a 12% national increase in individuals without permanent shelter within a year. This rise has significantly impacted families, veterans, and the elderly, with an alarming number of first-time homelessness among families and older adults losing housing due to affordability issues. Diana Stanley, the CEO of The Lord’s Place in Palm Beach County, has voiced concern over this escalating problem.

Amidst this crisis, Florida is also facing controversy over a new Republican bill that awaits Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature. The bill aims to allow counties to create remote homeless camps, focusing on relocating the homeless away from city centers without offering additional funding for crucial services like substance abuse and mental health treatment. Critics argue that this approach may neglect the root causes of homelessness and potentially criminalize it instead of providing long-term solutions. Sociology professor Amy Donley and others highlight the bill’s lack of emphasis on creating affordable housing solutions as a critical oversight.

Similarly, in the UK, the healthcare system is under scrutiny for discharging patients, like Antonio—a cancer surgery patient—directly to the streets with no fixed abode. In the 2022/23 period, more than 4,200 individuals were released from NHS wards into homelessness, including patients from various medical departments still suffering from severe health conditions. This has prompted MPs to call for better coordination between health and housing services to ensure vulnerable individuals are not left without support post-discharge. Antonio’s experience, having been left to shelter at a bus stop with a bag of morphine, underscores the dire need for improved collaboration between sectors to prevent discharged patients from facing homelessness.