Alongside pothole repair requests and complaints about flooded streets, Fort Lauderdale residents can now report homelessness in their communities through thecity app FixIt FTL, which is typically used for nonemergency events.
The city is using the new app function in response to a state law that will soon prohibit unauthorized camping on public property, according to Chris Cooper, acting assistant city manager.
At an Aug. 20 city commission conference, Cooper said the app was the best way for the city to track homelessness and be transparent about the issue in the wake of the new state law while allowing city employees to respond to requests. Residents can use the app or the web-based portal to report a “homeless concern,” including the precise location and even a photo.
“It gives us an opportunity to respond, especially if somebody is on public property, whether it is a sidewalk, city park, a right of way or something of that nature,” Cooper told the Miami Herald. “We need to be able to identify that individual so that we can primarily and hopefully provide them with the services and assistance if they’re willing to take that.”
But some homeless advocates say that’s far from the best solution in dealing with Fort Lauderdale’s homelessness crisis. Opting to report homelessness through the app is an “inhumane way” to deal with “a very challenging human problem,” said Ken McKenzie, president of HOPE South Florida, a nonprofit that works to end homelessness.
“If you’re experiencing homelessness, you didn’t suddenly stop becoming a citizen or a neighbor,” McKenzie said. “You’re living in a tough spot [and] you need some help. And I don’t know if treating the reporting of it the same way we report a nuisance in our neighborhood or someone who didn’t mow their lawn or pick up their garbage is the right approach.”
As of Sept. 10, there have been 13 reports of homelessness through the app, with 10 of them closed. Under the closed complaints, city employees left comments indicating they had either visited the area and found nothing or had offered services that were refused.
Others have included photos of people experiencing homelessness, including a picture of a person sleeping on a bench outside of a steakhouse on Las Olas Boulevard. All of the complaints are publicly visible and available in a map view.
McKenzie said those features raise privacy concerns. “I think it’s a very undignified way to address the challenge that people are facing,” he said. “Its got a map, its got a pin and there’s an exact location … It’s certainly revealing a vulnerable part of our population. It’s very clear on the map as to where they are if you want to go and cause some challenges for them.”
Cooper told the Herald that the purpose of the app’s location functionality and photo option is to allow the city to see where someone is and provide assistance.
“We really need that specificity so that we’re able to respond in accordance with what the state law says,” he said.
Starting Jan. 1, HB 1365 will allow people to file lawsuits against local governments if they fail to remove homeless people from public spaces.
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Fort Lauderdale App Allows Residents to Report Homelessness
The new addition to the FixIt FTL app is in response to a state law that will soon prohibit municipalities from allowing people to sleep or camp in public places, such as the beach or parks.
