Housing and Poverty – Florida Justice Institute

Housing and Poverty, Our Recent Work, Press Coverage, What We Do

FJI and Firm Sue Miami Over Panhandling Law

The Florida Justice Institute (FJI) and Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP have filed a lawsuit against the City of Miami, challenging an ordinance that criminalizes panhandling. This law raises First Amendment concerns by targeting specific speech forms. With nearly 400 arrests made, the plaintiffs—Miami residents experiencing homelessness—argue that it fails to address poverty’s root causes. Discover how this case seeks to protect the rights of vulnerable communities and challenge poverty criminalization in Florida.

Blogs, Housing and Poverty, Newsroom

Amidst a nationwide day of action to demand affordable housing, advocacy organizations urge local governments to avoid criminalizing homelessness in response to HB 1365

April 22, 2025— As local governments grapple with enforcement of a new state law banning people from sleeping in public spaces,

Housing and Poverty, News Releases, Our Recent Work, What We Do

FJI and other advocacy organizations urge local governments to avoid criminalizing homelessness in response to new state law

April 8, 2025 Today, Southern Legal Counsel, the National Homelessness Law Center, the Southern Poverty Law center, and the Florida Justice Institute

Housing and Poverty, Our Recent Work, Press Coverage, What We Do

FJI Suit Against Lake City Anti-Solicitation Successfully Resolved with Repeal and Payment

November 25, 2024 Following FJI’s lawsuit against a Lake City ordinance that prohibited standing, soliciting, or leafletting at certain intersections,

Housing and Poverty, News Releases, Our Recent Work, What We Do

FJI Settles with Columbia County over Solicitation and Loitering Law

September 9, 2024 FJI has reached a settlement with Columbia County, resolving its lawsuit against the ordinance which prohibited solicitation

Blogs, Housing and Poverty

Lessons from Hurricane Andrew: Building Toward a Safe Place to Call Home in Florida

Back in August 1992, Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida, displacing over 250,000 residents and upending the lives of those families in the region. People who once had the security of a home found themselves unhoused in the blink of an eye–victims of a natural disaster that seems to be happening more frequently today.

Housing and Poverty, Our Recent Work, Press Coverage

FJI and Firm Sue Miami Over Panhandling Law

Amidst a nationwide day of action to demand affordable housing, advocacy organizations urge local governments to avoid criminalizing homelessness in response to HB 1365

FJI and other advocacy organizations urge local governments to avoid criminalizing homelessness in response to new state law

FJI Suit Against Lake City Anti-Solicitation Successfully Resolved with Repeal and Payment

FJI Settles with Columbia County over Solicitation and Loitering Law

Lessons from Hurricane Andrew: Building Toward a Safe Place to Call Home in Florida

Final Order Issued In FJI’s Case Against Pompano Beach Ordinance

FJI Sues Lake City Over Ordinance Restricting Requests for Donations at Intersections

Suit: JAX anti-panhandling law unconstitutional