MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Justin "TC" Ducasse has been unhoused since he was 18 years old, and he says Florida's law banning sleeping in public places leaves him with no legal options.
Ducasse, a longtime Martin County resident, is saving money to afford housing. In the meantime, he is sleeping outside and has attended the last 3 county commission meetings to call on local leaders to create a legal space for homeless people to sleep.
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"This is everything I know," Ducasse said.
He says the law is unreasonable given his circumstances.
"I literally have no choice, like what are you talking about?" Ducasse added. "If I wanted to stay inside of the law, then it would be literally impossible."
At recent commission meetings, Ducasse has made clear the stakes he faces every night.
"I still have to commit a crime to sleep tonight, so that's definitely going to happen. It's just the question is where and I think the best spot would be the Martin County Sheriff's Office headquarters front lawn," Ducasse said.
He says the issue extends beyond himself.
"It is not just me and we have nowhere to sleep," Ducasse said.
Martin County Human Services Director Michelle Miller provided current numbers on homelessness in the county.
"In this year's Point in Time (PIT) count, we had 138 that were counted as unsheltered and 212 total," Miller said.
While the total number of homeless people in the county has slightly increased since 2025, the number of unsheltered people has dropped.
Miller says the county does not currently have plans to create a legal encampment, and that such a facility is not mandated by law. However, she says resources are available for those who need them.
"We would provide them with the local resources that would help that person get into shelter," Miller said. "[But] it really depends on that person's situation."
Ducasse says he is not giving up and plans to continue speaking at county meetings until commissioners respond to his call.
"I'm just letting everybody know that this is what's going on and we need to fix this," Ducasse said.
For more information on Martin County housing resources click here or call the Martin County Human Services office at (772) 288-5785.
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