IONA, Fla. — A day after Fox 4 first reported on a homeless camp facing eviction in a wooded lot off Pine Ridge Road in Iona, deputies returned to the property Thursday morning with outreach teams and printed resources in hand.
Watch as Iona Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev follows up from the encampment:
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, seven people were engaged at the site. Deputies, alongside Kimmie’s Recovery Zone and Lee County Human and Veteran Services, offered food, drinks, and information about local services.
But Tanya Founds, who’s been living at the camp for over a year, said those options are still limited. “I don’t know what to do,” she told Fox 4. “If somebody could tell me where there’s a spot where it’s okay to have a tent and camp, then I think I would be there… I’d rather sleep in a tent than on the curb.”
The camp is one of several being cleared across Florida following the passage of the state’s new public camping law. Advocates say the law is moving faster than the infrastructure needed to support those it impacts.
“People say all the time, well, why don't they just get jobs?” said VP Bridges, a local shelter leader. “Well, the truth is — when you are concerned with where am I gonna sleep tonight? Where is my next meal coming from? You have little to no opportunity to dream about, okay, where am I gonna find my job?”
Bridges also pointed out the scale of the problem, estimating between 200 to 300 people are currently sleeping outside in Collier County alone. “That’s probably a low estimate,” he added.
Lee County officials said they’ll continue outreach efforts, but for now, many like Tanya are still packing up.
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