Almost every other state in America deals with this the "traditional way", by having cops kick their ass until they move somewhere out of public view. Florida (and one or two other states) want to prevent them from coming to the state at all, so they're trying to make it harder to live there.
What if they want to buy something in a shop, is that illegal? What happens if you have a homeless friend and you invite them round for dinner?
Or is it like pigeons, you just get signs in the park saying 'don't feed the homeless'
Speaking as a European, this just sounds bizarre.
I mean, I doubt it - there has to be a bigger point that I'm missing. (right?)
There is no larger point. People are cruel, particularly certain political parties that tend to maintain power in the American South.
Do you know what the background is?
Imagine two cities with a lot of rough sleepers. City A offers shelter spaces, soup kitchens, free medical treatment and so on. City B offers one-way bus tickets to other cities† and orders the cops to hassle anyone they see begging or sleeping in public.A year later, which city do you think will have more rough sleepers?
Florida have decided they're City B.
†They'll say they're helping the rough sleepers reunite with their families, but we all know what's really going on.