Breaking News: Winter Haven Commissioner Seeks AG Support to Address Growing Homelessness Crisis

Winter Haven City Commissioner Chad Davis on Tuesday asked Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for help with what he describes as a growing homeless and transient population, one day after telling his fellow commissioners the city faces “a serious and growing problem.” In a letter dated Oct. 13 and sent by email and U.S. mail, Davis wrote that he was reaching out “in my individual capacity as a Winter Haven City Commissioner” and that he cannot speak on behalf of the City Commission as a whole.

Davis asked the attorney general’s office for legal, strategic, and operational support, along with a discussion of cooperation among the attorney general’s office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and local stakeholders. He wrote that the goal is to develop “a lawful, compassionate, and sustainable approach to this growing challenge.”

Request for Support

Davis wrote that over the past year the city has seen a noticeable increase in transient homeless individuals arriving in Winter Haven from other parts of Florida. He wrote that he has “reason to believe” certain nonprofits, and possibly municipal governments, may be directing people to Winter Haven “as a way to relieve themselves of responsibility for providing care.” The letter does not name any specific organization or city.

“Unfortunately, our community does not have a homeless shelter or any facility capable of providing overnight accommodations for those who truly have nowhere to sleep,” Davis wrote. He said local charitable ministries known for offering food, clothing, and other necessities “have unintentionally become a magnet for homeless individuals from across the state.”

The letter states that staff at Winter Haven Hospital have reported an increase in Baker Acts involving homeless individuals, and that law enforcement officers and first responders are carrying a growing burden from calls tied to untreated mental health issues, substance abuse and unsheltered homelessness. Davis also wrote that downtown residents and business owners are “increasingly exasperated by the daily disruptions they encounter.”

Who Received The Letter

The letter was copied to Associate Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Weilhammer, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and State Attorney Brian Haas of the 10th Judicial Circuit. City copies went to Mayor Brian Yates, Mayor Pro Tem L. Tracy Mercer, Commissioners Nathaniel J. Birdsong Jr. and Clifton E. Dollison, City Manager T. Michael Stavres, Deputy City Manager MJ Carnevale, City Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr., Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Charlie Bird, Police Chief Vance Monroe, Public Affairs and Communication Director Katrina Hill and Safe Neighborhoods Director Tanya Ayers.

Davis Raised the Issue at Monday’s Commission Meeting

During commissioner reports at the Oct. 12 City Commission meeting, Davis said he asked emergency department staff during Winter Haven Hospital’s 100th Anniversary Scrubs tour whether they had seen more cases involving homeless and transient people, and staff told him they had, particularly in Baker Act cases. He said he was not criticizing the city, its law enforcement officers or the local ministries that serve people experiencing homelessness, but that he is concerned people from outside Winter Haven may be arriving because the city offers services not available elsewhere.

“We can remain a compassionate city without becoming a place where compassion is taken advantage of,” Davis said. He noted that an individual commissioner cannot direct city staff or law enforcement, and said he has met with State Attorney Brian Haas about ordinances or enforcement tools that have worked in other communities, as well as with leaders of local homeless ministries. 

Davis told the commission he believed the time had come to ask the attorney general for assistance.

 The commission took no vote on the issue, and no other commissioner, the mayor or the city manager addressed Davis’s remarks during the meeting. Later, during his own report, Mayor Brian Yates led a discussion about code violations for overflow parking on a grass lot at Dewdney Plaza and asked staff to review the city’s grass parking rules.

Mayor Says the City Is Already Working on the Issue

In a written statement to The Citrus Tea News on Wednesday, Yates said he understands the concerns residents and business owners have raised about homelessness in Winter Haven. “These are real challenges that affect our community, and they deserve thoughtful, informed conversations and meaningful action,” he wrote.

Yates said the city has been working on the problem through an approach that balances public safety, enforcement of laws, and compassion for people experiencing homelessness, with public safety staff enforcing the law while working with local nonprofits, service providers, and community partners to connect people with assistance. “This is not a new priority for Winter Haven,” he wrote, adding that commissioners discussed homelessness at the City Commission’s Strategic Momentum Session in April, where they took part in a panel discussion on the issue. He said city leadership and staff have continued developing additional programs and operational improvements since then, and that City Manager T. Michael Stavres has met with downtown business owners to discuss those efforts and hear their perspectives.

“My commitment is to continue supporting an approach that protects quality of life, upholds the law, and treats people with dignity and compassion,” Yates wrote. His statement did not say whether he supports Davis’s request to the attorney general or whether the commission plans to take up homelessness as a group.

The Citrus Tea News asked City Manager T. Michael Stavres on Wednesday about his meetings with downtown business owners and what the city has done to address concerns. Once a response is received, an update will be posted.

The Attorney General’s January Letter

Davis’s request follows a Jan. 6 letter from Uthmeier’s office to the city alleging violations of section 125.0231, Florida Statutes, a 2024 state law that bars local governments from authorizing or allowing people to regularly camp or sleep on public property such as sidewalks and parks. The letter cited a resident’s complaint about Kiwanis Park and the sidewalks on Central Avenue. The city denied the allegations in a Jan. 9 response, in which City Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr. wrote that “homelessness, or the state of being unhoused, is not in and of itself a crime.”

The city’s response said police cleared 25 camping locations in eight months and that the Winter Haven Police Department created a Strategic Response Unit in May 2025. The response stated only 1.4% of the department’s 60,967 calls for service in 2025 involved homelessness. This is approximately 850 calls in one year. 

Uthmeier addressed the dispute at a news conference in Winter Haven on Jan. 12, and Davis wrote in his new letter that the attorney general then offered to work collaboratively with the city and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

What Comes Next

The letter asks the attorney general’s office to discuss possible cooperation but does not set a date or request a specific action from the full commission. The Citrus Tea News will update this story as responses come in.

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Sources: Letter from Commissioner Chad Davis to Attorney General James Uthmeier, City of Winter Haven, Oct. 13, 2026; City Commission Regular Meeting, City of Winter Haven, Oct. 12, 2026; Letter from the Office of the Attorney General to the City of Winter Haven, Office of the Attorney General of Florida, mywinterhaven.com, Jan. 6, 2026; AG Response Letter with Exhibits, City of Winter Haven, mywinterhaven.com, Jan. 9, 2026; “AG Uthmeier on Florida’s Camping Ban Law: ‘Homelessness Is Not Permitted,'” Central Florida Public Media, cfpublic.org, Jan. 13, 2026; Section 125.0231, Florida Statutes, The Florida Legislature, leg.state.fl.us, 2025