- White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday called the squatting a “local problem.”
- He did not say whether President Joe Biden would support a federal bill similar to the one Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in his state.
- Across the country there have been disturbing stories about strangers moving into properties and the owners being unable to evict them.
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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called squatting a “local issue” on Monday and did not say whether President Joe Biden would support a new Florida law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Across the country there have been disturbing stories about strangers moving into properties whose owners are unable to evict them.
DeSantis, a former 2024 presidential candidate, signed legislation allowing state law enforcement officers to remove squatters and further penalize them.
“So my understanding is that this is obviously a local issue,” Jean-Pierre said. ‘We are certainly following that issue. The rights of landlords and tenants must be protected.’
“Ultimately, what local governments need to do is make sure they address this issue and take action,” he added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called squatting a “local issue” on Monday and did not say whether President Joe Biden would support a new Florida law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Carrie Black-Phillips, whose family owns property in Milton, Florida, points to a possession warrant now posted on the house as she cleans up the mess left by the squatters.
When asked specifically how DeSantis is trying to handle the issue in Florida, Jean-Pierre called it “hypothetical.”
“What I can say is that, ultimately, this is a local issue,” the press secretary reiterated. ‘And it is essential that local governments take action to address it. Once again, everyone wants the same thing. We want to feel safe in our community. That’s what they want.
Jean-Pierre’s response probably won’t appease Republicans who have recently seen squatting as a potent political issue, another sign, they say, that Democrats are weak on crime.
High-profile instances have also highlighted the issue.
Just a few doors down from where basketball star Lebron James purchased a $36.75 million Beverly Hills property (tearing it down to make room for his new dream home), a group of squatters has taken over a mansion and launched furious protests for months.
The squatters recently vacated the property, after a series of assaults, fires and arrests that reportedly left the basketball star “very worried.”
At a press conference last week, DeSantis announced, “We are ending the squatter scam in Florida.”
Carrie Black-Phillips shows off the trash left on her family’s property in Florida, including drug paraphernalia, as her family tries to clean up the mess left by the squatters and fights to prevent them from returning to the house.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation last week that would make it easier for landlords to evict squatters. “While other states side with squatters, we protect homeowners and punish criminals who seek to game the system,” he said.
“While other states side with squatters, we protect homeowners and punish criminals who seek to game the system,” the Florida governor said.
He said the new law would make it easier to evict illegal tenants.
‘If you are a victim of squatting, you can simply fill out a form, give it to the local sheriff and the sheriff will be instructed to come and remove the people illegally occupying your home. And that will happen very quickly,” DeSantis said.
In a Semafor story On the topic, Florida Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani blamed DeSantis for making the squat more partisan than it should be.
All Florida Democrats also approved the bill.
‘The rhetoric the governor used was never mentioned anywhere during the (legislative) process. “Let DeSantis make every issue partisan,” Eskamani told Semafor.