Safe Parking L.A.

[Firebuild]

I was under the impression it was legal to sleep in your car in Los Angeles, but it turns out the City Council just extended a "temporary" ban in December. In checking out that info I came across this link:

https://www.safeparkingla.org

These people have lots all over the city, and you apply to become a "tenant" of theirs which entitles you to use their lots. A lot of them are church parking lots.  If anyone is going to be spending significant time in LA this might be something to look into!

Does anyone know of similar organizations in other cities?

 

[Van Mama Wannabe]

https://sbnbcc.org/safe-parking/

Santa Barbara CA also has a program that includes not only parking lots but assistance in applying for jobs, obtaining food and other things homeless people need. I think theirs was the original program.

 

[willingtorelocate]

San Jose and Oakland approved them too, towards the end of the year. I believe, but I'm not 100% sure, but I think there's one in san francisco as well.

 

[MrNoodly]

I think it's a great thing for people who don't really want to live in a vehicle and would like a safe, legal place to sleep until they can get back into conventional housing. What I wish, as someone who WANTS to live in my van, is just a safe, legal place to sleep WITHOUT various agencies and organizations trying to help me transition back into "normal" life. I want to come, stay a few days or a few weeks, then move on. Basically, a cheap or free urban campground. Or a Walmart parking lot without the Walmartishness of it.

 

[lenny flank]

^^^ I don't mind the Walmartishness of Walmarts.

Hopefully, though, having a place where the truly involuntarily-homeless can safely park will eliminate the need for them to stay in places like Walmart, which will then reduce most of the problems that cause Walmart and other places to ban travelers who are just temporarily passing through.

OTOH, I have my doubts as to how well these lots will work out in the end. The biggest difficulty in dealing with the permanently-homeless is that there is such a high rate of substance abuse and mental illness, so providing them with a place to live doesn't actually solve the underlying problem, and it all too often just degenerates into a cesspool of drink, drugs and disaster, leading to it eventually being shut down.