Safe parking programs

Santa Barbara’s New Beginnings organization has operated a Safe Parking Program since 2004 in cooperation with local churches, governmental and non-profit agencies, and businesses. This Safe Parking Shelter and Rapid Rehousing Program provides safe overnight parking to individuals and families living in their vehicle.{{Cite web |last=Development |first=Community |date=2022-06-15 |title=New Beginnings Safe Parking Program {{!}} City of Santa Barbara |url=https://santabarbaraca.gov/government/priorities-policies/homelessness-initiatives/new-beginnings-safe-parking-program |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=santabarbaraca.gov |language=en}}

The program currently manages over 200 spaces in 27 parking lots throughout the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and the neighboring unincorporated areas of the county, according to a report from Kristine Schwarz, New Beginnings's Executive Director.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-26 |title=Local Congressman to introduce bill for Safe Parking Programs |url=https://www.kcbx.org/infrastructure-housing-and-development/2024-01-26/local-congressman-to-introduce-bill-for-safe-parking-programs |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=KCBX |language=en}} The program now also connects the chronically homeless to shelters and services.{{Cite web |date=2015-10-05 |title=Safe Parking Shelter and Rapid Rehousing Program {{!}} New Beginnings |url=https://sbnbcc.org/safe-parking/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |language=en-US}}

In 2009, the nonprofit organization Dreams for Change established the first congregate-model Safe Parking Program in San Diego, CA. Founder Dr. Teresa Smith, PhD started Dreams for Change to address the rise in first-time homelessness occurring primarily as a result of the Great Recession.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Leadership - Dreams For Change |url=https://www.dreamsforchange.org/about/leadership/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.dreamsforchange.org |language=en-US}} Dreams for Change’s Safe Parking programs offer on-site restrooms, charging stations, and case management services. Each individual or household also receives access to workforce training programs, resources to find employment, and support with developing a housing plan.{{Cite web |title=Safe Parking - Dreams For Change |url=https://www.dreamsforchange.org/program/safe-parking/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.dreamsforchange.org |language=en-US}}

Dreams for Change has since worked with multiple cities and municipalities across the United States that are looking to replicate Safe Parking in their cities.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHuEjZaz0A |title=Could cars be an alternative to homeless shelters? {{!}} Teresa Smith {{!}} TEDxSanDiego |language=en |access-date=2024-04-08 |via=www.youtube.com}}

In October 2016, Dreams for Change signed the first lease agreement with Jewish Family Services to lease JFS’s main Kearny Mesa campus parking lot to operate a safe parking program at night.{{Cite web|date=2017-03-13 |title=Nonprofits Partner to Shelter San Diego's Homeless in Kearny Mesa |url=http://timesofsandiego.com/life/2017/03/12/nonprofits-partner-to-shelter-san-diegos-homeless-in-kearny-mesa/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Times of San Diego |language=en-US}} In addition to the outdoor safe parking program, Dreams for Change provided case management sessions inside rooms provided by JFS.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-15 |title=Jewish Family Service and Dreams for Change: Doing Good Deeds Together |url=https://sandiegofreepress.org/2017/03/jewish-family-service/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=San Diego Free Press |language=en-US}}

In the fall of 2017, in response to the Hepatitis A outbreak happening among the unsheltered people living on the streets, Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) approached Dreams for Change to expand the Safe Parking Program to the first city-owned site, on Aero Drive in Murphy Canyon.{{Cite web |last=Jennewein |first=Chris |date=2017-10-16 |title=City Expands Safe Parking Program for Homeless Living in Cars |url=http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2017/10/16/city-expands-safe-parking-program-for-homeless-living-in-cars/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Times of San Diego |language=en-US}} That same year, Dreams for Change and Jewish Family Services entered a partnership with JFS being the fiscal agent of the City Funding and DFC being the sole operator.{{Cite web |title=Mayor Faulconer Announces Safe Parking Program for Homeless Individuals & Families Living Out of Their Cars {{!}} City of San Diego Official Website |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/homeless-services/news/mayor-faulconer-announces-safe-parking-program-homeless-individuals-families-living-out |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.sandiego.gov}}

In October 2018, Jewish Family Services of San Diego entered a new agreement with San Diego's Mayor Kevin Faulconer to be the city’s partner operator of Safe Parking sites, using the Dreams for Change model.  

Dreams for Change still manages multiple Safe Parking sites in San Diego County, including a safe parking location on Imperial Ave, where they began to pilot the first San Diego hybrid program to include RVs.{{Cite web |last= |last2= |last3= |date=2018-11-27 |title=Nonprofit eyes first safe parking lot for homeless living in RVs |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/sd-me-parking-rvs-20181127-story.html |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}} In 2022, the Dreams For Change safe parking sites served 494 people in 286 vehicles.{{Cite web |title=2022 DFC Annual Report Digital |url=https://www.dreamsforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2022-Annual-Report-1.pdf |access-date=8 April 2024 |website=Dreams for Change}}

Parking spaces in San Diego’s Safe Parking lots are assigned by referral only. Referrals can be direct, through the City of San Diego’s coordinated entry, or through the County’s Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities outreach teams.{{Cite web |title=Safe Parking Program {{!}} City of San Diego Official Website |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/homelessness-strategies-and-solutions/services/safe-parking-program |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.sandiego.gov}}

In 2017, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) started a safe parking program that by 2019 had 12 lots with 130 spots, and provides services like portable toilets, food, and social workers, at a cost to the county of $35 per spot per night.{{cite news | url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2019/0701/Car-but-no-home-Safe-parking-lots-spread-across-West-Coast | title=Car but no home? Safe parking lots spread across West Coast. | last=Kiefer | first=Francine | newspaper=Christian Science Monitor | date=2019-07-01 | quote=Safe parking programs are generally located on the West Coast where weather allows for year-round living in vehicles. }}

In 2019, when the latest poll showed that 16,500 people were living in their vehicle, the Authority attempted to scale up its program to 300 spots, with requirements that any new lot provide security guards, at least 25 spots, have an empty space between each car, and that each lot be at least 95% capacity every night, for less than $30 per spot per night.{{ r | LAT_2019-06-10 }} The Authority pays about $30 per bed per night for homeless shelters.{{ r | LAT_2019-06-10 }} Churches and community organizations stated that the funding is too low to allow them to cover the costs of the required services, and stated that while $30 per night houses one individual, entire families often live together in one vehicle.{{ r | LAT_2019-06-10 }} This was contrasted to San Diego's program which spends $10 per car per night, but does not employ security guards, and puts vehicles closer together in each lot.{{ cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-safe-parking-los-angeles-20190610-story.html | title=16,000 people in L.A. now live in cars, vans and RVs. But safe parking remains elusive | last=Sharp | first=Sonja | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=2019-06-10 | quote=Safe parking is not inherently expensive, proponents say. San Diego’s nearly decade-old program, Dreams for Change, runs for about $10 per car, per night, said executive director Teresa Smith. “We run a very lean budget,” Smith said. The program doesn’t employ security guards, and its lots operate at a higher density than the ones in Los Angeles, which must leave an empty space between each car. }}

Founded in 2017, Safe Parking LA is now the largest safe parking program in Los Angeles and is the only provider of safe lots exclusively focused on vehicular homelessness. Safe Parking LA operates in San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, and West Los Angeles including a program on the Veterans Administration campus.{{Cite web |last= |title=Home |url=https://safeparkingla.org/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Safe Parking LA |language=en-US}}

Other Safe Parking service providers under the LAHSA program umbrella are located across the city as well.{{Cite web |title=5742 - Fy2023-2024 Safe Parking Sites |url=https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=5742-2021-2022-safe-parking-sites.pdf |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.lahsa.org}}

Mountain View operates the largest safe parking program in Santa Clara County{{Cite web |date=2023-06-28 |title=Largest Safe Parking Program in Santa Clara County Expands Capacity in Mountain View |url=https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/653/284 |access-date=8 April 2024 |website=City of Mountain View}} in partnership with operator MOVE MV, which manages 7 different parking lots within the Safe Parking Program.{{Cite web |title=Safe Parking |url=https://www.movemv.org/safe-parking |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=MOVE Mountain View |language=en-US}} MOVE MV began as a small pilot program in 2018. Two churches in Mountain View offered up three spaces in their lots for people living in their RVs and cars. Since then, the program has expanded to a network of nine sites that also includes Palo Alto, with about 130 safe parking spaces available for vehicle dwellers.{{Cite web |last=Margaretten |first=Emily |date=2024-03-18 |title=Mountain View celebrates history of safe parking program at fundraising event |url=http://www.mv-voice.com/housing/2024/03/18/mountain-view-celebrates-history-of-safe-parking-program-at-fundraising-event/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Mountain View Voice |language=en-US}}

In March 2021, Sacramento opened its first two city-sanctioned safe grounds, which offer people experiencing homelessness a place to legally sleep outside in vehicles or tents.{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=Chris |title=Sacramento took nearly a year to create a new 'safe ground' homeless shelter. We look at why it takes so long. |url=https://www.capradio.org/174017 |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.capradio.org}} The safe parking and safe camping program is called SafeGround and is operated by First Step Communities in partnership with the City of Sacramento.{{Cite web |title=SafeGround |url=https://www.firststepcommunities.org/safeground |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=FSC |language=en}}

Currently, the congregate model of safe parking (developed by Teresa Smith, PhD, founder of Dreams for Change) is being used in numerous city programs across the country, contributing to the expansion of safe parking options for those in need. Dozens of such sites have opened in the last five years, with new ones across the country opening every few months.{{Cite news |last1=Callimachi |first1=Rukmini |last2=Fremson |first2=Ruth |date=2023-10-17 |title=I Live in My Car |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/realestate/car-homeless-rent-debt-mortgage.html |access-date=2024-04-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

The organization Just Compassion operates a Safe Parking program that launched in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Safe Parking Program |url=https://www.justcompassionewc.com/safe-parking-program |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Just Compassion |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://www.justcompassionewc.com/our-story |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Just Compassion |language=en}}

The Colorado Safe Parking Initiative’s first metro area safe parking pilot site opened in spring 2020, and there are now 13 SafeLots in 5 Metro Denver area counties.{{Cite web |title=What We Do |url=https://www.colosafeparking.org/about-co-safe-parking |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Colorado Safe Parking Initiative |language=en-US}}

Greensboro’s “Safe Parking Site,” opened in 2023, is the first free lot in the state for people living in their cars. It has a security guard and it’s directly behind the Interactive Resource Center where anyone can shower, do laundry and meet with caseworkers.{{Cite web |last=Pfeifer |first=Sierra |date=2024-02-28 |title=North Carolina's First 'Safe Parking Site' Creates Space for Homeless People in Cars |url=https://chapelboro.com/news/housing/north-carolinas-first-safe-parking-site-creates-space-for-homeless-people-in-cars |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Chapelboro.com |language=en-US}}

Wise Women Gathering Place offers a Safe Place Parking program that provides a place to park overnight for people living in their vehicles.{{Cite web |title=Safe Park |url=https://bchhcwi.org/safe-park/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Brown County Homeless & Housing Coalition |language=en-US}}

Safe Bay is a secure overnight space for people living in their vehicles. The program was begun in 2023{{Cite web |last=Up |first=Stepping On |title=Safe Bay opens April 17, volunteers needed |url=https://steppingonupduluth.org/f/safe-bay-opens-april-17-volunteers-needed |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Stepping On Up |language=en-US}} and is open nightly from April to November. Safe Bay is a collaboration between Chum and Damiano Center, with support from HDC street outreach workers.{{Cite web |last=Up |first=Stepping On |title=Stepping On Up |url=https://steppingonupduluth.org/safe-bay |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Stepping On Up |language=en-US}}

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