Social:Safe parking lots
Safe parking lots are parking lots (generally in the Western United States ) where homeless people can legally park and sleep in their cars overnight.[1] Some hire private security guards to make the facility more safe.[2][3]
Los Angeles county
In 2017, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority 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.[1]
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.[4] The Authority pays about $30 per bed per night for homeless shelters.[4] 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.[4] 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.[4]
See also
- Social services
- Social welfare
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kiefer, Francine (2019-07-01). "Car but no home? Safe parking lots spread across West Coast.". Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2019/0701/Car-but-no-home-Safe-parking-lots-spread-across-West-Coast. "Safe parking programs are generally located on the West Coast where weather allows for year-round living in vehicles."
- ↑ https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/02/homeless-safe-parking-lots-sleeping-in-cars-city-programs/581128/ Finding Home in a Parking Lot, by Sarah Holder. February 11, 2019.
- ↑ https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/10/11/20897485/california-homeless-safe-parking-lots-cars-rvs Affordable housing is disappearing. So cities are designating parking lots to sleep in. People slipping in and out of homelessness need “safe” parking lot programs like these. By Matthew Zeitlin Updated Oct 18, 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sharp, Sonja (2019-06-10). "16,000 people in L.A. now live in cars, vans and RVs. But safe parking remains elusive". Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-safe-parking-los-angeles-20190610-story.html. "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."
 |  |
