First Safe Parking Lot for the Homeless Opens in San Francisco

With more than 1,700 people living out of vehicles on the streets of San Francisco, the city is in the process of opening a new safe parking facility that woll allow 30 vehicles to park for up to 90 days.

1 minute read

December 12, 2019, 2:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Mountain View, California

RVs line the streets of Mountain View, California, south of San Francisco. | Sundry Photography / Shutterstock

Trisha Thadani reports on San Francisco's safe parking location for the homeless, dubbed the "Vehicle Triage Center," expected to open this week or early next near the Balboa Park BART station.

People staying at the Vehicle Triage Center "will have daily access to case managers, portable toilets and a portable shower three times a week," according to Thadani.

"While city officials hail it as a productive first step toward addressing vehicular homelessness, others see it as an inadequate response to the crisis and a veiled attempt to clear RVs from residential neighborhoods," adds Thadani. The pilot program means the site will be dismantled in the fall. In the meantime, the city has set a goal to add 1,000 new shelter beds in the city by the en of next year.

The safe parking location was first announced in Summer 2019.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019 in San Francisco Chronicle

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