‘Safe Parking’ Programs Offer Small Comforts to Unhoused People

A movement to provide safe parking areas to unhoused people living in cars is spreading across the nation, writes Ysabelle Kempe in Smart Cities Dive.

From San Diego to Duluth, cities are designating lots as ‘safe parking’ zones where people can spend the night. “The programs also offer people experiencing homelessness “an opportunity to be somewhat stable for a period of time,” since they can return to the same lot night after night and don’t need to worry about breaking the law by parking on the street, said Donald Whitehead, executive director at the National Coalition for the Homeless.”

Some programs offer resources such as restrooms, Wi-Fi, and access to social services. While experts say they are not a long-term solution to homelessness, safe parking programs can offer security and stability for at least a short period of time.

Vehicular homelessness, while common — accounting for more than 44 percent of unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County in 2023 — is particularly insidious because of its relative invisibility. Often, people living in cars need a relatively small amount of support to get back into more stable housing situations, according to Matthew Tecle, executive director of Safe Parking LA, a safe parking program that operates six sites in Los Angeles.