Cincinnati school district to open 'Safe Sleep' lot for unhoused families

The safe parking lot is part of Project Connect, a district-led initiative that provides services to students and families.

1 minute read

April 16, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Color-blocked facade of elementary school in CIncinnati, Ohio.

The safe parking lot is on the grounds of Taft Elementary School in Cincinnati, Ohio. | Whittlebsw, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

A service project from Cincinnati Public Schools will start offering district families experiencing homelessness a safe place to sleep in their cars starting April 30, reports Robin Gee in CityBeat.

The Safe Sleep initiative will allow students and families to spend the night in a lot at Taft Elementary School. Rebeka Beach, program manager for Project Connect, said " want to say we don’t look at this necessarily as a solution. But the fact is we do have families who are sleeping in their vehicles, and we want to provide them with dignity and respect. We also want to provide them with safety."

Over 8,000 Cincinnati children experience homelessness every year, according to nonprofit Upspring. The city has the second worst child poverty rate of the nation's largest cities, at 53.1%. Project Connect, created in 1996, provides services and resources for unhoused students and their families including a food pantry, school supplies and other household items, and connections with job training and legal services. "Safe Sleep is the latest addition to the Project Connect program, and it directly addresses the immediate needs of families sleeping in cars."

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Cincinnati CityBeat

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A rendering of a high speed rain station in California, with wide platforms and a sleep train with yellow highlights.

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal

Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.

October 30 - Cal Matters

 A bridge stretches across the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states

Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.

October 30 - South Dakota Searchlight

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30 - Yale Environment 360