San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has touted the city's Safe Parking Program as a cornerstone of its homelessness strategy, with plans to nearly double the program’s capacity. The program provides a safe place for individuals living out of their vehicles to park overnight and will expand with a new site at the H Barracks slated to open next year. According to Inside San Diego, the Rose Canyon Safe Parking Lot, established in April 2023, has already experienced a 67% success rate, with participants finding more stable housing.
The initiative, currently comprised of four locations able to house about 220 vehicles, particularly focuses on assisting families at the Rose Canyon site. Here, a dozen RV trailers have been specifically provided for family use. It also services a significant proportion of those who are facing homelessness for the first time, including gainfully employed individuals and seniors on fixed incomes. Mayor Gloria stated, “This program has proved instrumental in giving these folks the support to stabilize and avoid chronic homelessness, and my administration will continue to invest in this vital option as we simultaneously work to address our housing shortage and make rent more affordable.”
Backing up this investment, the city issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to maintain and potentially expand the Safe Parking Program with a new lot that could accommodate up to 200 standard and oversized vehicles for overnight stays. As the number of San Diegans sleeping in their vehicles has swelled by 44% over last year, according to the Point in Time Count, the initiative offers much-needed relief and comprehensive support, including case management, health services, and job training, delivered through a partnership with the nonprofit Jewish Family Service (JFS) of San Diego.
JFS CEO Michael Hopkins spoke highly of the individualized approach. “Our goal has always been to help our Safe Parking guests move forward to secure housing while also providing them with a dignified space to temporarily live out of their vehicles,” he told Inside San Diego. The program claims more than 5,200 individuals have helped since its inception in 2018, and the supportive services are perceived to be the key to the program's success.
Much of that success is also credited to community contributions such as those led by Rita Shafer, a University City resident and retired teacher who initiated a monthly meal service, a food pantry, and birthday celebrations for the families staying at the Rose Canyon lot. “Have you seen those cute faces of those little children? You just couldn't not come back,” Shafer explained in a statement to Inside San Diego. She emphasized the importance of community in these efforts, “Those children are adorable and also, they’re our neighbors.”
For locals looking to extend their support, preparing or serving meals are among the ways to volunteer. Interested parties can contact [email protected] or call the volunteer line at 858-637-3050. For individuals living out of their vehicles and seeking to enroll in the San Diego Safe Parking program, they should contact 858-637-3373 for assistance.
