Trinity United Methodist outlines safe-parking pilot with limited slots, partners, August opening target

Trinity United Methodist Church steering-committee members told the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force they are readying a safe-parking pilot to provide temporary, supervised parking and basic services for people living in vehicles. The church’s program will start at a temporary, paved site with three parking slots available immediately; the permanent site will open with five slots and room to expand if approved by the church, organizers said. Guests will be admitted from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., may stay for up to three months with a possible three-month extension, and must be referred and screened by one of three partner agencies. The organizers said the pilot’s main purpose is “to provide a safe place where people can have a restroom at night, have a place to dump their garbage, have some peace of mind so they can kind of focus on their goals,” and avoid repeated displacement. Partner agencies listed for screening and referrals were PBH, Holy Cap (transcript name), and Rediscovery. Organizers said referred guests must pass a background check, show proof the vehicle is operable and insured, and sign a program agreement. Security will rely on remote camera monitoring and volunteer teams that help check guests in and out; the church does not yet have funding for a dedicated security company. Local police agreed to include routine checks during their park patrols, organizers said. Organizers said staff or volunteers will be on-call overnight and able to reach the site within about 10 minutes. Program leaders said they will operate the pilot as a “not low-barrier” program, with basic rules and screening intended to reduce safety risks. They said background checks will prioritize violent criminal history and be handled on a case-by-case basis for offenses that raise safety concerns. The church uses an internal background-check protocol for certain high-risk offenses and expects some applicants will be excluded based on those protocols. Volunteers will receive de-escalation training and be asked primarily to provide hospitality and support; organizers said they have received referrals after local media coverage and have begun volunteer recruitment. The steering committee revised the start date to Aug. 15 to complete volunteer training and final preparations. Task Force members asked about capacity and prioritization if demand exceeds slots; organizers said referrals will come through the screening agencies and that a waiting list is expected. They also said limited funds were set aside to help with vehicle registration or insurance in borderline cases. The pilot will collect data and participant information to inform future decisions. Organizers asked the Task Force and municipal staff for technical support and for help identifying other faith sites that might host similar pilots.