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Supervisors back safe overnight parking exception as mayor details vehicle-homelessness pilots
Summary
Supervisors heard from Mayor Breed about outreach and two pilot programs for people living in vehicles; the board passed an ordinance creating an exception for participants in a safe overnight parking pilot and revising reporting requirements.
Supervisors on Tuesday discussed growing numbers of San Franciscans living in vehicles and took a first-reading vote to permit a safe overnight parking pilot.
Supervisor Sheila Walton, whose District 10 has seen an uptick in vehicle dwelling, asked the mayor what additional steps the city could take. Mayor London Breed described two pilot efforts developed by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH): a vehicular encampment outreach team that brings healthcare and housing offers to high-concentration areas, and a separate $1,000,000 pilot (in Mayor’s proposed budget) to triage people and bring them to a single site offering showers and services. Breed said teams also attempt to repair RVs, connect people to navigation centers or relatives in other cities, and do repeat outreach where trust is lacking.
Supervisor Walton asked, "Is there a team of individuals, kinda like what we do at HSOC, that will be dedicated just for, people living in their vehicles?" Breed answered that a team exists and is transitioning into the location-and-triage pilot and the budgeted funds for showers and services.
On the agenda, Supervisor Norman Brown introduced an ordinance that would revise reporting requirements for the controller concerning the safe overnight parking pilot and would create a police-code exception for participants so they are not subject to the general prohibition on vehicle habitation while enrolled in the program. Brown said the proposal would "protect" program participants and provide clarity to the police department; he added that the city learned in the February point-in-time count that the homeless population increased by 17%, driven in part by vehicle dwelling.
Action: The board passed the ordinance on first reading unanimously. The ordinance amends the administrative code to revise controller reporting on the safe overnight parking pilot and amends the police code to create an exception for program participants to the prohibition on vehicle habitation.
Ending: Officials said the pilot and outreach work are intended to provide services and a safer interim option while participants are connected to longer-term housing solutions.
