Sunnyvale staff detail safe-parking limits, inclement-weather pilot and small non-congregate program

City staff briefed the Housing and Human Services Commission on Nov. 24 about the city's approach to safe parking and short-term sheltering, saying publicly owned lots large enough for RV safe-parking sites have not been identified and that staff are pursuing partnerships with faith-based organizations and private lots.

Amanda, the housing officer, summarized the city's work since the council passed a safe-parking ordinance last November: the ordinance allows small sites (2–10 vehicles) and large sites (11+ vehicles) by permit but staff have not located publicly owned lots that meet feasibility parameters (staff said such lots often need roughly 1.5 acres to allow for safe ingress and egress if RVs are included). "We have yet to have anyone apply for a safe parking program...we haven't been able to find something that's feasible," Amanda said, adding staff are engaging faith-based and community partners to explore private-lot partnerships.

Commissioners pressed staff on bathrooms in encampments and storage options for people experiencing homelessness so they can attend work. Amanda noted that Sunnyvale has relatively few large encampments and that health-and-safety abatement is used when sites pose immediate risk; she encouraged exploring volunteer and partnership models used in neighboring cities.

Staff recapped the city's inclement-weather pilot (January–March): the program used hotel rooms during storms, cost about $70,000, and saw full utilization; staff also described a year-round non-congregate (hotel) program with five rooms that cost about $220,000 per year, served 38 households in its first year and helped 16 households to a positive housing outcome. Amanda described those as smaller-scale, cost-conscious approaches while noting the ongoing operating costs for a permanent shelter typically run much higher. The commission discussed whether the city could subsidize expansion of hotel-based programs or consider other creative partnerships, including with colleges or social-work internship programs.

Staff will present the homelessness strategy and consultant findings at a joint Commission–Council meeting on Dec. 2 (6:00 PM) and will bring additional materials to the January 6 special meeting related to HUD action-plan amendments and federally funded RFPs.

Next steps: staff will continue outreach to potential partners for safe parking and consider volunteer and internship partnerships for staffing; the December 2 meeting will present the full homelessness strategy to commissioners and council members.