Sunnyvale housing staff lay out safe-parking costs, buyback pilots and tiny-home options before April 21 council meeting

Amanda Stultz, Sunnyvale’s housing officer, opened a community briefing on the city’s approach to vehicular homelessness and said staff will present a fuller packet to City Council on April 21. "There are many reasons why people may be residing in their vehicles," Stultz said, and the city is considering multiple strategies rather than a single solution.

Annette Tran described safe parking as "a program that provides vehicle-dwelling households a safe legal place to park overnight while connecting participants to case management, basic needs services, [and] housing navigation." Tran said safe parking is designed as a short stabilization intervention—a bridge to longer-term housing—but acknowledged limitations: some people prefer van- or RV-dwelling, and others rent vehicles from third parties and cannot relocate them without owner permission.

Staff presented regional outcome and cost data to frame Sunnyvale’s options. Tran summarized other cities’ experience as variable: average stays and exit rates differ by program and location, with exit-to-permanent-housing rates commonly ranging from roughly 15% to 40%. Using San Jose program budgets scaled to local sizes, staff…