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Council directs staff to pursue interim housing, RV buyback and permitted RV parking; asks more outreach to churches
Summary
After a lengthy staff presentation and hours of public comment, Sunnyvale council directed staff to develop interim housing on city land, create an RV buyback pilot paired with housing assistance, and implement a permitted RV parking program on designated streets; the motion also requested extra outreach to faith groups and study of an underpass site. Vote: 6–0 (one recusal).
The Sunnyvale City Council on April 21 directed staff to pursue a multi‑pronged strategy to address vehicular homelessness, instructing planners to develop an interim housing (tiny‑home style) site on city land, design an RV buyback pilot tied to housing assistance, and implement a permitted RV parking program on designated city streets.
Housing Officer Amanda Stoultz told the council that staff’s analysis found safe parking on city sites would be limited in scale (about 15 RVs on the most viable parcel), costly and associated with lower exits to permanent housing than interim housing. Stoultz said interim housing — sometimes called tiny homes — typically achieves higher exits to permanent housing because it supports on‑site services and case management. Early operating cost estimates were discussed and staff said funding options under consideration included housing mitigation funds, community benefit funds, encampment resolution funds and state grants.
At the same time, council members and dozens of public speakers urged that the city do more immediately. Several residents asked the council to prioritize faith‑based (“rotating church”) or private‑lot safe‑parking arrangements that can be launched quickly for passenger vehicles and, in some models, a small number of RVs. Business owners and community advocates pressed for swift action to reduce impacts to neighborhoods and commercial districts.
Responding to those concerns, the council’s motion included additional direction: staff should intensify outreach to faith‑based organizations to identify and remove barriers (insurance, operations) to hosting safe parking; staff should examine the Matilda underpass site (site 10) as a potential interim housing or safe‑parking location; and staff should study car‑only parking options, which can fit more vehicles in less space and are often easier to run on private sites. Council also asked staff to return with a detailed implementation plan and funding strategy by September 2026. The motion passed 6–0 with Council Member Lei recused because of proximity to a potential site.
