Oceanside on Tuesday opened its first "Safe Parking" site for those who are living out of their vehicles, making the city the third North County community to support such a program.
Like many North County communities, Oceanside streets have their share of people living on them, but it is partnering with the LGBTQ Center and Dreams for Change to enlist a strategy of prevention.
Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7.
WATCH HERE“It’s a good use of saving human dignity," Oceanside Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce said. "It’s a good use of taxpayer funds. It prevents the problem from growing before it gets too far out of hand."
The city is providing safe parking to 25 of its residents living in their vehicles at the Apple Plaza on Apple Street. Participants are vetted and referred by case workers.
Get top local San Diego stories delivered to you every morning with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP “We’re looking for people that are wanting to be housed, not anyone comfortable residing in a vehicle for the rest of their life,“ program manager Samantha Rogers said.
Participants are provided with a safe space from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the next day, when they are required to exit the property. The program provides food, a restroom and periodic shower facilities. It's a low barrier program, meaning there are no sober requirements. Dreams For Change, though, which will operate the lot, says it has a zero tolerance for substance abuse.
Apple Plaza is nestled in the heart of a working class neighborhood. The people in the area told NBC 7 they have been dealing with the problems of homelessness for more than a decade, like fighting break-ins and garbage. There's mixed reaction to this safe parking program.
Local
“I’m all for helping them out, but they have to do their part too because it’s not fun when you go somewhere and there is trash laying there,“ neighbor Jim Jimenez said.
“As long as it’s safe, I don’t have a problem with it,“ neighbor Danielle Strong said.
The deputy mayor says safety is an ongoing conversation. For now, there are no dedicated police officers to the project. City senior management analyst Sal Roman says Dream for Change staffers are responsible for keeping the peace.
“It’s always a concern for safety for the actual businesses. We’ve been broken into sometimes. It's also just the cleanliness,“ business owner Beatriz Cervantes said.
Cervantes owns and operates the phone service Life Line, next to Apple Plaza. The section of Apple Street in front of it is flooded with people living in their cars. Last year, the city attempted to alleviate the congestion by installing streetlights and no parking hours.
“Sometimes we don’t have a place to park. Sometimes the customers don’t have a place to park,” Cervantes said.
The Safe Parking program welcomed its first clients an hour before the deadline to check in. That may speak to the need for it. Supporters and city leaders are banking on it being part of the solution.
According to the city senior management analyst, the program is funded primarily by state tax dollars but also charitable contributions. The lot will cost some $400,000 dollars to operate this year.
