Current and former residents of the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Village protested at the County Government Center in downtown San Luis Obispo to demand county officials stop the planned shutdown of the safe parking site.
The California Homeless Union filed a lawsuit against the County of San Luis Obispo in response to what they call “failed promises.”
According to county officials, the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Village was established in 2021 to provide people with a temporary place to rest and use services from other community partners.
But in that same year, multiple towns in the County of San Luis Obispo began enforcing ordinances prohibiting people from living in recreational vehicles on roadways.
The county is now planning to close the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Village site that 23 residents currently use.
The closure prompted the California Homeless Union to stage a protest Tuesday and file a lawsuit against the county.
“We think the county and CAPSLO have failed in their contractual obligation to assist people at the parking sites to get actual housing,” said Anthony Prince, an attorney for the California Homeless Union. “It’s still open but they’ve been kicking people out. They’ve been trying to get people to leave and they’ve been taking measures to close it by attrition.”
County officials are aware of the lawsuit and say they are looking at solutions to address the complaint.
“County council is addressing the complaint as they would with any other complaint that is brought to their attention,” said Suzie Freeman, the communications program manager of SLO County's Adult and Homeless Services Branch.
One protestor said the county did not fulfill its end of the bargain and should be held accountable.
“One of the goals of the county is to help the homeless individuals. But to kick out people and not fulfill your promises — somebody needs to be accountable for that,” said Mallory Mejia, San Luis Obispo Homeless Union president.
Last October, the county started a relocation assistance program that offers vehicle repairs and relocation assistance funds to help residents reconnect with their loved ones or find permanent housing.
“Both the community and its community partners have been working diligently to make sure that those that are living at the site have access to whatever they need to transition to their next step as they identify permanent housing,” said Mejia.
Mejia claims the conditions at the safe parking site have deteriorated.
"It’s starting to get worse out there and without the help that was promised to these people," Mejia. "I mean, they have nowhere to go."
County officials say that the safe parking site was not created for long-term stays and are now seeking other methods to help tackle homelessness in the community.
“It was never designed to be a long-term housing solution for anyone living there, because it hasn’t been able to meet that objective that’s part of the reason why we’re transitioning the site and dedicating county efforts towards other solutions that can more efficiently address homelessness,” said Freeman.
A county grand jury that inspected county-run facilities, including the Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site, was highly critical of the village in its May 2023 report.
That report stated, among other things, that the parking village was established “without a clear understanding of the requirements and risks” and “without a plan to operate and maintain” it.
The report found the parking village to be in unsanitary condition in part because of the county’s “failure to provide the basic utilities necessary for acceptable living conditions.”
That report also found the site to be unsafe due to criminal activity and drug use spurred by a lack of adequate security.
San Luis Obispo County officials told KSBY News that there is no firm date for the closing of the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Village at this time.
