Visitors are no longer allowed at the Oklahoma Parking Village site in San Luis Obispo.
Joe Dzvonik, San Luis Obispo County’s Homeless Services Division Manager, says the change became effective Thursday and was at the request of longtime residents at the site, also known as the Kansas Avenue Safe Parking site, who he says inquired about how security could be improved.
He says in recent weeks there have been a significant number of drug overdoses at the site located off Highway 1 near the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. Dzvonik says they believe visitors were contributing to drug use and distribution at the safe parking location.
Security guards staff the site 24/7 and will turn away any unregistered clients.
Flyers handed out at the location say clients must make arrangements to meet visitors in advance outside the fenced area.
The safe parking location is not permanent.
The County has said it’s time to phase out the program, which was established in 2021 as a way to temporarily house homeless families living in their vehicles.
At any given time, it houses around 65 to 75 residents.
Dzvonik says there is no timeline on when the site will close.
Multiple service providers have just started going to the site to meet with clients. From there they will work to see where the best locations are for people to go and help them transition to another location, but no timeline for the process has been given.
