With hundreds of people sleeping in their vehicles every night in San Luis Obispo, the city wants to help those people move into permanent housing.
There were 232 households on the wait list for the 40 Prado Safe Parking Program as of December 2024, according to the City of San Luis Obispo.
To address homelessness in the city, a rotating Overnight Safe Parking Pilot Program has been introduced, with the hope of helping more community members transition into housing.
“I think it’s a great idea, but I don't think it’s a great idea here,” said Jessica Burdine, San Luis Obispo resident.
“This isn’t something that belongs in a residential area,” added Alec Fronn, San Luis Obispo resident.
The program would allow overnight safe parking, rotating to a new location each month.
Fronn lives right across the street from one of the proposed locations at Journey Christian Fellowship Church.
“As a parent, I don't know if I would want a homeless parking lot right next to where my college kid is living,” Fronn said.
A mix of religious facilities, private properties, and city-owned properties throughout San Luis Obispo are being considered.
“We feel like it could be a great program. There are some sites set up outside of residential areas that would be good for this program,” Fronn said.
Burdine agrees.
“There's kids in our neighborhood. We already have so much traffic on this street. It's such a narrow street. We have limited parking for friends and family because we have French Hospital that is using our street for parking,” Burdine said.
The six different sites include:
- Calle Joaquin Park and Ride, 1545 Calle Joaquin
- City Corporation Yard, 25 Prado Rd.
- Damon Garcia Sports Complex Parking Lot, 680 Industrial Way
- Journey Christian Fellowship, 317 Foothill Blvd.
- Renovate Church, 2075 Johnson Ave.
- Congregation Beth David, 10180 Los Osos Valley Rd.
“I love the rotating model. It encourages a lack of others who are not a part of the program to be present and it also encourages others in the program to say, ‘Hey, I probably don’t want to be moving from site to site, I want to go for those 120 days in that permanent housing ASAP,'” said Pastor Jason Hickey, Renovate Church.
The proposed program will operate between 6-7 p.m. for site check-in and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for overnight parking.
“There will be 12 guests at a time. Not only are we far away from our closest neighbors but we are also closer to church property,” Hickey said.
KSBY News reporter McKenzie Diaz reached out to all six sites but so far has only heard back from Renovate Church.
Hickey is hoping to make a positive change.
“This wasn’t just a pastor decision, this was a pastor and leaders of the church and the church saying, we may not be able to fit every situation, but we can do something,” Hickey said.
The City of San Luis Obispo Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on January 22, 2025, at 6 p.m. at City Hall to review the sites that could host the rotating Overnight Safe Parking Pilot Program.
The program will be piloted for up to two years depending on the funding available.
