The Oklahoma Ave. Safe Parking Site, located off Highway 1 near the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, was supposed to shut down on Monday, but more than a dozen people remain after a judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the planned closure.
According to county officials, the site was established in 2021 as a temporary location for homeless individuals and families to stay in their vehicles while they looked for more permanent housing.
But in January, a group called the Homeless Union of San Luis Obispo filed a lawsuit against the county claiming officials failed to provide actual alternative housing.
Less than two weeks after that lawsuit was filed, the county announced the parking site would be closed on March 18. That's when the Homeless Union filed for the restraining order, which a judge reportedly granted on Friday.
"People need a place to go, safe place to go," said Anthony Prince, attorney for the Homeless Union. "They need a place where they won't be threatened with the loss of their RVs, ticketing, towing, or permanently losing the only home they have, so we're hoping we can work it out, but if not, we'll proceed further and we'll make our argument to the court as to why we need a longer injunction."
San Luis Obispo County officials say the closure of the Oklahoma Ave. Safe Parking Site is now delayed until 4:20 p.m. on Friday, March 29.
As of March 14, 16 people remained on-site, according to the county. Officials say the county will continue to provide those people with services and resources in hopes that they "pursue safe and stable housing solutions."
KSBY News reached out to county officials for further comment but was told they are not granting interviews about the Oklahoma Ave. site at this time.
