Los Angeles is home to nearly 10% of the U.S. homeless population, and close to 7,000 people now live in RVs. For many, simply finding a safe, legal place to park is a daily battle. A new pilot program is trying to change that.
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The state’s first long-term safe parking lot for RV dwellers has opened in LA. Backed by county officials, the site includes:
• 14 parking spaces
• Electrical hookups
• Clean restrooms and showers
• Three meals a day
• 24-hour security
Many RV residents work full-time but can’t afford local rents. Without legal parking, they’re forced to move constantly. Some describe the “knock of shame”—being awakened and told to leave. This lot brings relief from that daily stress.
County Supervisor Holly Mitchell led the project, managed by Shower of Hope. The goal: help residents transition from RVs to permanent housing. Program leaders say that giving people safety and dignity also restores a sense of belonging.
Many RV dwellers are employed. They’re not addicts or criminals—they’re priced out. This program gives them tools to rebuild while easing pressure on neighborhoods and businesses.
Safe parking areas like this enable RV residents room to breathe and a shot at moving forward. Mitchell hopes this project inspires more across the LA area. As she says: “That’s going to mean creating space.”
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RVT1221b
It’s a wonderful idea and hopefully other facilities like it will be made available. There was no mention of a dump on site, but without one there could be sanitation problems arising quickly. The article does mention clean restrooms, so that’s a plus. In the LA area and elsewhere, there are some streets that are notorious for being lined with what appears to be permanently parked and downtrodden RVs. Moving those to safe designated locations will probably be appreciated by homeowners and businesses in those areas.
I can’t decide if this is good or bad or hopeful or just a silly virtue signal.
24% of the countries homeless live in California, totalling >195,000. More than 40% of those live in Los Angeles County totalling about 80,000 and 7,000 live in RVs. IF 2 ppl per RV is 3,500 RVs and at 50% double occupancy, 5,000 RVs.
14 spaces on 1 gross acre of land, huh? All they need are 250-350 of more of these 1 acre sites spread around throughout the county and 20-30 county run honey wagons, 500-700 armed guards, a fuel card and hopefully the neighborhood kids stay away from +/-300 neighborhood injection sites?
Skeptical.
Happy trails ✌️ 😎
Stay skeptical. That means that there is a possible chance. 🙂
It’s not meant to house all homeless. It’s a transition project, so they have a safe place to get on their feet and then get into regular housing. As they do, others take their place. And just because it doesn’t solve 100% of the problem does not mean it’s a failure waiting to happen.
Yup, could be helpful. 3 months of transition time each RV is 56 per year for 90 years. My point is that this truly is just not enough but it is certainly a start. Gotta try something I guess.
Thank you for the news, RV Travel! I share Cancelproof’s skepticism. 14 spots seems trivial. The intent is transition, but I am curious about the incentives to transition from this situation, should one have the good fortune to be selected for one of the 14 “golden tickets.” At this point, one can hope that the implementation of the idea of helping works, but so far it is mostly “sound and fury, signifying” … little. Have a great day and safe travels!
What is the incentive to move on?
Is there a set time limit that they can stay?
This is not much different than public housing. Low or no rent, free or deeply discounted utilities. All subsidized by taxes paid by the general public.
We have two of these large low income developments near us. Generations of families have been living there with absolutely no reason to better themselves.
They pay no local or county property taxes, but expect all the benefits.
If only we could identify 4 or 5 or 6 million acres of BLM land and build some real estate inventory so we could lower rents or home prices. Now let me see…. I think I read an article somewhere about BLM land auctions recently….. hmmm.
The same article you spread your “no credibility” BeeEss in.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
14 parking spaces, Electrical hookups, Clean restrooms and showers, Three meals a day and 24-hour security. I know the article mentions this parking lot is managed by Shower of Hope, but what was the initial start up cost and who continues to pay for these services? The current occupants, or the taxpayers? Who receives and redistributes the money? What is the accountability? Just asking.
All the above are valid comments. As long as it is a “Hand up; and not a hand out”.
Taxpayers, who else?
USAID…. well, not anymore, but you get my point.
7000 minus 14 equals 6986. Where do they go? Cost per spot?
Interestingly, I didn’t see any mention of stay limits.
If the intent is temporary relief to help folks get steady footing, that’s sensible. If the unintended consequence gives the less inclined an easier path to be less inclined, history suggests it’ll fail like the other billions of dollars Californians have spent doing that.
This can be a real help for responsible people who are struggling for housing. But is anything else being done to lower the cost of housing to help eliminate this problem? Can anything else be done? I’d hate to see this be another ‘addressing the symptom, ignoring the disease’ remedy.
When I was in the service in California their wages were high compared to back here in Pa. Instead of California making laws that hurt us in other states. They should spend that money on resolving the housing problem for homeless. Especially those that are at least working. Maybe start a lottery with proceeds going to help house the homeless. With technology there will be less jobs in the future.
The scourge that mostly began in Cali. migrated right up the West coast back in the 50’s- 60’s and ruined the western third of the state of Oregon, and Washington, with Cali. values. Too much pot…too much dope…too much crime…this adds to the creation of homeless camps, along with corporate greed that has jacked up housing prices all over the country.
I find myself in rare agreement JB. If only we could find 6 million new acres and build some housing inventory and lower rents…. now let me see….. where did I read an article about some available land.
In the same article you spread your other BeeEss in.
LOL, HAHAHAHA. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
With sincerity JB, you made me laugh today. Not with any malice or spite in my heart. Quite simply, you gave me a good old fashioned belly laugh.
✌️and love, brother.
Maybe I’m a skeptic, but I really can’t see how 14 (28 if they are couples) people can possibly make a dent in 7000 people! To me, it sound more like a “political ad op” of “look, we are trying to fix the situation!”…14 is NOT fixing the situation, even a child can do that math!
The journey of a 1000 miles, begins with a single step….
Yup. One step a day for 1000 years and we’ve got this handled.
Inside of trying to reduce living and housing costs in LA, the fools of the city and state now want folks that are paying their property taxes, or landlords, to now add to the tax burden by subsidizing free campgrounds. They would be better off developing large county run CGs where they could at least gain some revenue by renting out sites to tourists and the like.
14 spaces—7,000 homeless. I guess they need to start somewhere but this has been an issue for longer than a minute.