SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Safe parking lots in San Diego County are proving effective in helping people who recently became homeless transition to stable housing, with more than half of participants finding permanent living situations.
A new safe parking lot in Grantville opened last week, joining two other county-owned locations that provide meals, bathroom access, and support services to people living in their vehicles.
"Generally we see people who live in their vehicles are newly homeless, they're holding on to their last possession. They just need that little bit of help to get back on their feet," said Dijana Beck, director of San Diego County's Office of Homeless Solutions.
Beck credits these lots with contributing to the county's recent decrease in people experiencing homelessness.
"We're very encouraged by the recent trend so we hope we can keep going in this direction," Beck said.
The county opened its first safe parking lot in East County in 2022, providing a secure overnight location for vehicle dwellers.
"Well at least it's a safe place to park. Before I didn't have a safe place to park, I'd always have to move around," one woman at the East County location said at the time.
Dreams for Change, the nonprofit managing these lots, reports high success rates in transitioning people out of homelessness.
"The housing process starts from day one. As soon as they're walking through the doors," said Samantha Rogers, a Dreams for Change representative.
Recent data from the organization shows more than 50% of people staying in safe parking lots last year found stable living situations, with a similar trend emerging halfway through this year.
"It will definitely look different for every household as far as where they're going to end up and how long it'll take to get there," Rogers said.
The nonprofit reports it takes an average of three months for people to transition out of county-owned safe parking lots. During this time, case workers help participants reunite with family, find Section 8 or transitional housing options, or budget for their own rental.
While there are no immediate plans to expand the program, county officials expect to continue operating these safe parking sites for years to come.
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