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Supporters rally in Ocean Beach to keep vehicle habitation in place

Posted at 6:21 PM, May 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-08 21:23:51-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Wednesday, San Diegans who live in their cars rallied in Ocean Beach to press the city to allow living in vehicles, as residents in various neighborhoods pressure the city to ban the policy once again.

Earlier this year, San Diego City Council members repealed its vehicle habitation ordinance after a federal judge found it unconstitutional which halted all enforcement.

Then in March, Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced an effort to bring a ban back. The ordinance would prohibit residents from sleeping in their cars from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. within 500 feet of a school or house.

Residents say reversing the ban leads to broken glass, bottles of urine, drug paraphanelia, and excrement on sidewalks in some areas. But supporters of the policy said Wednesday they don't park in front of homes or litter along roads.

The city says they’ve received hundreds and hundreds of complaints about what people living in cars have done to their neighborhoods.

Currently the city is expanding a safe parking program that would allow people to park overnight at monitored sites.