The allocation of a parking lot in Sedona, Arizona as a space for homeless people to live in their cars has engendered outrage among local residents and raised the prospect of more similar encampments nationwide.
The Sedona City Council voted 6-1 to pass the Safe Place to Park program, which will allow for a parking lot to provide overnight parking for 40 vehicles whose owners can provide proof of employment or education. In addition, shower and restroom amenities will also be provided for those living at the parking lot. The council argued that such measures were a small means of relief considering the significant gap between the average rent and average income in the area.
The proposal already has many Sedona residents incensed. Sedona resident Bill Noonan, who has organized a petition against the parking lot encampment, has stated that some residents feel that the council is not representing their interests, while others “don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage homeless sites in Sedona.” Some members of the city council have also expressed reservations about the arrangement, as Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow admitted, “No one’s really proud, because this isn’t really the answer.”
Sedona’s program is not unique.
Across the country, other cities are beginning to repurpose parking lots for homeless housing. In Los Angeles, 60 percent of the homeless population lives in their vehicles, while Colorado has instituted a similar program for so-called “mobile homeless communities.” According to the New York Times, half of the individuals in Denver who are using these safe parking lots were employed, but unable to afford rent in the area.
Meanwhile, the concept is now beginning to attract federal support, as Rep. Salud Carbajal (D, CA) proposed in January to use federal funds to support the creation and expansion of so-called safe parking areas on account of “the difference these programs make in responding to the housing crises we are facing.”