Score: +1
(1/1/0)
San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2023-2024
Safe Parking? Oklahoma is not Ok!
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 12 findings
F1
The Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village was established by San Luis Obispo County without a clear understanding of the requirements and risks involved and without a plan to operate and maintain the Site.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Child Welfare Services shall immediately remove all minor children from the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village pursuant to Penal Code Section 273 a(a).
F2
The policies and rules agreed to by the program participants, detailed in the safe parking contract that participants are required to sign, are inconsistently enforced or ignored entirely by those responsible for site management.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
By September 1, 2023, the County Administration shall establish a policy to require a fully executable plan for opening or closing of any future safe parking sites.
F3
The Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village has evolved from a place to park for a short period of time while seeking other housing options into a County-sanctioned homeless encampment.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
By September 1, 2023, the Homeless Services Division of the Department of Social Services shall update the participant contract for any safe parking sites. The contract must be appropriate, enforceable, and approved by the County Counsel.
F4
Modifications to the operations of the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village over time have largely been poorly improvised responses to problem situations rather than part of any clear plan.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
County Administration shall conduct operational reviews at least quarterly to assess the safe parking program needs and determine changes that might be required.
F5
Criminal activity makes the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village an unsafe place for its occupants. Poor security exposes the residents to drug use, acts of violence, and entry by recently released jail inmates and banned persons.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The County shall maintain 24/7 security provided by a licensed security contractor at Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village. HSD shall conduct monthly reviews to assess the adequacy of site security and address any deficiencies. Empower the on-site security to enforce contract rules and policies.
F6
The Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village is in an unsanitary condition and the County has failed to provide the basic utilities necessary for acceptable living conditions.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
SLO County Public Health Department shall conduct monthly inspections of safe parking sites to identify potential health and safety violations.
F7
Fire safety is a major concern. While Cal Fire has inspected the Site and made
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
Future safe parking sites should be provided with potable water, sewer, electrical, internet access, and proper drainage.
F8
Allowing children to live at the Site in its current state places them in a situation where the children's health and safety are endangered and exposed to high risk individuals in violation of California Penal Code Section 273a(a).
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
By September 1, 2023, the Office of Emergency Services shall develop and implement a fire safety plan and a hazardous material storage plan for safe parking sites.
F9
There has been no alignment within County management on how to run the Site and the Department of Social Services (DSS) has been unable to find an agreeable third party provider to assume complete management of the Site.
Related Recommendations (1)
R9
By September 1, 2023, County Administration shall establish a date to close the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village.
F10
The County and CAPSLO have not followed all of their contractual obligations. Case management was not established contractually until early 2022. County contract oversight was inadequate to ensure expected outcomes and services continue under an expired contract.
Related Recommendations (1)
R10
To facilitate the closure of the Site, the County HSD shall immediately provide all necessary casework services to assist residents with mental health, substance abuse, housing, employment, benefits eligibility, etc.
F11
The cost, difficulty and challenges of operating the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village are detracting from the County’s five-year plan for addressing homelessness.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11
To facilitate the closure of the Site, relocate running and registered RVs currently at the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village to Coastal Dunes RV Park.
F12
Although the County has announced the intention to close the site, it will continue to operate for an uncertain period of time during which the above findings are still valid, exposing the residents of the site to significant risks and the County of San Luis Obispo to potential liabilities.
No recommendations for this finding
Conclusions 6
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CL1Safe Parking Programs will continue to play an important role in addressing homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. Despite the many issues encountered with the Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village project, there remains a critical need in SLO County for designated and secure parking lots/spaces and connections to social services for persons who are living in vehicles. 23 McElwain, L., Schiele, D., & Waheed, L. (2021). Smart practices for safe parking: A nationwide review of safe parking programs for people sheltering in vehicles, available at: https://priceschool.usc.edu/wp- content/uploads/2021/06/Smart-Practices-for-Safe-Parking-USC-2021.pdf 24 See Appendix D 25 Jansen, L., & Tauber, R. (2017). Safe Parking Program Manual, New Beginnings Counseling Center. Submitted June 12, 2023 22
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CL2The homeless who reside in RVs have unique characteristics and needs, necessitating a tailored approach to services and support for this group. The 2022 San Luis Obispo County Point-in-Time Count found that 50% of homeless persons living in vehicles resided in RVs. Research studies have found that the housing and services needs of this group are different from those who live in other types of vehicles.26,27 For example, RV-dwellers may not be interested in case management services, as was the case for some of the participants at Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village. RVers may be more reluctant to accept non-permanent housing options because they fear they will return to homelessness after temporary housing ends. They may also consider their RVs a better option than other alternatives in terms of safety, privacy, and freedom. Communities are beginning to explore different alternatives to support this group. In a recent study, RV dwellers in Oakland, for example, expressed positive opinions of a proposed Rent Parking Program model and stated they were willing to pay approximately one-third of their income for rent.28 Existing RV parks in SLO County such as Coastal Dunes RV Park and Campground29 may be an option for this type of program, with a sliding scale fee structure.
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CL3For vehicles other than RVs, safe parking facilities should be limited to overnight use only. Restricting presence to a 12-hour overnight timeframe prevents encampments from developing at safe parking facilities. It also expands the number of potential locations by enabling lots to be dual-purpose, with different day and night uses.
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CL4Engaging the services of a third-party provider of homeless services should be the first step by the County for any new safe parking program. The design and operation of safe parking programs require specialized knowledge and expertise as well as adequate levels of staffing with experience and skills in providing homeless services. The County is ill-equipped to fill this role, and the inability to find a third-party 26 Wakin, M. (2005). Not sheltered, not homeless: RVs as makeshifts. American Behavioral Scientist (48:8), pp. 1013-1032. 27 Giamarino, C., Blumenberg, E., & Brozen, M. (2022). Who lives in vehicles and why? Understanding vehicular homelessness in Los Angeles. Housing Policy Debate. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2022.2117990 28 Pruss, G., Knight, K., Resnikoff, N., & Kushel, M. (2022). The long road home: Housing and service needs of people who inhabit oversized vehicles in Oakland’s public parking. Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative; University of California San Francisco. 29 https://slocountyparks.com/camp/coastal-dunes/ Submitted June 12, 2023 23 provider to operate Oklahoma Avenue Parking Village shows the difficulties of transitioning from a County-run program.
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CL5A decentralized structure of safe parking facilities located throughout the County vs. a centralized location would have significant advantages. Many of the vehicular homeless have become recently unhoused and have strong ties to the community. The ability to stay near a social network of relatives and friends, familiarity with employment options in an area, etc. can greatly benefit these individuals and lead to better outcomes. This would also facilitate the engagement of local non-profits and churches, with understanding of local conditions and resources.
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CL6Selective screening for participation in safe parking programs can lead to better outcomes. Some safe parking programs screen applicants to identify those who are most likely to benefit from housing placement services. This can increase the overall housing success rate as well as maximizing the number of households that can be served over time. Other programs take the additional step of dedicating certain safe parking sites for specific demographic groups – e.g., veterans, families, seniors. This approach enables properly targeted services to be provided to most effectively meet the needs of those groups.
Agency Responses 1
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.