Sleeping in Vehicles–a Simple Human Reality: Stirring in Monterey

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NOTES BY NORSE:  Overnight parking in a church parking lot (for three vehicles only) as well as two-vehicles only overnight parking in business and/or non-profit lots.  Unfortunately this isn’t something most private owners or churches will agree to.  Considering there are 1500-2000 homeless in the City (and far more in the  County), it leaves the overwhelming majority in an illegal status.  Obviously campgrounds, and decriminalized zones, or a broader “camp but don’t litter” law is what’s needed until such time as there is affordable housing and meaningful work.  The situation really hasn’t improved since Santa Cruz passed these minor changes in 1995 (for churches) and 1999 (for businesses and non-profits).  It took lots of activist pressure and protesters risking arrest to get that far.
Sunny & Brian from Monterey report that this “overnight parking” proposal is happening at the same time as massive sweeps to move homeless people out of Monterey into Seaside.   It could also be PR cover to pass “no parking at night on public streets” and “no smoking” laws (which target the homeless) and were passed “for consideration” at a Council meeting several months ago.
Palo Alto activists continue to credibly claim that having a simple right to sleep in one’s vehicle provided one is committing no other crimes does not result in either a magnet effect or a crime wave, NIMBY outcry notwithstanding.  They are still fighting to stop a vehicular habitation ban coming up in August in their city.

Monterey Considers Overnight Parking For Homeless

Posted: Jul 19, 2013 5:52 PM PST Updated: Jul 19, 2013 5:52 PM PST

By Marissa Pendergrass –

MONTEREY, Calif.-  A peninsula-wide effort to give the homeless a safe place to park and sleep overnight.  That’s what the city of Monterey said it wants work toward on Friday.  We found out how this idea could be modeled after other Central Coast cities already doing something similar.

“Maybe an outhouse, something you know that we can use, bathrooms that are adequate for us,” said Loretta Talbott.

Talbott said she moves around a lot by choice, but having a safely monitored spot to crash on the Monterey Peninsula may help her become a bit more stable.  RVs, campers and cars are not allowed to stay overnight at most parking lots or parks across the peninsula.  Now Monterey is considering the idea of a system where people can legally stay and feel safe.  The city initially talked about the idea of using city parks.

“There was no way that the public was going to be accepting of the idea of using our city parks as campgrounds,” said Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer.

Monterey said it’s working with non-profits like the Salvation Army to find parking lots safe for an overnight stay.  The location would rotate, so no one stays in that same spot for too long.  Monterey is looking to Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo and Palo Alto for to grab the best advice.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation and you have a wide array of homeless folks, each with a different set of needs,” Meurer said.
Monterey will take a look at the idea of a homeless overnight system again on August 6th.