The city is considering adding commercial lots to the program, which provides safe parking and amenities for people living in cars.
The Palo Alto city council voted to make its Congregation-Based Safe Parking Program permanent, reports Lauren Martinez for ABC 7. The program lets people living in their cars park in designated church parking lots overnight and access restrooms and other services. “The city said this year, 34 individuals were connected to housing from these sites.”
According to a city survey, 88 percent of unhoused people in Palo Alto were sleeping in vehicles in January 2023. The new rules allow the churches to let more cars use their space and increase available safe parking space for RVs in a separate lot.
FULL STORY: Palo Alto makes safe parking program at churches permanent to help unhoused population
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
National Housing Group Criticizes Executive Orders
The National Low Income Housing Coalition issued a statement charging that Trump’s executive orders would worsen the housing crisis.
Omaha Homeless Services Providers Struggle to Keep Up
With the worst of winter weather ahead, shelter providers say there are not enough beds to meet the rising rate of homelessness in the city.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
Oak Park Plans Earth Month Events
Join Oak Park, Illinois, for a series of Earth Month events highlighting the importance of community engagement and education, integrating sustainability into local plans, and planning for the most vulnerable, such as birds, bees and butterflies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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