By Elliott Elm, MSc. Planning (University of Alberta)
What is “vehicle dwelling”? How common is it?
Vehicle dwelling represents both those who choose to live in their vehicles and those who are sheltering in their vehicles as a last resort. This can be an emergency, a seasonal, or a long-term option. Due to housing barriers, instability, and capacity issues, many individuals opt to stay in their vehicles overnight. For some, sleeping in their vehicle feels safer than in a shelter, and by not accessing a shelter, they actively resist labels of homelessness (Wakin, 2005).
Anti-vehicle residency laws are the fastest-growing method for criminalizing sleeping in public according to the National Law Center (Bauman et al., 2019). Navigating the public realm while living in a vehicle can be challenging and pushes people to the peripheries of their community and away from accessing services. Some of these discriminatory bylaws are also used in Canada, which perpetuates stigma and removes people from the public sphere. A vehicle can often be a last asset and many individuals are at the constant risk of losing it entirely, which further advances poverty and reduces economic resiliency.
Currently, municipal data for vehicular homelessness is untracked or underreported. The vehicle-lined urban streetscape can hide those sheltering in vehicles. This can shift the conversation towards those who are more visible. PiT (point in time) counts federally bundle sleeping in vehicles within the unsheltered homeless category, which can further obscure this perspective. In US cities where this statistic is tracked, findings have indicated that vehicular homelessness represents 30-50% of unsheltered people, with as many as 14,000 people in Los Angeles relying on vehicles for shelter (Giamarino et al., 2020) (Berton, 2021).
What are safe parking programs? Why are safe parking programs important?
Safe Parking Programs are designed to provide a secure place for people to shelter in their vehicles overnight. This off-street option sets aside a protected space in underutilized vacant lots. The timeline for housing services to break this insecurity cycle may be around a year, as the rate of vehicle occupancy drops by over half among individuals who have been homeless for 12 months or longer (Flaming et al., 2018). In this sense, parking enforcement may be hindering the community’s resilience when no Safe Lots are provided. These programs can be organized as a temporary and preventative measure that supports inclusion and dignity.
Programs can be organized through a non-profit, religious organization, or local government. The number of these programs has increased in recent years to include Safe Parking in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota. Despite these advancements in the U.S., Safe Parking Programs have had issues connecting to funding due to not meeting the criteria for an emergency shelter (Berton, 2021). Furthermore, the U.S Supreme Court ruled this week that cities can now ban sleeping in public (Ludden, 2024).
In Canada, Canmore also has pioneered its own pilot version but has tied access to a fee and employment in the area. Many programs have expanded their offerings to include essentials such as showers, bathrooms, and meals. Other services include employment assistance, vehicle maintenance, internet access, and housing navigation support. Successful examples have even developed a sense of community, promoting social connection and knowledge sharing.
What or where is the opportunity for Edmonton with regard to safe parking?
Edmonton, like many other Canadian cities, has an excellent opportunity to advance pathways to secure and stable housing through Safe Parking Programs by allowing new programming to work in conjunction with Housing First strategies. Construction of new affordable and supportive housing takes time, and parallel strategies can assist people where they are now. This can be broken down into 3 key areas: programs, partnerships and policy.
Programs
The City of Edmonton can learn from other Safe Parking models and implement a solution that best fits its goals and unique landscape. Edmonton has been an innovative planning leader in Canada and can continue this by creating a Safe Parking program and framework that other large municipalities can build from.
Edmonton Council has recently reviewed a report indicating 275 centrally located parking lots that are primarily operating without a permit. The City also has vacant land of its own that could facilitate a Safe Parking Program rapidly and cost-effectively.
Partnerships
The City of Edmonton already has strong partnerships with housing focused community organizations that it can collaborate with on Safe Parking. New partnerships may allow for further flexibility in program offerings and regional support. Through partnerships, more advanced data sharing can allow for a more holistic understanding of this phenomenon.
Policy
An analysis of parking and public space bylaws is needed to understand the impact on people sheltering in their vehicles. One example of an Edmonton bylaw is that vehicles parked for 72 hours in one location are considered abandoned. An analysis of bylaws like this can get to the root of the issue, and if it is generating the desired result. Policymakers should understand that vehicles provide enhanced mobility, security, storage, privacy, heating and economic opportunities. Some financial assistance programs qualify vehicles as assets that prohibit access for support.
This topic extends into other important conversations about how public space should be used, what is considered housing, and how mobility and citizenship are entangled. To learn more about Safe Parking contact me at eelm@ualberta.ca or read my research paper about planning for mobilities in the margin.
References
Wakin, M. (2005). Not Sheltered, Not Homeless: RVs as Makeshifts. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(8), 1013-1032. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764204274197
Bauman, T., Bal, R., Barr, K., Foscarinis, M., Ryan, B., & Tars, E. (2019). Housing not handcuffs 2019: Ending the criminalization of homelessness in U.S. cities. National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.
Giamarino, C., Brozen, M., & Blumenberg, E. (2023). Planning for and Against Vehicular Homelessness: Spatial Trends and Determinants of Vehicular Dwelling in Los Angeles. Journal of the American Planning Association, 89(1), 80–92. https://doi-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/10.1080/01944363.2022.2050936
Berton, M. (2021). The Rise of Vehicular Homelessness and the Safe Parking Movement. Kennedy School Review, 21, 41.
Flaming, D., Burns, P., Carlen, J., Escape Routes: Meta-Analysis of Homelessness in L.A. (April 28, 2018). Economic Roundtable Report 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3202467
Ludden J. (June 28, 2024) US Supreme Court says cities can punish people for sleeping in public places.