SF mayor's proposal would stop RVs from parking on city streets for more than 2 hours per day
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On Tuesday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a plan that would eliminate RVs from city streets regardless of the time of day.
It's a new plan that would prohibit RVs from parking in city streets for more than two hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"It leads with compassion; it leads with services. It leads with places where people can live," said Mayor Lurie.
The mayor spoke about the legislation he is introducing in partnership with five of 11 city supervisors, focusing on the nearly 500 RVs the city identified have people actively living in them.
"Our goal is to address the large and oversize vehicles that proliferating across San Francisco. Our team have done a detailed census to take inventory of all the vehicles that are here today, and to make sure that we are able to both support those folks who are currently in vehicles and have a situation in the future where vehicles will be subject to that two-hour restriction," said Kunal Modi, chief of health of Homelessness and Family Services department.
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Part of the plan includes a proposed investment of $13 million over two fiscal years to offer options like housing vouchers, outreach services and continue investing in hotel vouchers.
"They are spending a huge amount of money on this, also money that could be spent on housing. They got the plan to tow hundreds of RVs which is also quite expensive. The likelihood is that those people will end up on the streets," said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco.
San Francisco is also planning to implement a buyback program where the city will offer cash for RV residents to relinquish their vehicles.
"I have a job. I'm getting ready to go to work except I just don't make enough to pay for rent. If I pay for rent, I need a second job. I'm 66 years old - I don't have energy to work two other jobs. So this is plan B," said JP, an RV resident in the Lake Merced area.
We met JP filling up his RV with gas. The RV has been his home for eight years.
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Luz Pena: "JP - has anyone from the city come here and offered you housing?"
JP: "Never, ever, anybody in any official position, not even outreach homeless organization comes here. The only people who come here are the cops who tell us we have 10 minutes to move."
The city's Homeless and Supportive Housing Department confirmed they don't have housing for everyone, yet that's why the proposal will also include giving RV residents a permit to park on the streets for up to six months while they go through the housing process. JP is number 97 in the city's waitlist for housing.
"I'm still waiting so if Mr. Mayor, you are listening - hey, give it a push," said JP.
HSH Full statement:
"Over the past several months the Mayor's Office, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the Municipal Transportation Authority, the Department of Emergency Management, the San Francisco Police Department and the Department of Public Health have been working closely to develop a comprehensive and multipronged strategy for addressing vehicle-based homelessness, especially for people living in large and oversized vehicles.
Today, Mayor Lurie introduced legislation to the Board of Supervisors that would expand housing opportunities for families and individuals experiencing vehicular homelessness while creating new restrictions with enforcement to prevent people from living in large vehicles on city streets long-term.
The legislation would establish a 24/7 two-hour parking restriction citywide for large vehicles and offer interim or permanent housing to those currently experiencing vehicular homelessness. To support this effort, the mayor has proposed $13 million over two fiscal years within his budget for rapid rehousing subsidies, a vehicle buyback program, and outreach and enforcement resources. The legislation will also create a short-term permit to ensure those living in large vehicles who are actively engaged in services are not displaced. Implementation will be led by an interagency group, integrated with the city's neighborhood-based street teams, offering services and enforcing parking regulations.
This proposal pulls together many best practices from around the country for addressing vehicular homelessness and strives to balance services, incentives and enforcement."
