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Report regarding information on a temporary safe parking program (Rich Lee, Assistant City Manager; Adam Plank, Police Captain; Pierce Abrahamson, Housing Programs Analyst; Dave Bockhaus, Deputy Public Works Director)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council receive the staff report and provide direction on further action, if any.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In April 2025, the City Council held a special meeting to conduct a study session on homelessness. For reference, the staff report is included as Attachment 1. The City Council directed staff to gather more information on a temporary safe parking program.
In the intervening time, staff conducted site visits with the cities of Mountain View and San Jose.
City of Mountain View
Program Overview
Mountain View has operated a temporary safe parking program (TSPP) for the past eight years. Mountain View’s TSPP has four sites in operation with a total of 105 spaces. Staff toured Shoreline Lot B, which is Mountain View’s largest TSPP site, which accommodates up to 46 recreational vehicles (RVs). The site is managed by Move Mountain View (Move MV), a nonprofit organization that was developed in collaboration with religious organizations. The site is on a former landfill, so participants must have a methane monitoring device on each RV, which is provided by the City. While the site does not have security staff, it does have site monitors.
Program Requirements
RVs are required to be registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), operable, and insured. Participants must agree to have a case manager as a condition of the TSPP.
Site Features
The site provides Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible portable restrooms and handwashing stations. Electricity is not provided, as doing so would make the site an RV park, so participants use generators to provide power. Participants are provided with pumping vouchers for their RVs, mobile showers, laundry, a bookmobile, and mobile healthcare. Nonprofit organizations provide cellular service to participants. In addition to following the State Fire Code requirement of a 10’ perimeter around each RV, the City has placed fire extinguishers between each RV, which has saved life and property when an RV fire occurred.
There is no time limit for participants’ duration, and the City has placed many individuals in transitional/permanent housing - approximately 20-30 percent. According to Move MV, the resources available to assist participants in securing permanent housing are highly dependent on the participant’s history and background. For example, while many participants eventually transition to permanent housing through voucher programs, non-citizens typically have fewer options to secure enough income to afford permanent housing due to frequent ineligibility for housing programs.
Funding
The current program cost is $2.1 million per year. Since the inception of the Shoreline site, the City’s share of the contribution to Move MV has remained consistent at $0.7 million. Santa Clara County has consistently paid the remainder of the cost. For the current fiscal year, the county’s share is $1.4 million.
City of San Jose
Program Overview
San Jose operated a Safe and Supportive Parking Program (SSPP) from 2018-2021 and since 2023. San Jose’s SSPP has two sites in operation (Berryessa and Santa Theresa) with a total of 127 spaces. Staff toured the SSPP site at Berryessa, which is San Jose’s largest SSPP site, which accommodates up to 85 recreational vehicles (RVs). The site opened in March 2025. The site is managed by WeHOPE, a nonprofit organization based out of East Palo Alto. WeHOPE provides two meals per day for each participant. The City’s outreach teams conduct priority outreach within a 1.5-mile radius. City staff also administer the waiting list, which is maintained at 20 applicants.
Program Requirements
In contrast to the RVs in Mountain View’s TSPP, RVs at the Berryessa site are not required to be registered with the DMV, operable, or insured. If an eligible applicant’s RV is non-operable, the applicant can have the RV towed to the Berryessa site. While applicants are limited to adults, at the time of the site visit in August 2025, a few exceptions were made. Similar to the Mountain View program, San Jose provides each SSPP participant a case manager who meets with their clients once a week.
Site Features
The site provides several single-occupant restrooms and clothes washer/dryers. Similar to the Mountain View program, San Jose does not provide electricity, so participants use generators and photovoltaic panels to provide power. A free medical mobile clinic comes once a week, which also provides mental health, wellness checks, and referrals. The SSPP also follows the State Fire Code requirement of setting a 10’ perimeter between each RV. The site features a community garden and 24-hour security.
There is no time limit for participants’ duration, however, as of the time of the site visit in August 2025, the Berryessa SSPP site had only been in operation for five months and had already placed 21 participants into housing.
During Fiscal Year 2024-2025, approximately 29% of participants became permanently housed in 2024-2025, with an average length of stay of 286 days. San Jose allows residents to stay indefinitely at the SSPP sites. According to LifeMoves, one of the greatest challenges to successfully transitioning participants at the Santa Theresa site is the high cost of housing.
Funding
The total cost for San Jose’s Berryessa SSPP site is $4.2 million per year. In contrast to Mountain View, San Jose does not own the Berryessa SSPP site. The City secured a 10-year lease for a 6.3-acre property and is paying $1.4 million for Fiscal Year 2025-26 (that will increase to $1.8 million by Fiscal Year 2032-33). The City entered into an agreement with WeHOPE for $2.8 million to manage the site for the first year.
City of Pacifica
Program Overview
In response to settling litigation that stemmed from its Oversized Vehicle (OSV) Ordinance and Vehicular Habitation Ordinance, the City of Pacifica began a TSPP in February 2022. In contrast to Mountain View and San Jose’s programs, Pacifica’s TSPP has 13 specific parking spaces available for RVs. Pacifica’s TSPP is managed by Pacifica Resource Center (PRC), which is a core service agency for the City. The City’s TSPP provides participants living in an operational RV, trailer, or motorhome with operating restroom facilities a temporary parking space for up to 29 days at a time as program participants endeavor to find permanent housing. However, since June 2025, the City has issued multi-month permits to participants. Case management is required and as of September 2024, the program has a 27% success rate transitioning participants into permanent housing. According to the City of Pacifica, participants have found housing through a variety of methods, including vouchers from Veteran Affairs and Moving to Work programs and gaining access to additional income to afford market-rate housing.
PRC’s scope of work includes the following:
• Review of program applications;
• Issue permits for:
o Regular Permit for applicants who meet the criteria for the TSPP for a single term of 29 days with the potential to renew for additional 29-day terms at a different parking space;
o Provisional Permit for applicants who do not meet all the program criteria at the time the application is filed and may need additional time to comply with the program for one single term of 29 days with no renewal period. A maximum of six Provisional Permits may be issued by PRC;
o Short-Term Permit for oversized vehicle parking for not more than 72 hours at parking sites that are not assigned to Regular Permit or Provisional Permit holders.
• Assign parking spaces;
• Require compliance with codes of conduct;
• Provide written documentation to permit holders;
• Assist with maintenance of parking spaces;
• Co-host mobile dumping stations; and
• Provide periodic reports to the City on the status of the TSPP.
Program Requirements
TSPP permit holders must:
• Abide by the Code of Conduct, which requires:
o Proper disposal of gray water (wastewater from sinks, showers, baths, and laundry) and black water (sewage from toilets and urinals);
o Proper disposal of trash and recyclables;
o Personal property to be kept within RVs and no personal property around the exterior of the RV (i.e. chairs, tables, tarps, barbecues);
o No outdoor cooking or lighting any fires;
o No storage of hazardous materials in or around the RV;
o No illegal drug use or sales, illegal activities, or violence;
o Proper pet control;
o No blocking any access to the sidewalk;
o Consideration of neighbors and no loitering or trespassing; and
o Compliance with all laws during program participation.
• Sign a Release of Liability, which specifies that:
o Participants assume all risks of program participation;
o PRC and the City of Pacifica shall not be held liable for any injury or damages; and
o No tenancy rights are created through program participation.
Funding
The original agreement between the City of Pacifica and PRC was for a three-year term at a cost of $330,000 for the first year (Fiscal Year 2022-23), then $363,000 each for the second and third years (2023-24 and 2024-25). In June 2025, the Pacifica City Council authorized an extension of the TSPP and an amendment to the agreement with PRC. The amendment extended the term by one year and expanded the program with an additional 10 spaces (for a total of 23 spaces) for a total cost of $412,000. The additional 10 spaces are rented from the San Francisco RV Resort (SFRV) in Pacifica, which constitutes $204,000 of the total program cost. The remaining cost of $208,000 is for PRC to continue operating the TSPP.
City of South San Francisco
City staff have been conducting due diligence in response to City Council direction from the study session in April 2025. Police Department staff gathered the following information in preparation for this follow up item:
Beginning in February, Police Department staff have monitored the status of RVs every month, specifically the total number used for housing, along with their current locations. On average, there are 18 RVs parked on city streets each month, with a high of 22 and a low of 12.
During the most recent count in September, Police Department staff located 20 RVs within the City. The highest concentrations were located on the 300 block of South Maple Avenue (three) and the 400 block of North Canal Street (three).
Police Department staff attempted to contact every individual associated with those 20 RVs and learn about their current living situation. Staff was only able to contact individuals at ten of the RVs. The other ten RVs were either unoccupied at each attempt, refused to acknowledge our attempts, did not have accurate contact information, or the RV moved to a different location before contact. A representative from LifeMoves assisted with this process and offered resources when applicable.
Based on the survey of RV occupants, of the ten RVs contacted within the city, nine stated that they would be interested/willing to participate in a potential TSPP and one declined all services. It should be noted that six of the nine individuals also said they would also accept alternative housing resources but were concerned about leaving their RV and personal belongings unattended if they participated in those programs. This information indicates there could be an increase in individuals accepting housing services if there was an option to temporarily store unattended RVs.
Site Considerations
Staff from the Housing Division of the Economic and Community Development Department (ECD) conducted a scoping exercise on site operating costs for a potential TSPP in South San Francisco. Staff have researched peer jurisdiction budgets and practices and held a preliminary conversation with LifeMoves to determine key costs factors of operating such a program. Below are the findings of the scoping exercise:
1. Land is the number one cost variable. The City should prioritize public and free land. While the City of Mountain View operates their site with a no-cost lease agreement with the County of Santa Clara, the City of San Jose currently pays $1.4 million annually.
2. Costs are scaled to services offered.
a. Annual operating costs at the Mountain View Shoreline B site are approximately $9,600 per RV space.
b. Annual operating costs at San Jose’s Berryessa site are approximately $37,000 per RV space.
i. The above operating costs are independent of land. Actual operating costs for a potential TSPP program in South San Francisco would largely be driven by Council priorities for the program. Mountain View’s $9,600 per RV space is an example of a “basic amenities” benchmark, while San Jose’s $37,000 per RV space is an example of a “robust amenities” benchmark.
3. Thoroughly consider and capture site constraint costs in site analysis. LifeMoves advised selecting sites with utility connections, minimal environmental constraints, and public transit access. Their reasoning is provided below:
a. Utility connection availability. While the City may potentially save on upfront costs when selecting a site without utility connections, portable utilities tend to balloon costs due to frequent failure and associated legal, environmental, and unexpected staff time challenges. For example, at their Santa Theresa site in San Jose that utilizes a portable grey water solution, sewage spillage is so frequent that LifeMoves calls for restoration services at least every other week. Sewage clean-ups are typically $1,000 per incident, excluding any incident of property or environmental damage that further increases the costs. Similar issues have arisen with generator breakdowns.
b. Environmental constraints. Similar experience to the utility connection availability above. Flooding has been a major issue at San Jose’s Santa Theresa Boulevard site.
c. Public Transit Access. This could help control costs in the form of reducing the necessary parking spaces for non-RV vehicles. Offering transit vouchers could further encourage the use of public transit and reduce demand for increased resident and visitor parking space.
4. Consider streamlining regulatory approvals where possible.
a. According to LifeMoves, cost overruns are often attributed to complicated approval pipelines. For example, given how the City of San Jose and the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the joint venture partners of the Santa Theresa site, structured their partnership, LifeMoves frequently experiences challenges getting necessary operational action items approved in a timely manner. They attribute this to the regulatory and political hurdles of obtaining approvals from two separate approving bodies.
b. Should the City enter any joint partnerships, ECD advises consulting Mountain View staff further on how they structured their process with the County of Santa Clara. For similar reasons, the City should carefully evaluate the time and cost considerations of selecting any site within BCDC jurisdiction.
Site Selection/Preparation
Based on ECD’s above findings, and the cost prohibitive limitations of potential sites that could accommodate a potential TSPP, Public Works Department staff focused their site preparation estimates on the one site that the City owns and controls, which is the lot off San Mateo Avenue, Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 015-114-390. The table below provides site preparation cost estimates:
|
Item Description |
Unit Cost |
Quantity |
Total Cost |
|
Paving (70’ x 250’) |
$36.40 per sq ft |
17,500 sq ft |
$637,000 |
|
Thermoplastic Striping |
|
|
$8,300 |
|
Security Cameras |
$4,800 each |
4 units |
$19,200 |
|
Solar Lighting (SL36 model) |
$18,000 each |
7 units |
$126,000 |
|
Total Site Preparation Costs |
|
|
$790,500 |
Using the recent Throne restroom as an example, staff estimates that site facility costs would be approximately $86,000 per year.
FISCAL IMPACT
Based on information from benchmark safe parking programs in Pacifica, Mountain View, and San Jose, the annual operating cost for a potential TSPP could range from between $9,600 per space for a site with basic amenities to $37,000 per space for a site with robust amenities.
One-time site preparation of the City owned/controlled lot off San Mateo Avenue are estimated at $790,500.
The Fiscal Year 2025-26 adopted budget does not include any appropriations to support a potential TSPP. The City Council could opt to utilize the housing successor funds, but doing so would diminish funds that have been appropriated for the City’s emergency rental assistance program. The only other viable funding sources would be Measure W or General Fund reserves.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
A TSPP is consistent with the major focus areas of Housing and Supportive Services as well as Quality of Life for unhoused individuals that currently reside in RVs.
CONCLUSION
The above information provides data to inform the City Council’s direction regarding a potential temporary safe parking program.
Attachments
1. Staff report from Homelessness Study Session dated April 1, 2025
2. PowerPoint Presentation