Broward’s homeless people whose only roof over their head is their car might get some relief.
Fort Lauderdale and Broward County officials are in talks to work together to replicate what is known in San Diego as “Safe Parking,” where parking lots are designated for the homeless to spend the night without worrying about being arrested or being forced to move.
Just because “you can’t cure it, doesn’t mean you can’t treat it,” said Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Warren Sturman, of the homeless population.
Sturman is among those in Broward helping address homelessness. He said he came up with the idea to implement the parking lot project in Broward after seeing that initiative in California. “They are by and large working people, and there are children living in cars,” he said.
The program began in San Diego in 2010, according to the nonprofit Dreams for Change. Today, they operates three lots within the city and San Diego County at 76 spaces for cars in total. A fourth lot will open in August.
San Diego, California, city spokesman Matt Hoffman said the city owns four parking lots with 233 spaces, and the program is run by a nonprofit, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, which also owns and operates an additional two parking lots each with 50 spaces total of their own.
Later this year the city will expand by another 190 spaces because of the growing need, Hoffman said. The population tends to be the working poor with “first-time homeless and families” who have jobs and income and need short-term help.
“The lots are full — at or near capacity every single night,” Hoffman said.
Dreams for Change spokeswoman Kelly Spoon said it has been well-received: “It is the quickest way to get people back into housing,” she said. “People in safe parking are experiencing homelessness for the first time,” she said, and case managers and “housing navigators” help them find housing and get their finances in order. “It’s a very successful program,” she said.
To ward off crime, she said some Safe Parking sites have locked gates, the code only accessible by clients living there. Some have 24-hour security.
“There are little issues outside of domestic disputes,” Spoon said. “Sometimes you are really frustrated with your situation.”
Residents don’t just show up, rather they have to call first for a screening process to weed out sex offenders, and today there’s a waiting list of 25 households, Spoon said. Families with children do not get turned away, she said, “never ever ever.” Only the homeless with cars are permitted.
The length of time that people are part of the Safe Parking Program can vary greatly, according to Jesse Mendez, JFS Director of Safe Parking, through a spokeswoman.
“It depends on the clients’ current situation, goals, support system, finances, etc.,” Mendez said in an email. “We help them create a plan that will lead to securing more permanent housing, along with the tools, support and resources they need.”
Records show the upcoming newest lot will even have a pet relief turf area, as well as gates, fencing, lighting, shower and toilet trailers.
In Broward, the site is expected to be in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and while no location has been formalized, city officials are appealing to the state’s Department of Transportation for a slice of its property. There would be mobile showers and toilets.
Fort Lauderdale Acting City Manager Susan Grant said she’s also exploring if they can accommodate laundry services, and how that would be done. Tide Loads of Hope, run by the detergent company that bears its name, brings laundry trucks to areas right after a natural disaster such as flood, fire and hurricanes, to provide free laundry service, for example.
“It’s an idea that’s worth exploring,” she said.
Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher, who is working with Sturman on this project, said he’s excited about the potential to “help them feel safe.” He said security would likely be contracted by a security firm versus local law enforcement, but it depends on “what is most cost effective.”
If Safe Parking were to come to fruition, it wouldn’t be a total remedy for a pressing issue by the county and its cities: On Oct. 1, cities and counties will be required to enforce bans on sleeping on public property, including the beach, sidewalks, bus stops and parks, where the homeless may sleep, according to a new Florida law.
Then, come Jan. 1, cities and the county could face legal action from residents, businesses, or the attorney general for failing to comply with the new law within five days of a written complaint from any citizen.
“It doesn’t address the law at all,” Grant said. “But it’s some assistance to folks needing help.”
Still, said Sturman, the timing is fortuitous: “It gives us an impetus to do something,” he said. He said he was advised by San Diego officials: “Start small and start expanding.”
Fort Lauderdale Assistant City Manager Anthony Fajardo said San Diego also advised them: Have the lot close to mass transit to help people to get to work, and be mindful the designated space isn’t prone to flooding.
“I think it would be a good step forward,” he said. “Even if we do something small, we’re doing something. Do what you can when you can.”
Broward has an estimated 10,000 homeless adults and the number of children is approaching 3,000, county officials said. Broward officials said 1,287 families who are homeless and living in their cars have reached out for help since Oct. 1.
The efforts have drawn the praise of Laura Hansen, CEO of the Coalition to End Homelessness, who said homeless people in their cars often congregate in Walmart parking lots, but they don’t have overnight access to bathrooms.
“It’s a shame they don’t actually have a place to live, and cities and counties and states can’t figure that out but since we are living in reality where people are living in their cars, (this) provides them some services,” she said.
But Hansen said there might be unintended challenges, such as homeless people who arrive by foot or bicycle and want to sleep there, too. “How are they going to police that? I don’t know,” she said.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash
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