A day after the San Diego Unified School District's board approved a proposal to open a safe parking site at the former Central Elementary School, city and district leaders applauded the decision Wednesday.
"I know what it feels like to call a car home and not know whether the place I was parked was safe to sleep," City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera said at a news conference Wednesday. "No child should ever have to feel that way. Every child in San Diego deserves the safety and stability that come from having a secure place to rest at night. The Central Elementary Safe Parking site represents what we can achieve when we work together with compassion, creativity, and a shared commitment to dignity for every family."
The agreement approved Tuesday night by the SDUSD Board of Trustees licenses the site to the San Diego Housing Commission. A second proposal to allow Jewish Family Service to operate the program will be in front of the board at its Nov. 7 meeting. The project will be funded by the city and the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
The former school site will "provide a safe place to park and sleep for a minimum of 40 families with children experiencing homelessness" in San Diego, according to a housing commission statement.
"When we create space for families to stabilize, we give them the foundation to rebuild," SDUSD Board Vice President Richard Barrera said. "Safe parking programs are a bridge between crisis and recovery, between fear and stability, and between surviving and thriving."
If the contract with JFS is approved, the program would also provide services for families staying at the site, including assistance in locating safe and affordable permanent or other longer-term housing.
"No child should ever have to go to sleep afraid for their safety or wellbeing," Board Trustee Shana Hazan said. "Safe Parking programs give families the security and support they need to move out of their cars and into stable housing. As a district, we can't solve homelessness alone — but we can be part of the solution by partnering with local agencies and supporting programs that help families stay close to their schools and keep students on track to succeed in school."
The program will coordinate with the SDUSD's homeless liaison for services and support for the students and their families. It would also include a classroom trailer for a quiet place to complete homework, case management sessions and basic appliances for cooking.
"Our goal is for everyone to have a home they can afford, but many people experiencing homelessness in our community need safe space and services like a shelter or Safe Parking Program on their path from homelessness to housing," said
Casey Snell, SDHC senior vice president of homelessness housing innovation. "This Safe Parking Program will provide that crucial support for many unhoused families."
The SDUSD will refer families to the program, which has $593,000 in funding for its first year, $250,000 from the city's general fund and $343,000 from the RTFH.
"Safe Parking Programs are a vital lifeline to help families who are living in their vehicles," Jewish Family Service CEO Dana Toppel said. "With this new partnership, we will help more families exit the cycle of homelessness and move into more secure housing. We look forward to the opportunity to help San Diego Unified families, meeting them where they are with safety, security and support."
SDHC officials said they received 857 requests between July and September from families looking for shelter who could not be placed in other shelters due to lack of space.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness recorded 2,852 families served by the regional homelessness response system in September, a 17% increase over September 2024.
