San Diego has become a magnet for different kinds of homeless people, such as generational homeless, those who want to be on the streets for one reason or another, those with drug or alcohol related problems, and finally the working homeless or homeless who live in their cars with some, but limited resources. Shelters and government agencies struggle to keep up and provide help.
Concerned about this challenge, Dr. Teresa Smith created the non-profit organization Dreams for Change in 2009 to help homeless people who have only their cars to live in.
Dreams for Change now has two sites for their Safe Parking Program, the parking lot of Jewish Family Service of San Diego on Balboa Avenue in Kearny Mesa, and New Life Assembly on 28th Street in Golden Hill. Families and individuals can park there overnight, as long as they meet basic requirements, which include being clean and sober a minimum of 24 hours and agreeing to complete various applications, such as intake assessment forms to determine qualifying benefits, and having plans to move from their vehicle to more stable or permanent housing. The last one isn’t easy as there is a shortage of affordable housing in San Diego, and finding suitable housing can be a challenge. There are also parking lot rules that participants in the Safe Parking Program must be willing to follow.
To read more of Mimi Pollack's article, please click here.
Comments (0)