Safe parking programs are designed to provide a safe place for people sheltering in their vehicles to park without risk of a citation. Safe parking programs offer several on-site services, including restrooms, handwashing stations, charging stations, and case management services. In 2020, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) employed the Center for Homeless Inquiries (CHI) to evaluate the Los Angeles Safe Parking Initiative.
CHI utilized our Capstone team to identify and examine safe parking programs nationwide to distill smart practices. The team’s research focused on program recruitment, target service population, service provision and program benchmarks. Components of programs studied evolved into smart practice recommendations for safe parking programs.