City of Mountain View, County of Santa Clara and partners mark safe parking program’s efforts to bring stability and safety to individuals living in their vehicles 

Mountain View, Calif. — On Wednesday, June 28, representatives from the City of Mountain View, County of Santa Clara and Move MV gathered at Shoreline Lot B safe parking lot to demonstrate how working collaboratively on safe parking is helping residents living in vehicles move to a secure environment while getting on a path to more stable housing. 

Mountain View already operates the largest safe parking program in Santa Clara County. This week, the program expanded the Shoreline Lot B parking lot with an additional 17 spaces for oversized vehicles.

“Thanks to strong partners including the County of Santa Clara and operator MOVE MV, Mountain View’s safe parking program is providing a secure, safe environment where community members who live in their vehicles can temporarily stay,” said Mayor Alison Hicks. “Our city has grown to become the largest safe parking provider in the region with the capacity for up to 114 parking spaces at five locations. With this latest expansion of the safe parking program, Mountain View can serve even more residents in need as they work to transition to more stability.”

“Our local partners, including government officials, local residents and businesses, faith communities, and nonprofits, have been essential in making sure our most vulnerable residents have a safe and secure place to sleep at night,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who championed an effort with local partners in March of 2020 to identify “A Whole Lotta Lots” for safe parking in the North County. “While safe parking sites aren’t a cure-all, they are clearly a part of the solution. As we help people move up and on to a better situation, even a modest number of safe parking sites can help literally hundreds of families over the course of a year.”

Mountain View’s free safe parking program provides a temporary, safe location to park for unhoused Mountain View individuals and families residing in a vehicle while offering access to services that facilitate a path to more stable housing. Safe parking participants are provided with essential case management, restrooms, water, wash stations and other basic services. Operator Move MV notes that for some participants, safe parking is a safe way to re-enter into a community after living in isolation.

“We at MOVE Mountain View are pleased with the expansion of the Safe Parking lot,” said Amber Stime, MOVE MV executive director. “We appreciate the City of Mountain View’s continued commitment to keeping its vehicle residents safe.”

The City’s Safe Parking Program has three City-secured lots at Terra Bella (Alta Housing, nine oversized vehicles), Shoreline Lot B (46 oversized vehicles), Evelyn Lot (former VTA parking lot; 30 oversized vehicles and 21 passenger flex spaces), and two faith lots, St. Timothy’s (on hiatus) and Lord’s Grace (faith lot), with 4 spaces each for passenger vehicles.

Many of Mountain View’s participants are families who reside in oversized vehicles like recreation vehicles, or RVs. The average length of stay is approximately 287 days. With the Shoreline Lot B expansion, the program is anticipated to serve up to 175-180 participants each month.

The eligibility requirements for the City’s program are families with students in Mountain View school districts, those who live/work in Mountain View, older adults (age 55+) and people with disabilities. This information is verified by the program operator in accordance with the City’s Safe Parking Ordinance. The City Council adopted the ordinance in September 2019 to set regulations for safe parking facilities to meet basic health and safety requirements, facilitate participants’ transitions to permanent housing, and promote compatibility with surrounding uses.

"We’re extremely proud of this partnership with the City of Mountain View and Move MV to expand the safe parking program and serve additional vulnerable individuals and families,” said Kathryn Kaminski, Deputy Director of the County of Santa Clara’s Office of Supportive Housing. “This program not only provides people a safe, stable place to stay, it also offers access to basic needs services and serves as one of the many critical pathways we have built to permanent housing.”  Mountain View’s safe parking program is one of multiple strategies that the City uses to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and unstable housing. These strategies include homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, emergency shelter and interim/temporary housing.

For more information, visit the City’s Safe Parking Program webpage.

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About the City of Mountain View
Located between the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Francisco Bay, Mountain View is a diverse community with an estimated population of 83,601. Mountain View covers just over 12 square miles, featuring over 1,000 acres of park and wildlife areas including the 750-acre wildlife and recreation area called Shoreline at Mountain View. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Mountain View is home to a vibrant downtown and headquarters to many nationally and internationally known corporations including Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and NASA’s Ames Research Center. For more information, visit MountainView.gov.

Media Contacts
Lenka Wright, Chief Communications Officer, 650-903-6615 or Lenka.Wright@mountainview.gov