End Poverty Tows Coalition calls for safe parking and affordable housing

A community of families with children, students, and seniors who cannot afford the Bay Area’s high rents are living in RVs near Lake Merced. This community is facing the threat of 4-hour parking restrictions, which will require them to leave work or school to regularly move their vehicles or face ticketing and towing. Implementing the new parking restrictions without anywhere else to go will push families deeper into instability and homelessness.

…Many of the families living in their RVs are struggling to make ends meet as they work low-paying jobs. There are also students and seniors living in RVs who cannot afford rent anywhere else……

GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice is one of the founding members of the End Poverty Tows Coalition, which advocates with and for people living in their vehicles and low-income people who cannot afford to lose their vehicles to tows. The End Poverty Tows Coalition recently came together to stand alongside these families and urge the City to reject these 4-hour parking restrictions that would be devastating for these already marginalized families. We have been pushing for the City to fulfill its promises to these families to open up a safe parking site for their RVs and help them access affordable housing.

As part of this organizing effort, GLIDE arranged a press conference on October 24th,2023 alongside the families who live in their RVs, as well as other community organizations. RV residents and supporting community members and organizations shared powerfully about the need for a safe parking site and permanent affordable housing.

ABC7 News coverage of families living in RVs along San Francisco’s Winston Drive

Unfortunately, the SFMTA Board of Directors did approve the 4-hour parking restrictions in September, and they are scheduled to take effect on December 19. GLIDE has been organizing with the families to elevate their stories and raise public awareness.

So many of the families living in their RVs are struggling to make ends meet as they work low-paying jobs. There are also students and seniors living in RVs who cannot afford rent anywhere else.

At GLIDE, we firmly believe in our collective responsibility and capacity to open pathways to stability, rather than place barriers and increased hardships for families and students working to make a life in San Francisco. If you would like to support our efforts, you can quickly send an email to City leadership.