Homeless students now have a refuge on the Long Beach City College campus, thanks to the launch of the Safe Parking Program for students who are living in their vehicles.
All enrolled students who are experiencing homelessness are able to stay in the university’s Pacific Coast Campus Parking Structure, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven nights a week and will have internet and restroom access overnight.
“These students would otherwise have to be worrying nightly about their vehicles being broken into, trying not to be seen or bothered, and not having the police called on them,” LBCCD Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in a statement. “All while keeping up with their coursework.”
Interim Superintendent Mike Muñoz said the sad truth is, too many students at LBCC are currently homeless.
“Close to 70 students are sleeping in their cars each night—quite possibly more,” Muñoz said. “This program is absolutely worth pursuing. Our goal at LBCC is always to remove barriers that get in the way of our student’s success.”
The parking lot is located at the corner of E. Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue, and accompanying showers will be offered to students from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily on the Pacific Coast Campus.
To qualify for the pilot program, students must be currently enrolled and single with no spouses, partners or children living in the vehicle with them. Animals will only be allowed if there is proper documentation of them being a service or emotional support animal.
The ultimate goal of the program is to connect participating students with the resources needed to secure long-term housing, and each person will have a case opened and managed by university staff.
A security team has already been contracted to watch over the parking structure for the duration of the program, which began on Oct. 25 and will end on June 30, 2022. To learn more about how to participate, click here.
While not connected to the program launched at LBCC, Safe Parking Los Angeles does present facts about the number of people in L.A. County who are currently living in their cars.
The organization has found that more than 150,000 people are living in their vehicles each night - representing about 25% of L.A.’s overall homeless population.
SPLA opened its first lot in Koreatown in 2018, a second lot for veterans was opened that same year. To learn more, visit safeparkingla.org.
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