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by Ben Margiott
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — People living in their cars now have a safe place to park for the night under a new Washoe County pilot program with Our Place aimed at combatting homelessness.
Under the program, which runs through May 15, six parking spaces are available overnight on a first-come, first-served basis at the Our Place campus in Sparks.
The campus also has showers, bathrooms, laundry facilities and meals. Vehicles have to be registered, insured and running and people must be 18 or older and have proof of employment or school enrollment to qualify.
Commissioner Mariluz Garcia told News 4-Fox 11 she has supported and pushed for the safe parking option in light of her experience as a UNR employee, when she met many students sleeping in their cars.
"They've had problems with their parents or roommates. They needed a temporary solution. And they were able to move their clothes and sometimes their pets into their vehicles and utilize the restrooms and showers on the university campus to get them through that rough patch," she said.
Travis Sandefur, regional vice president of Northern Nevada for Volunteers of America, which operates the Our Place shelter, told News 4-Fox 11 the safe parking area is preferred to parking on the street, which can be unsecure and unsafe.
"There are a number of spots on private property, obviously, where that may be uncomfortable for some owners of that property, even on the streets. And then you're very exposed and vulnerable, and so that's understandably a scary spot to be if you're parking on some dark street," he said.
Sandefur said he would prefer to have people staying in shelter overnight, but says this pilot could be beneficial because it meets people where they are.
"We certainly want people in beds, engaging with services, and we ultimately want to get you housed. But one of the things that I love about working with Washoe County is we're constantly trying to meet people where they're at, get them engaged, and keep trying new things, especially when we're hearing about this from the community that it's something that they want," he said.
People can stay at the safe parking area with their partner or loved one and pets are allowed. The longest someone can stay at the safe parking area is 10 days.
Washoe County will reevaluate the success of the program and decide whether to continue it permanently based on data collected through May 15, said Ryan Gustafson, director of the Washoe County Human Services Agency.
"What we'd like to see is see people get out of their cars and into permanent housing to get permanent employment, to be successful in school … So I think we'll do a lot of data collection when it comes to looking at numbers, how many people are coming in, are they recidivating back in, or are they then going from their car to the shelter?" he said.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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