By: Hanna Nakano
A volunteer-based pilot program giving families without homes a safe place to sleep at night in their vehicles has been extended and organizers say the program is getting people into permanent housing.
HEART of Davis started the Safe Heart Safe Parking program back in July to provide a safe and legal space for individuals and families living in their vehicles to park overnight.
The program came at a critical time, as the City of Davis enacted a no-camping ordinance, limiting public spaces where people can safely rest. Safe Heart Safe Parking offers an alternative—and a bridge to longer-term housing solutions.
“Our very first parker, who is 78 years old, recently moved into his own apartment,” Shoshana Zatz told The Dirt. “We are all super excited for him and many of us have donated furniture, household items, gift cards, food and other necessities. He loves having his own place after living in his car since April.”
Zatz organizes volunteers for all of HEART of Davis’ programming. The work she’s doing with the pilot has been extended through the end of the year.
“Providing a safe and legal space to park and sleep overnight is, of course, the main goal of the program, because the city’s anti-camping ordinance makes it illegal to sleep in one’s car on either public or private property,” Zatz explained. “But there have also been other benefits that we did not expect. We have been successful making connections between the parkers and other community resources, like case management, legal services, and medical treatment.”
The program runs on volunteer hours and financial donations. Volunteers work a few hours in the evening checking parkers in and out, providing snacks and drinks, phone chargers and help with car batteries. If your schedule does not allow man-hours, you’re still welcome to contribute to the mission financially.
“One of our parkers had a 17-year-old dog that was very ill. They had been companions since the dog was a tiny puppy. When the time finally came to put the dog down, we were able to arrange for a private visit from a mobile veterinarian and we had volunteers there to help support the parker who was, understandably, very sad,” Zats said. “We also were able to pay for a private cremation for the dog. Normally in these cases they do mass cremations, but our parker really wanted to be sure that she received the ashes of her beloved dog.”
HEART of Davis (formerly the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter) has provided support for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Davis for more than a decade.
“Interestingly, most of our parkers are over 60-years-old, which reinforces the growing awareness that homeless folks are getting older, frailer, and even more vulnerable than they once were,” Zatz said.
If you or someone you know would like to volunteer to help the program, contact the team at heartofdavis@gmail.com. Folks interested in using the program may also use that email to register.
