A BAN on overnight parking has now come into force under a new November 1 law.
The move is designed to combat rising homelessness, but campaigners have slammed it as criminalising misfortune.
San Francisco has introduced an overnight parking ban to try and combat homelessness in the city[/caption]
While the “van life” movement has boomed across America as a way to free yourself from the pressures of rent and live free on the road, some people have little choice in the matter.
Officials in San Francisco have been concerned with the rising number of people living in RVs in the city, parking up on the roadside to sleep.
Back in October, a new bill was passed to allow parking officers to tow RVs and trailers wherever there is a dedicated sign in place banning this practice.
Such signage is starting to pop up across the city, with the restricted period lasting from midnight to 6am, seven days a week.
That law took effect today, meaning that enforcement officers will no longer have to apply for a warrant.
But city officials are quick to point out that this can only be done if the occupant of the vehicle has refused to engage with local shelter and housing services.
Viktoriya Wise, director of streets for the Municipal Transportation Agency, said: “It really is truly a service-first approach.
“But what my colleagues found is that until there’s very clear and meaningful enforcement, such as having a vehicle towed, people don’t always want to accept shelter or services.”
However, critics have hit out at the policy, claiming that the services offered don’t work for everybody and that the new ban simply criminalises homelessness.
Alex Sack, who lives in his RV and relies on overnight parking, told KGO News: “It’s squeezing a balloon.
“It’s just a charade every election season.”
And Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director at the Coalition on Homelessness, added: “This is a really cruel way of going about addressing a crisis.
“It would be much simpler to just open up more safe parking while the steps are being taken to move people into affordable housing.”
Some also argued that the measure would make those dealing with homelessness give up a vehicle that is their “only monetary asset” with “no long-term solutions.”
Not only that, but if their RV is towed, they will then have to pay hundreds of dollars just to get it back if they can’t find other accommodation.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said: “There are currently no changes to our policy, and we are continuing to explore a range of options, while our outreach teams engage and offer shelter on a regular basis to try to help people off of our streets and into the city’s system of care.”
