LONG BEACH — On June 13, the Long Beach City Council voted 8-0, District 6 Councilman Dee Andrew was not present, to update the Municipal Code Section 10.24.078 to prohibit parking of oversized and recreational vehicles on City rights-of-way within residential neighborhoods.
The ban would apply to vehicles that are more than 22 feet long. It would require RV owners to park their vehicles in driveways or apply for a 72-hour parking permit.
Residents will be able to apply for free permits up to 20 times, allowing residents to park their oversized vehicles in front of their house. The cost for signage is estimated to be about $18,000.
District 3 Councilwoman introduced the item this past October to reduce vehicle posing traffic visibility and blight issues.
In a press release Josh Butler, executive director for Housing Long Beach said he believes that banning oversized vehicles from city streets is “akin to treating a gunshot wound with a gauze.”
“Everyday people are coming into our office because they are losing their apartment because it has been sold or the rent has been jacked up,” Butler said. “The fact that people have resorted to sleeping in camper vans is sad, the fact that they are being kicked out is even sadder.”
Price and the other council members said the ordinance is not a form to criminalize homeless people who are sleeping their vehicles.
“I did not intend, nor am I prepared to discuss and have received zero notice that we were going to be speaking on ordinances involving people sleeping in their vehicles and the legal parameters of such,” said Price, responding to concerns from District 2 Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce. “That’s not on the agenda, and in my opinion I think we’re talking about two very different issues.”
Pearce wanted the amendments to the ordinance to remove parts referring to people sleeping in their cars because the policy is not being enforced and puts the city in danger of litigation.
Assistant City Attorney Tom Modica said that the council was speaking of “two separate populations,” noting that most people who live in RVs do not consider themselves homeless.
However, they are counted in homeless counts. .
Pearce is working to introduce a Safe/Transitional Parking Pilot Program that will take people who are living in their cars off the streets and into designated lots (e.g. faith-based agencies) at night where they will be connected to services within a Continuum of Care, and a path to permanent housing.
“While this pilot will not apply to RVs/oversized vehicles, it’s an important part of the equation towards ending homelessness—especially while we continue to identify and develop more permanent housing stock in Long Beach,” said Pearce in her newsletter.
After the ordinance is drafted, the city council would need to adopt it and then go to the California Coastal Commission.