Colleges and universities considering plans to allow students living in their vehicles to park on campus are looking to social service for models.
San Diego County’s venerable Jewish Family Services has a parking lot program up and running.
Diane Kuffman and Rob Nielson have suffered through periods of homelessness. Nielson is a homeless veteran, Kuffman could no longer afford her room in a senior center.
“They just kept upping the rent and the new management company came in, and all of a sudden it was 90 percent of my social security check for my rent and utilities,” Kuffman said. “When my lease came up for renewal, I really didn’t have a choice (but to move out).”
Kuffman found refuge in her car. She also discovered an “invisible community.”
She met Nielson in a parking lot. He said becoming homeless is jarring.
“I notice that with a lot of people, it is a cultural shock,” Nielson said. “All of a sudden, they are living in their car. They are experiencing that shock and that trauma, to be homeless.”
Nielson said homeless people are invisible, lost in the sea of others looking for help.
The Jewish Family Services offered Kuffman and Nielson a hand – and more importantly, a place to park. Kuffman said a safe place to park provided peace of mind.
“I am just so grateful that JFS existed for me, because I don’t know where I would be parking if it wasn’t for here,” she said. “I have not felt unsafe a single night here.”
Lea Bush is the senior director of Family and Community Services at the Jewish Family Services. She said the Safe Parking Program assists individuals and families in San Diego who live out of their vehicles. Their largest one in Mission Valley helps about 200 vehicles nightly, while their two smaller ones hold roughly 40 vehicles.
JFS services are more than a temporary place to sleep, Bush said. They are the first step to helping homeless people reestablish their lives.
“We try to be as supportive as possible,” she said. “Jewish Family Service provides a case manager to each individual or family to help them plan out their needs so that they can get back up on their feet as quickly as possible.”
Bush said the average time an individual or family spends at the parking lot is four months.
Jewish Family Services provides fruit and vegetables to encourage healthy eating habits and shower facilities.
Bush said the work of JFS is growing more important as the region’s homeless population swells.
“Our goal is to continue to listen to the community and making sure we are being responsive with their needs.”
