San Francisco is launching a new pilot program aimed at helping people living in recreational vehicles transition into permanent housing. The initiative offers landlords one month's rent if they agree to reserve vacant units for qualified RV residents, an effort city officials said is part of a broader strategy to reduce homelessness.
A city map released in September showed nearly 500 vehicles and RVs being used as shelter across San Francisco. Earlier this month, the city began enforcing a new law allowing officials to tow unpermitted RVs parked in the same location for more than two hours.
Along John Muir Drive near Lake Merced, dozens of RVs line the street. Many of them have city-issued six-month permits that allow residents to stay while they work with case managers and wait for housing to open up.
For Alan, a 69-year-old RV dweller who did not want to provide a last name and has been parked on John Muir Drive for about 10 months, the permit system has offered a measure of stability.
"The first of this month, I got my permit. And it's good for six months," he said. "A case worker has been assigned to us. My case worker has been out here a couple of times."
Inside his RV, Alan has made the small space livable, showing his refrigerator, freezer, queen-size bed, air conditioning and heating. But he makes it clear the arrangement is temporary.
"I can't afford to live in the city without help," he said. "The city has agreed to help, so I'll be able to save a little money, maybe be able to find something else elsewhere. I am not capable of working, doing manual labor. I've had three strokes and four TIA's."
Living on a monthly SSI check of $1,200, he said he would welcome anything from a single-room-occupancy unit to a small apartment.
"A single room, an SRO like a hotel, or a single apartment, I'm perfectly fine with that," he said.
Mayor Daniel Lurie on Friday announced the $450,000 pilot program, funded entirely through private donations. Catholic Charities will oversee the effort, matching participating landlords with RV dwellers like Alan.
Homeless advocates, including Erica Wang, spent Saturday distributing flyers and informing RV residents about their rights. Wang said the city's efforts are helpful but insufficient without more long-term affordable housing options.
"If we get more people involved with advocacy, if we get more residents speaking up for the unhoused, rather than calling them in as a nuisance, I think we can turn the tides and try to help," she said.
Wang criticized the city for previously shutting down dedicated RV parks.
"We've had RV parks in the past, but those have been shut down by the city," she said. "Why can't we have more RV parks? Why can't we provide more access points for people to get the support and the supplies that they need to take care of themselves so that it's less of an issue in the neighborhoods?"
City officials acknowledge the need far outweighs the available supply of housing. They said the pilot program, along with the six-month parking permits, is part of an attempt to offer a structured path toward stability while addressing concerns about long-term street parking.
Officials also noted that RVs parked for extended periods without permits will continue to be subject to towing under the new enforcement rules.
Alan said recent progress among neighbors gives him hope.
"A few days ago, they find places for two people and they moved over to Park Merced," he said. "I see positive things."
The city has not provided a timeline for when RV dwellers with permits will be moved into permanent housing, but the stated goal is to place them before the six-month permits expire.