Talon Staff

Safe Parking Sign

LONG BEACH, Calif. –

Long Beach City College’s Safe Parking Program gives enrolled students who live in their vehicles a secure place to sleep overnight, but limited spaces and growing demand show how many community college students are quietly facing a housing crisis.

The program launched in 2021 as a pilot test run to provide a monitored overnight parking area for students experiencing homelessness. In a 2021 press release, the college described it as a secure overnight location created to meet the needs of unhoused students who might otherwise park in unsafe or unauthorized areas. 

According to a December 2025 Hechinger Report, the program began with 13 students and a $200,000 startup budget from federal pandemic relief funds. The report said Superintendent President Mike Munoz pushed with the plan despite concerns about cost, safety, and stigma. Safe Parking LA helped to train the staff and to develop intake procedures, including applications and liability waivers. 

For students like Taylor, who has lived in her SUV for just over a year while attending LBCC, the program provides stability during a temporary part of her life.

“My routine keeps me sane,” Taylor said in an interview last week. “I work out in the morning and shower in the locker room. I go to class, then I work my shift in the afternoon. At night, I grab a meal and eat before I drive into the lot. It helps me stay focused instead of feeling sad.”

Taylor works at a mailbox store in the late afternoon. She said keeping a steady schedule helps her stay motivated.

“I know this is not permanent,” she said. “I am finishing my degree, and I plan to transfer to a university with dorms. This is just a way to get there.”

The issue extends beyond one campus. A 2025 news report from CalMatters, on Assembly Bill 90, described statewide efforts to allow or require community colleges to consider overnight parking plans for students living in vehicles. The report noted that safe parking programs are viewed as a temporary solution, more than a permanent answer to the housing shortages.

Not every student has this kind of access to a campus program. Community organizations also operate safe parking sites across Los Angeles County. Safe Parking LA describes its mission as providing safe overnight parking to support stability and housing for people living in vehicles. The organization states that applicants can begin the process by phone, online form, or in person.

A supervisor at a safe parking site said demand always exceeds available space.

“We are always full,” she said. “When one spot opens, I call the next person on the waitlist. Sometimes people wait a few days, and some wait for weeks.”

She said intake calls often come from people who feel unsafe where they are currently parked.

“The hardest calls are when I hear someone say they do not feel safe tonight,” she said. “If we do not have room, I will start calling other agencies. We try to find any site that has an opening. Sometimes it takes a lot of calls.” “We especially work hard to find a spot if it’s an unsafe domestic violence situation,” the supervisor stated.

Safe Parking LA states on its website that it also assists in urgent situations, including vehicle operability issues and immediate safety concerns.

Liz, who has lived in her van for six years, said she never expected to rely on a program like this. After a divorce and rising housing costs, she said renting was no longer affordable. For a time, she parked on city streets.

“I had my tires slashed twice,” Liz said. “And people tried to steal parts off my van more than once. It was not always law enforcement that worried me. Sometimes it was just the area and locals.”

She said finding a safe parking program changed her daily outlook and stress level.

“Once I had a reliable and protected place to park, I could finally sleep,” she said. “That alone makes a big difference.”

Liz now spends her days near the beach. Her van has solar panels on the roof, an electric cooler, and a small kitchen setup. She said eating simple foods like fruits and vegetables makes life easier.

“It is a simple routine,” she said. “I keep things basic, and that helps.”

While Liz uses the program for long-term stability, Taylor sees it as a temporary support system while she completes her education.

“I do not want to be labeled or pushed aside by living in a car,” Taylor said. “I want to be defined by where I am headed.”

As safe parking programs continue to operate across California, college leaders and community groups face the same challenge that the supervisor sees every day on the phone.

“There is a more serious need than space,” she stated. “That is the complete reality.”