Palo Alto City Council unanimously voted to approve a phased plan to restrict recreational vehicles (RVs) in the city on Monday, Oct. 20. The plan will increase regulatory measures around Palo Alto by prohibiting the parking of inoperable vehicles on public streets, while also partnering with LifeMoves to eventually offer services to unhoused residents.
While we support the plan’s intentions to support RV residents with LifeMoves, The Campanile thinks the city council should not have approved the plan.
Restricting RVs in our city doesn’t address the root causes of homelessness: high costs of living, mental health issues, unemployment and more. The plan will displace unhoused residents without offering real solutions to support their long-term economic stability or prevent others from becoming unhoused.
Palo Alto and surrounding communities have seen rising rates of homelessness in the past 2 years, with Palo Alto’s own rate of homelessness doubling since 2022. With 58% of Santa Clara County’s current unhoused population being homeless for the first time, it is clear that the city is not doing enough to support people at risk of becoming unhoused.
Furthermore, the plan assumes that RV residents have other living options if they can’t park in Palo Alto, which is unrealistic: surrounding communities, including Menlo Park and Mountain View, already ban overnight RV parking. With no local areas to go, many RV residents will be further displaced.
Most people aren’t homeless by choice, and given the option, most would not live in RVs. Residents living in vehicles are often forced into these situations due to external circumstances. According to data collected by Santa Clara County, 73% of homeless residents report at least one “disabling condition,” 18% of unhoused residents have a history of being in the foster care system, and 16% are fleeing domestic violence. To fine people purely for existing in our community is both entitled and resemblant of the “not in my backyard” sentiment that has existed here for generations.
We applaud the efforts some churches have made to provide safe parking spots for RV residents at night; however, we believe those efforts should come from the city. Multiple RV residents have concerns about safety, and more options for safe parking would give the city more control over RVs, while creating safer conditions for RV residents. It would also address residents’ concerns about waste, and alleviate parking issues by pulling RVs out of residential streets.
Housed residents should recognize their relative privilege in society enough to have compassion for our unhoused neighbors. Just because your circumstances allow you to live in Palo Alto –– whether that’s generational wealth, hard work or enough luck in a system that is so unfair in the first place, does not mean you should turn your back on those struggling around you.
Because ultimately, unhoused residents are simply people at a difficult point in their lives. Some have had histories in the foster care system. Others are fleeing domestic violence. Many are burdened with health issues. Some look for work, and others can’t.
In the end, they’re the same as anyone else. They have hopes and dreams, and they are trying their best to find dignity in their lives. What does it say about the Palo Alto community if we’re willing to reject the most vulnerable in our city because we feel a little uncomfortable?
Instead of pushing our RV neighbors out, the city should invest in safe parking and address causes of homelessness in the Bay Area: lack of affordable housing, wage gaps, and structural inequities. As levels of homelessness in our community rises, it is clear these issues must be addressed with both urgency and compassion