For more than 18 months, a sub-committee formed by the Hope Housing Collaborative of Lewis County has been working to create a Safe Parking program to be implemented at churches in Centralia and Chehalis. We understand that any program like this will come with valid questions and understandable concerns. Toward that end, we wanted to offer the following facts about Safe Parking to help put minds at ease and to make sure accurate information is what is being circulated in our communities.
Safe Parking programs are offered throughout the United States to provide a safe and legal place to sleep for people who live in their cars. Ordinances, like Lewis County’s “No Camping Ordinance,” have made it illegal for people to sleep in their cars in parking lots or on the side of the road. Safe parking lots alleviate the stress of finding a legal place to sleep.
Our program will serve families with children who attend school in Centralia or Chehalis or who would attend in those districts if they were old enough. Five local churches will open their parking lots overnight, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., one or two weeks every two months for people to park. The lots will be limited to 10 vehicles per night on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants will submit to a background check and sign a code of conduct. There will be a porta-potty and trash service as well as access to community services to assist in obtaining housing. Hosts will be onsite from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., participants will have the number for an emergency contact for the host church as well as 911 if there are any issues. Centralia and Chehalis police departments will be informed of the safe parking location schedule.
There have been concerns about neighborhood safety. Our guests are families with children. Most adults who live in their cars hold full-time jobs and their children are in school or daycare. These are not criminals, but people who are down on their luck. In many safe parking programs, participants form their own “community watch,” looking out for each other and alerting authorities if any suspicious outsider comes near. The participants want the program to continue, so they do what they can not to jeopardize it.
Funding is another concern of some people who are critical of the program. There is no outside funding for the program, nor are the churches making money on Safe Parking. In fact, the churches involved are paying a considerable amount for the insurance to host Safe Parking, because we believe it is what we are called to do, to take care of the most vulnerable among us.
The program will be evaluated throughout the duration of the six-month pilot program through participant surveys, host surveys, neighborhood feedback and law enforcement and fire data. We encourage everyone involved to be open about how the program is working so we can make adjustments as necessary to make sure it is functioning well for everyone.
We realize it is difficult to imagine families living in their cars. These are the unseen unhoused. While we recognize this is not a housing solution, it is a way to support people who are seeking housing. It is a connection point and a way we can help people meet their goals of finding more permanent housing. A good night’s sleep makes a difference for children and adults, and it is one small step toward a better life.
If you have questions or concerns, we welcome open dialogue to discuss them. Please contact any of us and we would be happy to listen and respond.
Safe Parking Committee:
Jennifer Polley
Sharon Miracle
Rochelle Wagner
Patty Howard
Ruth Johnson
HHCLC Board:
Mark McHugh and Jennifer Polley — Harrison Square Presbyterian Church
Zach Taylor and Beth Wilson — Chehalis United Methodist Church
Joyce Carr and Kay Odegaard — Westminster Presbyterian Church
Cole Meckle and Patty Howard — Gather Church
Safe Parking Churches:
St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Grace Foursquare
Harrison Square Presbyterian Church
Chehalis United Methodist Church
