Fort Collins is considering a Safe Parking program that would give people experiencing homelessness a designated place to sleep in their vehicles overnight. The city council has not yet approved the idea, and a vote on the necessary rules has been delayed.
City officials say the proposal grows out of the region's housing costs. Vanessa Fenley, the city's senior housing manager, said high prices and low vacancy make it hard for people at the lowest end of the income spectrum to keep their housing or return to it. "There's just not enough assistance to really help everybody who needs it," she said, which is how the pilot idea emerged.
To launch the program, the city would need to change three ordinances, according to Fenley. One change would add a licensing program to the municipal code, since the municipal code and traffic code currently prohibit sleeping in cars. Staff concluded that licensing would give the city more oversight of each site, a way to set requirements, and the ability to suspend or revoke a license. Related sections of code would then be aligned with the new sanctioned option, and the land use code would be amended so the program is an allowable use.
Two faith communities are being considered as host sites: First United Methodist Church and Trinity Lutheran Church. The Rev. Bradley Laurvick, lead pastor at First United Methodist, said the congregation had considered the idea for years but lacked answers until it found partners in Catholic Charities and Family Housing Network. With those groups, he said, the church could address questions such as what happens in extreme cold, and could point to daytime access to shelter, laundry and case management.
Laurvick was candid about the limits of the approach. "We do know that offering safe parking isn't enough; it's not a real solution, but we hope it'll offer a little bit more comfort as people find their real solution," he said. Participants would be at the church only in the evening, using nonprofit sites during the day for case management and basic services.
Council had been expected to vote on the code changes on Nov. 3, but the vote has been postponed to Dec. 1. Fenley and Laurvick both said neighborhood feedback played a part. Fenley said residents near potential sites have questions and want to understand how the program would operate. Laurvick said the church is not in control of the city process, but told the city it was hearing from neighbors that the effort had moved too quickly.
Similar programs already operate elsewhere in Colorado, and Denver7 has covered ones in Longmont, Summit County and Denver. Fenley said Loveland's experience shaped the Fort Collins proposal. Loveland began with seven vehicles per site, a number it found manageable, and has since expanded capacity. Fort Collins is proposing the same maximum of seven vehicles per site.
Details of the pilot are still being worked out, and city and church leaders are continuing outreach in surrounding neighborhoods. As currently planned, First United Methodist would allow up to seven cars to park overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Participants would have to apply, and the process would require background checks and proof of vehicle registration and insurance.
After the Dec. 1 meeting, council is expected to hold a second reading of the code changes in the middle of December.
