An Arizona city has approved a program that would allow homeless workers to sleep in their cars amid skyrocketing housing prices, outraging residents, according to a report.
The Sedona City Council voted 6-1 to approve The Safe Place to Park program this week, which includes 40 designated parking spots for those employed full-time within the city limits with temporary bathrooms and showers on site, AZCentral reported.
“I don’t think there’s anybody up here or staff that are extremely proud of this. This is a last-ditch effort,” Mayor Scott Jablow said during a contentious, 7-hour meeting Tuesday where local residents spoke out against the program. “No one’s really proud because this isn’t really the answer. It’s one of many answers.”
Those enrolled in the program are required to be engaged with local social services with the ultimate goal of securing permanent housing, according to the outlet.
Detractors say that the site will lead to pollution, drug use and other illegal activities, negatively impacting the park and local area.
Safe Place to Park is funded through a two-year grant from the Arizona Department of Housing. The site will be managed by the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition, who will be responsible for monitoring the lot from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
Vehicles must leave the premises during daytime hours.
The lot is located in a 6-acre parking lot in Sedona’s 41-acre Cultural Park on land the city purchased for $23 million last year, according to AZCentral. The area will not be visible to any residents in the area.
City officials emphasized the program is only temporary and will conclude in 2026 when the two-year grant funding runs out. The land will also be rezoned in June 2026.
The program comes after a year of planning as the city searched for a solution on how to house city workers while waiting for a number of affordable housing projects to be completed.
Supporters say the move will help those who would otherwise be illegally sleeping in their cars or city streets.
“If we don’t do this now, then there’s never going to be a time for us to do this,” said council member Melissa Dunn.
“We can wait two years until we have housing, but those people will be living on the street in their cars, will be living in the forest with unsafe conditions,” she added.
