People living in RVs in San Francisco will soon be barred from parking longer than two hours on all city streets unless they get a permit, a move that critics say has caused significant distress among the hundreds of RV dwellers who live in the city.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week gave initial approval to a law from Mayor Daniel Lurie that would impose strict two-hour parking limits for oversized vehicles to deal with the hundreds of people living in vehicles on city streets. The board voted to approve the plan in a 9-2 vote, with Supervisors Jackie Fielder and Shamann Walton voting no. Lurie introduced the legislation in June as a way to tackle the proliferation of vehicle dwellers in San Francisco with a combination of increased funding, enforcement and outreach. For years, San Franciscans have seen people sleeping in vehicles and in RVs amid a dire housing affordability crisis.
The mayor’s plan will impose a two-hour parking limit for oversized vehicles on all city streets, with the exception of commercial vehicles parked in industrial areas. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who sponsored the legislation on behalf of the mayor, said the legislation also includes several additions made during negotiations with other supervisors and the mayor.
The law will include a refuge permit system, which will allow people living in vehicles to apply for a renewable 6-month permit, contingent on compliance with community rules around such things as waste disposal and neighborly behavior, as well as ongoing work with housing support services…