County of San Luis Obispo Closed the Oklahoma Parking Site
Author: Homeless Services Division
Date: 5/7/2024 1:00 PM
The County of San Luis Obispo has closed the Oklahoma Parking Site, an overnight parking program for individuals experiencing homelessness, with the remaining individuals voluntarily leaving on May 6, 2024.
San Luis Obispo, CA—The County of San Luis Obispo has officially closed the Oklahoma Parking Site, the overnight parking program located off Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. The remaining ten individuals voluntarily left the site by the end of the day on Monday, May 6, 2024.
The site’s closure moved forward after the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled in favor of the County in San Luis Obispo County Homeless Union et al v. County of San Luis Obispo et al on April 24, 2024, terminating a temporary injunction that prevented the County from closing the Oklahoma Parking Site.
On April 29, 2024, the County and the Plaintiffs entered a settlement agreement. The agreement allowed the ten individuals remaining at the Oklahoma Parking Site to stay on-site until 5:00PM on May 6, 2024, at which point they would voluntarily and peacefully leave. Additionally, the County agreed to pay the Union a total sum of $60,000 to fund temporary lodging and related relocation assistance for those ten individuals during their transition to an alternative location. In return, the Plaintiffs agreed to dismiss their appeal to the U.S. District Court’s ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and to refrain from filing any further motions to keep the Oklahoma Parking Site open.
The County started dismantling the Oklahoma Parking Site today, which includes the removal of fencing, showers, and restrooms. Vehicles and personal property left at the Oklahoma Parking Site will be stored by the County until the owners of this property are able to re-take possession or up to 90 days, as stipulated in the settlement agreement.
The Oklahoma Parking Site originally opened in August 2021 and provided community members facing homelessness while living in their vehicles a place to stay and connect with case managers while pursuing more stable housing solutions. More than 125 people were served at the Oklahoma Parking Site, many of whom took advantage of the case management services provided by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo. The original goal of those in active case management was that 20% of households would be linked with permanent housing or interim housing solutions. Of the 99 people who participated in case management, 67% were able to move to safe and stable housing solutions that met their current needs.
The program was created in response to a communitywide need to quickly respond to the rising rates of homelessness during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jurisdictions throughout California implemented various new program models that incorporated COVID-mitigation strategies that used open-air models and single-unit shelters. While there were other models that more efficiently moved people from homelessness to housing, the County still honors the individual successes that came out of the Oklahoma Parking Site.
The County looks forward to dedicating its resources and staff time to establishing and sustaining evidence-based programming to effectively address homelessness in San Luis Obispo County.
