The Seattle City Council has finished tweaking Mayor Mike McGinn’s 2012 proposed budget. The council’s proposed budget adds $20,000 for the Safe Parking Pilot Program.
From this Green Sheet:
A church in Ballard has agreed to implement a Safe Parking Pilot Program. This program would allow 3-5 homeless individuals or families to live in their vehicles in the church parking lot 24-hours a day. Participants would have access to rest room facilities in the church. Case management services would be provided by a non-profit organization to assist clients in accessing resources or services needed to help them secure and maintain permanent housing. Participants would be chosen based on their desire to move into permanent housing. Participants would be expected to contribute in some way for the parking either through a small financial contribution or helping with church clean-up or maintenance or other activities identified by the client or church. City funding of $20,000 would be matched by $10,000 in funding from the state to pay for the case management services and other operational costs of the pilot program. The program may be expanded to other churches in the area. It is expected that the City?s funding is one time only and that other funding sources would be found to continue the program, if successful, in future years. The HSD will provide a report on the program to the Council’s Housing, Human Services, Health, and Culture Committee by September 3rd, 2012.
As we wrote last month, Our Redeemers Lutheran Church has agreed to host the first car campers.
The City Council will take a final vote on changes to the proposed budget on November 21.
