What do you think of a ban on homeless RVs?
Those of you live in the Bay Area (and I know there are several here!) may be familiar with the housing crisis facing the area and the increasing number of people living in RVs. Many cities have a policy that RVs are illegally parked and must move within three days of receiving a warning or risk towing (this is the current policy in Mountain View, a city famous for being the headquarters of Google and currently considering an RV ban). This results in the RVs relocating before the three days are up but they are able to remain in the city indefinitely as long as they continue to move around regularly.
RVs are considered by many residents of these cities to be a blight on the community and they can be hazardous when they dump waste in storm drains or bring crime with them.
Some cities, like Mountain View, are considering a ban on RVs parked on many city streets, if not all.
Homeless advocates consider these bans criminalization of poverty and point out that no workable alternative has been provided (such as opening a vacant lot to be occupied by homeless people in RVs).
Does your city have an issue with homeless people living in RVs? Would you support a ban?
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14 Answers
Our city does not have an issue with it as we have reasonable lot rent. About 450 a month with water, sewer, electric, trash and seperate showers, pools, etc…
No parking on public streets, only private property.
I think your city is making a good decision for safety concerns. Now if a nonprofit purchased a lot for RV’s and zoned appropriately as a response, that would be amazing.
I am not opposed to people living in RVs if they have a way to dispose of sewage and the area is kept clean.
I am opposed to areas of Oakland in which abandoned cars, RVs, and trailers, all immobile have been allowed to park indefinitely with a homeless encampment on the adjacent sidewalk. The trash makes the street impassable, and it all blocks access and parking to a nearby BART station.
We don’t have an issue like that. However, I’ve run into people, usually retired, who live full time out of their RV. It’s actually something Rick and I have been tossing around, especially when we get our larger RV, which will be this week. However, we couldn’t camp just anywhere in town. We’d have to be in a designated camp area with hookups. (We could primitive camp with no running water or electricity, but I’m not up to that any more.) Those campsites have dump stations. It cost’s about $10 a day. Some campgrounds make you move every so often, but there are some that don’t have that rule.
But none of that really addresses the question.
This how it is where I am at for residential areas: Recreational equipment and/or recreational vehicles may be parked anywhere on the premises for loading or unloading purposes for a period of not more than 48 hours.
Are you saying you can’t keep your RV in your driveway?
@Dutchess No. Many subdivisions have rules about RV’s, boats, etc… Some are very restrictive.
My driveway is long enough you could and no rule against it.
@Dutchess_III – I believe they do not want things like that kept in the driveway or street but they can be kept in one’s yard.
Well, I’m glad I don’t live in a brain dead area!
@Dutchess People have abused it, leaky things polluting groundwater, tweakers living there 24–7. Usually the bourgois subdivisions are the most restrictive.
Right now we have a flatbed trailer that is getting full and needs to go to the dump, and a nice camper, as well as 2 cars and a truck.
I would find it infuriating to be told what I can and can’t have in my drive way. As long as it doesn’t look like shit and it’s obviously functioning, what business is it of theirs?
@Dutchess Just how its done now, gotta keep the property values up. Some you have to work on inside the garage, or put inside each night. Its crazy what people agree to.
I don’t have a garage. All I have is a 100 year old carriage house with a dirt floor, and it’s packed with Rick’s shit.
I understand the idea of property values, so I agree with that. However, we’re fairly rural out here so it’s not unusual to see trailers and campers and whatnot scattered about.
Where I live you may keep your own RV on your property but not sitting in the driveway or front yard. You may only have one on the property too. If you want to live in an RV you can but you must be in an RV campground, a mobile home park under a year’s lease or on your own land connected to power, water, and sewer or have an underground septic tank. You can’t live in it anywhere else. You may have guests visit you and park their RV on your property for a certain number of days, and I think that’s two occurrences per year. The people here will call the county if you try to cheat. They also will call the county or state if they think y ou homestead and are not here the required number of days per year. It’s all in keeping the neighborhoods nice and homeless-free. There are plenty of homeless people in the area but mostly live in the woods along the canals out in the low-density areas.. I’ve been told they come into town to sleep but spend the days away from the general population. When it is so so so hot I see them in the library. I can see them in the library parking lot late at night. I think a bunch of them sleep there under the lights and leave in the early morning. We have alligators and panthers; it is worrisome that people sleep on the ground.
Some HOAs don’t allow RVs on the property at all.
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