The 'parking lot' homeless of Santa Barbara

This one is a bit off-topic for an L.A. housing blog, but it caught my eye: a CNN story about a woman who can't afford to rent any longer in Santa Barbara who now lives in her car in a city-sanctioned parking lot for the homeless.

The woman, a former loan processor named Barbara Harvey, is 67 years old and lives with her dogs in a Honda SUV. "This is my bed, my dogs," she said. "This is my life in this car right now."

The L.A. Times profiled parking lot residents in Santa Barbara on New Year's Eve last year: "All are beneficiaries of the city-sanctioned Safe Parking program, which allows people to live -- sometimes for years -- in cars or RVs in about a dozen parking lots that belong to the city, the county, churches, nonprofits and a few businesses in industrial areas."

Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com.

Photo: Boyd Grant 63, prepares to spend the night in his 31-year old GMC motor home parked at the food bank parking lot in Goleta. (L.A. Times)

Comments

[Leslie]

If you're going to be living in your car, why not live in a nice area like Santa Barbara? Makes me wonder why all those folks living in vehicles on Riverside and Hyperion don't head up there and get away from the freeway fumes.
I bet the Santa Barbara library has restrooms and free wi-fi, too. I think owning a van makes more sense than losing a security deposit to a landlord.

[Steve]

Only in America, over a million foreclosed vacant houses and these poor people have to live in these conditions.

[Nancy]

Roger,

I'm not sure if those "tiny studios" you speak of are outlawed, or that the developer salivates at renting out one-bedrooms at $1900 a month to start, whereas a tiny studio would fetch much less...More likely the latter....

[tew]

I wonder how many months rent the past years' gasoline costs for that SUV could have covered vs. driving a used Civic? A recent WSJ article proposes that the past decade of auto sales was a bubble too - people buying too much, too big.

Anyway, this is a sad situation, but it's not clear what can be done about it that wouldn't create even more inequity and further social disintegration. Savers and working people are already getting screwed paying for the wealthy, the poor, the underground economy, and the illegals.

[sfvrealestate]

Their are affordable alternatives to the predicament, she just refuses to accept them. It is Southern California or nothing for some people.

Posted by: Cal |
Yes, that can also be said for most of the bitter renter posters here who complain about high real estate prices in So. Cal.

[xtine]

Santos -

You are a businessperson.

You buy a building knowing it is rent-controlled. Your mortgage is amount X.

If your rents cannot cover amount X+basic maintenance you do not buy the building.

You raise the rents 4% a year.
Your mortgage stays the same.

So, you need to ask YOURSELF how you are losing money, because it is not the government's fault.

Maybe you need to be in a different business?

[Fourth Generation]

Hummm, so lot of people in this blog are saying that the lady should move away and nobody should have any simpathy for her predicament. That is a very miopic and really stupid point of view since those detractors are only looking at her as an individual that can easily solve the problem by moving into a more affordable place. But from the point of view of the workers and the economy of SB that is not a solution at all and only points to the obvious problem of everybody wanting to live large but pay short. If any job that pays at $8.00/hour cannot fill the positions because employees cannot live remotedly close to the work place, what would happen? One resultant is to close shop and move to areas where the $8/hour can be enough or raise the salary to make it possible for people to afford a place to rent. A third option however is the most practiced one, hire illegal immigrants, exploit them for less than $8/hour and keep the services and products cheap enough for all of you to enjoy. Think about it while you sip you next cup of tea at the restaurant.

[m]

I have a friend that actually lives in her van in LA --- out of choice. She once rented an apartment. She also has many part time jobs that cause her to constantly be away from home. By having her home with her all of the time, she can at least nap without wasting time trying to fight the LA freeway traffic and has consciously reduced what she needs so she has everything needed at all times. Plus it saves her a huge amount of money. She also has more freedom than most people. If she wants to go camping or on a vacation for a few days, she's already packed and it takes as much effort as sleeping in a parking lot. It's not a lifestyle that works for everyone, but it can be reasonable and I can see it becoming more popular.

[Victor]

Look people. The dollar is collapsing and soon, like London, Sydney, Rome etc. ONLY wealthy people will be able to live in cities like the westside of LA, Santa Barbara etc. America is just catching up with the global economy. Within 5 years, gas will be $12 per gallon. The sad truth is that, compared to Europe, most Americans are simply flat broke. One million dollars just isn't a lot of money to people in Europe because the dollar just isn't worth that much. Most people in London pay way more than that for an apartment. Middle class people who can't afford California any more should just stop being so stubborn and join millions of others who have been forced out into Washington state (where houses are still cheap.) It's sad but true. If you can't afford it any more, then leave for a place where you can afford to eat (ie. flyover states.)

[Carol]

As I viewed many comments I couldn't help myself to write. The rise of homeless individuals will continue and I need to advise readers of the whole story of the Homeless woman in Santa Barbara. I work with individuals who are 55 and over and very low income. I travel the Northern Central Coast of SB to Paso Robles and under my umbrella there is also a program in LA. I help low income individuals find unsubsidized employment and the SB woman is a participant at $8.00 an hour in a work training program that will help her find employment and reach her employment goals to live and be productive in her living environment. It is not only the SB woman but individuals who served our country (Veterans) who are homeless because of life changes. In the work training program , I have lawyers, nurses, teachers, clerical workers, moms, many veterans and the list goes on. The veterans are most in need for our services to help them get back in a normal work environment. It is not that individuals don't have the skills or made bad choices it is that "Life just changed for them" With our economy and baby boomers coming we will see so many more individuals in a situation as the SB woman who lives in her car. Our government should take more interest in our veterans who served our country and there is more to come when our new veterans come home. The SB woman is one of many that I work with on a daily basis to help increase the self respect, dignity, and well being. As much as we can plan we really never know when life throws us a curve. The SB woman seeks other employment by searching newspapers, internet ads, cold calls to employers because the program requires her to continually job search while in her work training program. She is paid by the department of labor $8.00 an hour for 20 hours a week in a government or non-profit agency. The program also helps the community who is suffering with employee cut backs and in return the income cost for the government or non profit agency is that they train the individual. I hope that through the ruff times ahead we might all think of changes that can happen to anyone of us and hopefully we are all prepared for what is to come.

[Jess]

Everyone's ignoring the big picture, that this is a reality and there are many people that don't have the choice, My law firm cut out our Health Insurance but hey our lawn looks great! They come 3-4 times a week. We havn't gotten raises etc. Im about 8 classes shy of an associates degree and truthfully in my area of FL I cant find jobs. I looked within a 30+ mile radius and found about 10 listings that had been there since i believe it was sunday! I dont live in the boonies, i live in whats city for florida. Everyone's feeling the squeeze, How can anyone sit there and say she CHOOSES to live this way, I hope none of you find yourself in a situation like that, you have no idea what got to the point to where she is. I struggle everyday at 25 years old to help my parents, So i carry my weight and theirs and truthfully they may find themselves in that kind of situation and I dont wish it on anyone.

[Don Design Jr]

Give the “Homeless-Streets” to the “Homeless-People.

Car-Sleeping, not on MY Palo Alto Street Rebuttal:
The saying is correct, but the interpretation is wrong, Wrong, WRONG. It does not mean, “Not on my street, and not in Palo Alto.”
It means, “Not on my street, but on streets or lots away from neighborhoods.”

URGENT: Palo Alto is the only city in Santa Clara county that allows Car-Sleeping.
But this is at risk: The City Council will decide on an issue coming up soon to outlaw Car-Sleeping.
Read more>
http://i4h90129.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/car-sleeping-not-on-my-palo-alto-street-rebuttal/

[abouttobehomeless]

i am about to be homeless unfrotunaly i can work , i am not disabled , the fact is there are no jobs for homeless people , and the jobs out there wont pay for a rent ot a place to live no matter how you spin it there is no way even at 10 dollars per hour can you afford monthly rent in any city in the usa this is a growing problem in america today , from greedy bankers , Goverments that spend billlions of dollars on killing people in wars when they cant even help there own homeless population as to some of you poster up above calling people losers cause they cant find a job FU , your the loser! and not a very nice person to not even help your fellow amerians , this is truely what is wrong with society today , people like you and greedy business owners and bankers in the world