Unhoused Alameda County residents find refuge through “Safe Parking” program

By Itay Hod

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    ALAMEDA COUNTY, California (KPIX) — It’s a bone-chilling night in Oakland and Lillian Nodora is searching for a place to park. But unlike most people, she’s not looking for a spot near her home. That’s because her car is her home.

“I basically don’t sleep until the sun comes up,” she said.

A decade ago, Nodora lost her job. Then she lost her apartment and found herself living in her 2003 Honda Odyssey along with her daughter Katrina. Her biggest worry isn’t getting a ticket; it’s getting attacked.

“Where I was staying over there off of Hegenberger [Road], there was a lot of people that roamed, basically homeless drug addicts and all,” Nodora explained.

Luckily, the West Side Missionary Church in Oakland had just re-opened its “Safe Parking” program for people living in their cars. Nodora breathed a sigh of relief.

“Never in my entire life have I expected to live like this,” she said.

Known as “mobile homeless,” they’re one of the fastest growing segments of America’s unhoused population.

A 2022 survey found that people living in their cars represent 58% of Oakland’s homeless, up from 45% in 2019.

The West Side Missionary Baptist Church was recently awarded a $500,000 grant by the city of Oakland and Alameda County to open three of these lots.

Dr. Ken Chambers, the church’s pastor, said most of his participants have jobs. The only thing keeping them afloat is the fact that they still have car. Which is why his church not only offers them a safe place to park, but also showers, laundry service and even auto repairs.

“If they lose their car, then they’re on the ground, they’re on the streets, they’re on the cold concrete. So, it’s vital to keep the car running and legal to keep them in their car while we work to get them wrap around services,” he said.

For Nodora and her daughter it meant finally getting a good night sleep.

“Being able to park here does give me peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to look over my shoulders every five minutes,” Katrina Nodora said.

More information about the Alameda County Safe Parking program and the different East Bay cities it serves can be found online.

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