City of Santa Cruz Implements Long-Awaited RV Ban, Changing the Nighttime Landscape
by Andrew Naylor
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 11:58 PM.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — After a protracted journey through bureaucratic challenges, the City of Santa Cruz has triumphed in enforcing the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance (OVO) starting December 4, 2023. The road to implementation faced setbacks, with the California Coastal Commission initially blocking the ordinance in 2022 due to the need for approval within the Coastal Zone. However, in a significant development, the City secured a one-year Coastal Development Permit from the Commission in May 2023.
The OVO, initially approved by the Santa Cruz City Council in November 2021 and reaffirmed in 2022, was met with Coastal Commission scrutiny that required coastal permit approval. This permit was a critical step to ensure equitable access to the coast, with the City actively collaborating with the Coastal Commission, the community, and key stakeholders to establish a sustainable program.
Lisa Murphy, Deputy City Manager, underscored the City's commitment to coastal access, stating, "Oversized vehicles consistently parked in the coastal zone occupy limited parking in an already impacted area. We want to enable people to enjoy the best of Santa Cruz, including our beaches, coastline, and the ocean."
The ordinance mandates that, as of December 2023, individuals seeking to park oversized vehicles on city streets between midnight and 5:00 a.m. must purchase a permit. Residents living in their oversized vehicles are also encouraged to enroll in an off-street safe parking program. Oversized vehicles are defined as those exceeding 20’ in length or more than 8’ tall and 7’ wide.
In tandem with this initiative, the recently released 2023 Point-in-Time Census (PIT Count) offers a glimmer of hope in the battle against homelessness in Santa Cruz County. The census revealed a commendable 21.5 percent decline in homelessness, marking the lowest levels since the PIT Count's inception.
Robert Ratner, Director of the Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Division, acknowledged the progress but tempered optimism, stating, "While the numbers show the lowest levels of homelessness since the PIT Count was first conducted and reflects our efforts to prioritize housing, we still have a long way to go."
Despite the overall positive trend, the report noted an unfortunate 15 percent increase in homelessness in Watsonville. Additionally, the number of homeless families with children and K-12 students experiencing homelessness saw an uptick.
The PIT Count, conducted on February 23, 2023, exposed the harsh realities of unsheltered homelessness, with 79 percent of individuals in that category. Of those unsheltered, almost half slept in vehicles, highlighting the urgency of initiatives like the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance. While 65 percent of families experiencing homelessness had some form of shelter, unaccompanied minors and transition-age youth faced the challenges of living on the streets.
As Santa Cruz continues its concerted efforts in comprehensively reducing homelessness, the introduction of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance represents another integral element within the city's multifaceted strategy to tackle homelessness. This holistic approach, designed to balance the rights and needs of the homeless population with the feedback of the community, has demonstrated its efficacy. The recently reported reduced numbers from the 2023 Point-in-Time Census reflect the city's commitment to finding equitable solutions that account for the complex challenges of homelessness while addressing the concerns and perspectives of the broader community.