San Francisco bans RV parking overnight on most city streets

“City workers are on the streets every day providing shelter and housing to people living in recreational vehicles,” SFMTA transportation director Jeff Tumlin said in a statement. “This legislation allows for parking enforcement if all of these offers have been rejected.

According to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, city officials have already moved 50 households from vehicles on Winston Drive near Stonestown Mall and Zoo Road near Lake Merced into long-term housing since June after threatening to have their vehicles towed.

Affordable housing activists and critics argue that the proposed law does nothing to address the city's lack of affordable housing or access to safe parking.

“If the conversation was, 'Give up your RV to get permanent housing,' it would be a very different conversation,” said Lukas Illa, an organizer with the Coalition on Homelessness. “Refuge is so temporary. So many people I've spoken to are desperate for permanent solutions. But that’s not what the city is offering.”

What other housing questions do you have for KQED?

Housing is one of the Bay Area's most important — and contentious — issues, and here at KQED we have an entire team dedicated to exploring stories about housing affordability.

As part of our work, we would also like to provide you with explanations and guides about living in the area and provide renters, homeowners and homeless people with practical advice and insight into a variety of housing situations. We also want you to send us your story ideas and tips, share your personal experiences with housing in the Bay Area, or volunteer as one of the KQED readers and listeners we consult on housing stories.

So tell us: What housing question should we answer next?

You can use the comment box below to submit your question about housing in the Bay Area or California more broadly. Or perhaps there is a housing program you would like to explain or investigate. Whatever is on your mind, use the Google form below to talk to us. The information you provide here will be shared with those working on KQED's home insurance, and we may contact you directly using the contact information you provided. (We will never share your information outside of KQED without your permission.) We can't respond to everyone who submits a question, but what you tell us will strengthen our coverage on KQED.org, KQED Public Radio and our social media -Channels.