The Tigard Safe Parking Program is designed to provide safe places to sleep, shelter, and receive services with the goal of obtaining permanent, stable housing for people living in their cars. The City of Tigard has partnered with Just Compassion of East Washington County to operate the Program at three sites in Tigard, the first opened in September 2024.

A designated host site will host up to three households who are permitted to park, sleep, and spend their downtime in designated parking spaces. As a condition of enrolling in this program, participants must meet with a Case Manager at least once a week and make demonstrable progress toward permanent, stable housing.

To enroll, participants must successfully pass a background check that shows no history of past person-on-person or sexual crimes. The Safe Parking Coordinator also interviews participants for fit in the Program, and all participants must be approved by the Host Site representative.

Tigard’s Program is modeled on the successful Safe Parking Program in neighboring Beaverton. Beaverton’s Program has been active for five years across five host sites with no significant issues and an over 65% success rate of transitioning participants into stable housing.

The Program's success is due to the high-barrier enrollment requirements and close coordination with Case Management. Participants in this Program have shown high internal motivation to transition back into stable housing.

While enrolled in the Program, Participants must follow the Code of Conduct for the host site. The Code of Conduct is specific to each host site, as each property has its own requirements for harmonious integration of the Program into the surrounding neighborhood. As a baseline, each Code of Conduct prohibits drug and alcohol use, guests, and harassing or illegal behaviors. Violating the Code of Conduct can be grounds for immediate exit from the Program. If someone is discovered to be a poor fit for the Program, the Site Coordinator works with the household to transition them to a shelter program that better fits their needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Safe Parking Program? A Safe Parking Program supports families and individuals experiencing homelessness and provides assistance to transition from living in their vehicles into housing. For people who have lost their homes, living in a vehicle may be their only option besides sleeping on the street. Providing designated places for people to park while living in their vehicles helps stabilize lives and improve the chances of gaining access to services and employment.

How does the program work? The program consists of host sites distributed throughout the city with assigned parking spaces and onsite portable restrooms, storage, and garbage removal, as well as case management. The Safe Parking Coordinator will manage intake and case management of guests, assignment of parking spaces, and coordination of host sites in collaboration with the city.

Have other cities had success with similar program? Yes! The City of Beaverton has operated a Safe Parking Program across five sites since 2020. Their program has successfully housed over 65% of participants. For more information on the model Beaverton program visit https://www.beavertonoregon.gov/378/Safe-Parking-Program

Who operates the sites? The City of Tigard has partnered with Just Compassion of East Washington County to provide program management. Just Compassion is responsible for intake and case management of the guests participating in the program.

The focus is to serve as a community centered response for addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness by building relationships and creating a community that connects people to services that expand their support system and help them overcome barriers to housing.

How long do guests stay in the program? Guests start with a 30-day probationary period in which they must meet with the Case Manager to complete a case management plan. Guests that complete the plan and comply with program rules throughout the probationary period will be able to stay for up to 120 days. After 120 days, guests may request an extension as long as they are making progress on their plan.

What do host sites provide and where are they located? Host sites provide space for three vehicles to park and spaces for an ADA portable restroom, hand-washing station, and small storage unit. They also provide trash services. Each host site has a dedicated contact person that communicates site needs and concerns to the Safe Parking Coordinator. Site locations would be dispersed throughout Tigard. Once a guest is approved to stay in the program, they are assigned a space at one of the host sites. Unenrolled individuals cannot drive in and use the spaces.

Who would be eligible for the program? How would they enroll? Washington County families and individuals that are experiencing homelessness and using their vehicle as primary residence would be eligible to apply for this high-barrier program. Vehicles must be operational with up-to-date registration.

Potential guests contact Just Compassion at 503-624-4666 to enroll in the program. The Case Manager will invite the applicant in for an interview and intake process, during which they will complete a background check and inquire about individual needs and challenges in finding housing and their strengths and abilities to contribute, follow rules, and abide by the structure and rules of the program. Applicants will need to commit to working on a case management plan with the intention of transitioning into housing. Beaverton's successful program has found that many of their guests are seniors on fixed incomes and the gap between income and rent is the primary reason for homelessness.

Will this program cause more people to park in my neighborhood? The Safe Parking Program provides a safe place for families and individuals in crisis to park but they must apply and be assigned to a host site. Guests accepted into the program are the only ones permitted to stay, and are not allowed to have visitors onsite.

How are the host sites and guests kept safe? Guests sign agreements with the host sites that they will abide by the rules and program expectations. Guests are expected to attend regular case management meetings with their Case Manager. There will be zero tolerance for violent behavior or drug and alcohol use on-site. No firearms or weapons are allowed on the property. Guests are expected to keep the site tidy, refrain from disruptive behavior and be good neighbors. They are responsible for parking only in their designated space and displaying their parking pass, notifying the Case Manager if they will not be on-site for more than three consecutive days, and observing quiet hours. The Tigard Police Department will be aware of program host sites and as always, should be contacted if an emergency occurs; however, it is important to note that this program provides much greater management and safety for individuals and families living out of their vehicles than currently exists without it.

How will the City track the Program’s performance and report that information to the public?

It’s important for the success of the Program that the City maintain a direct line of communication with the community. The City will communicate the status and outcomes of the Program in the following ways:  

Just Compassion is required by the Grant Agreement to submit a monthly report to the City on the status of the Program that will include: 

• Number of current participants  

• Number of participants that have successfully exited to stable housing or alternative services (month and year-to-date)  

• Number of participants that have unsuccessfully exited the program (month and year-to-date) 

• Participants’ City and State origin before entering the Program 

• Participants’ City and State destination exiting the Program 

• Summary of any incidents that have occurred at Host Sites, including all calls for emergency service and community calls to JCEWC  

The City will also collect anonymized 911 and non-emergency call data from Tigard PD and TVF&R.

The City will compile a monthly report and post it on the City Safe Parking website each month and share it with the Safe Parking mailing list.

When can participants park in the spaces? A participant's dedicated space is available for their use 24-hours a day. This gives the individuals a space place to spend their downtime, no matter what their work, school, or other schedule allows.

Are sanitary services available? Yes, the site includes a locked porta-potty and hand-washing station for the participants.

How does the storage unit work for three households? The storage unit space is share equally among the three households. Shelving is included in the storage unit. If conflict arises among the participants about the storage space, the Safe Parking Coordinator mediates and resolves the issues.

Are RVs allowed? The program is restricted to passenger vehicles. RVs, campers, and trailers are not permitted.

Do participants need to have their vehicles registered and insured? Do participants need drivers licenses? Yes, participants must have their vehicle registered, insured, and have a valid driver’s license. If an applicant is missing one or more of these qualifications, Just Compassion can help them meet this requirement prior to enrolling them in this program.

What is the definition of a household? A household is the family of people living within the vehicle. Most Safe Parking households are one or two adults. Infrequently, a family with children will be enrolled in the Safe Parking Program temporarily until space at a local family shelter is available.

Is the area monitored and staffed? No, due to the high-barrier requirements to enroll and remain in the Program and the small number of people at any given location constant monitoring of the site is not required. The Safe Parking Coordinator visits the site multiple times a week to meet with participants and ensure the site is being well maintained by the guests.

Can guests bring their pets? Yes, guests can bring their pets. All pets are required to be on a leash when outside of the vehicle. Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their pets and monitoring their behavior.

Will the identities of guests be published on the City website? No, for the privacy and dignity of the Safe Parking participants, their identities will not be publicized.

Are participants subject to random drug or alcohol testing? No, random or regular drug testing would interfere with participant’s efforts to establish regular work and housing and are unreliable and late indicators of drug and alcohol use. The Safe Parking Coordinator relies on behavioral indicators of any kind of drug or alcohol use. We have learned from other programs that having guests, violating quiet hours, and missing appointments with a case manager are earlier and more accurate signs of drug or alcohol use than random testing. All of these behaviors are prohibited in the Code of Conduct for the site and can result in a person being exited from the program.

What activities are permitted outside of the vehicle? Participants may not sleep or cook outside of their vehicle. Otherwise, they are free to use the amenities of the host site in any way that does not violate the Code of Conduct.

Should community members engage with Safe Parking participants? Safe Parking is a new Program in Tigard and has sparked community curiosity and concerns. We ask the community to provide Safe Parking participants with dignity and space in the Program.  

While participants are in the Program, their parking space is their home, and we ask that you do not enter their space. 

The desire to approach and interact with participants comes from compassion and a desire to help others. If you would like to volunteer your time, provide goods, or give money, please consider one of our excellent houseless providers in Tigard for your generosity –  

• Just Compassion of East Washington County – https://www.justcompassionewc.com/  
• Family Promise of Tualatin Valley – https://www.familypromiseoftv.org/  
• Good Neighbor Center – https://gncnw.org/
• Project Homeless Connect – https://www.phcwc.org/  

Who should I contact for more information?  For program questions and concerns: City of Tigard Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives Kim Ezell kim.ezell@tigard-or.gov 503.278.0801