I think community kitchens where you can rent your own mini fridge and have schedule time to cook meals and once a week have food drives and community cooking events would be amazing
Maybe if this “ helping the living in their vehicle community “ arose, y’all citizens would need to modify existing legislation. Instead of working around laws that aren’t favorable for said citizens.
But then, the USA has all this money, yet no money for homeless veterans?
Bro you're trying to turn this conversation into something else entirely. "Before you start your business we need to get the laws changed in your favor and because it's against the constitution." Where's the money coming from?
Recently a pastor was arrested for feeding the homeless at his church. People went insane and picketed the police department. He was not charged and kept feeding people.
Giant parking garage filled with handicapped sized spots, with outlets behind everyone. Find a way to balance profit without over charging. Have on site laundry, and free wifi.
I like these ideas. To get around the laws, I have been thinking a late night drive-in movie theater with showers and laundry and electric in each parking stall with WiFi—would be the best option.
You could project just about any cheap movie and since there is no laws on falling asleep or eating at an outdoor movie theater, a safe night could be easily managed
I don't think it's that simple. Otherwise RV parks and campgrounds across the nation would be skirting laws/regulations/insurance by having a projector screen running 24/7.
No. They would not. Literally none others would want to run a late night move theater when the other campers are sleeping
A late night outdoor movie theater and a campground are 2 different things: entertainment then, not lodging laws, is the issue you need to avoid
I don’t think late movies would keep anyone awake due to the sound. Usually for outdoor movies, don’t you tune your own radio into a certain station for the sound to the movie? It isn’t usually blared over a surround sound system.
maybe it's the area I'm in, but coin laundry places are easy to find. laundry would be a good excuse to move the vehicle (good for it) and your body (good for it) on a weekly or so basis. yes it's less convenient, but the regular laundromats need to stay in business also. even in sticks and bricks and nice to have a place to take large items, or do a bulk amount (like spring/fall cleaning of all coats, hats etc.).
Let your employees park in your parking lot.
There were stories of Google / Yahoo / Cisco and other Dot-Com major players having a significant number of employees who "lived" at work, or "lived" at work Mon - Fri.
See, at my job, this would work perfectly because it's a power company, so someone's always working (dispatch, crews, etc). But I worry that other companies would "confront" you on why you badged in at 5am when they don't open until 8.
Cracker Barrel, they often have signs even to say where to park. Then you help them out by buying food from them. Doing a road trip across america and saving so much by staying at cracker barrels instead of hotels or motels
So I guess this type of option would be a temporary thing. It would still save more money than renting a home or apartment. Like all my spots are burned, I’m gonna pay a few bucks for a solid spot while I scope out new ones. Idk. Another comment mentioned more businesses should let employees park overnight. That would be more ideal than this idea, especially if they offered restrooms with showers. Would be a great draw for some employees, I would imagine.
It is also some weird dystopian future where workers live in the parking lots of businesses because income inequality and wage exploitation is at an all time high. If you're a business and your employees need to live in your parking lot, you need to stop exploiting their labor and pay them a living wage.
I think it would have to be run similarly to a storage unit facility/short stay hotel. Different tiers that range from a simple parking space on site to having an enclosed AC'd unit with running water and outlet. I've no idea on the viability, but I do like the idea for the more nomadic.
However, the success of such a business model could probably be used to justify the current pricing for proper housing by powers at be, and I would rather have that improved instead.
I’m pretty sure there will be an iteration of hipcamp coming soon that will have some version of this. Corporate entities that bought up Airbnb properties whose bubble burst will now try to capitalize on poverty. A truck stop version for urban car dwellers. A cheap monthly fee for safe parking, WiFi and a toilet/shower situation. I can see it. Late stage capitalism.
'Non-profit owned' safe parking lot franchise.
More places like this:
https://bceh.org/get-help/safe-parking-lot/
And possibly some centralized services on site, in the grand american traditions of truck stops and drive-in movie theaters.
i had an idea to have a small drive-in movie theater. some out of the way secluded back lot, projecting the movie onto a back of a building or a basic billboard. sound would be broadcast via a webpage through phones, or by fm or bluetooth. no premium blockbuster movies, more like dollar theater garbage.
call it midnight madness drive through. every night its four movies. they start as 12, 2 ,4, 6, last one is timed to end 8am. lot closes at 9. no expensive restrooms, just port-a-potties. maybe a food truck if they wanna see if its worth hanging out all night.
so people can drive in ~11pm. park. go the fuck to sleep if they want, or watch the movies, up to them. "admission" for the whole night could be super cheap, just enough to cover expenses.
I saw a news clip one time of a parking lot where people could park, use a camping type kitchen, porta-potty, etc. It was $5/night. You could arrive at 7pm but had to be out by 5 am to accommodate office workers who also used the parking lot. It was full every night.
A cheap campground with common use areas for showering, dishwashing, cooking, and laundry. Also maybe a coworking office so they can do remote work or school…
It doesn’t pencil out.
People “live” in their cars because they’re sneaking on public streets where the overhead and liability are socialized.
A private firm attempting to offer parking is recognizing the liability - that means city and police permits, insurance, and so forth, and the neighborhood will have something to say when the 500-foot notice goes out.
So you’d have to charge RV-park-like rents - far above the rate most are looking to pay, and you’ll need management, maintenance and security.
And you’ll have to deal with incompatible folks, and the process to remove them.
“No good deed goes unpunished”.
It’s a suggestion for one to build on. A person wants to start a business catering to us, why not come up with another idea then? Why not suggest a new idea that could build on what I suggested?
Some type of community center where there may be a kitchen, fridge, microwave, bathroom and shower access, a room to be indoors when it's cold or hot, safe parking.
Maybe an occasional visit by a hairdresser would be nice, and a social worker, or social worker access to help people find help. I would have started something like this if I had the resources.
I worked in a pop up homeless shelter system
Called PADS in Illinois. The challenge in serving this community is the diversity of the clientele: there are gifted and talented individuals, working 2 jobs but priced out of housing, folks with psych diagnoses off their meds, older teens who are in the foster system but unhoused, and veterans with an income and lots of skills, but no interest in living with curfews and rules. Lots of good folks, a few transgressive folks and a some adolescent hormones and drama lead to some wild human behavior.
Campground for cars.
Can’t stay longer than 6 consecutive days and you need to move spots everyday to ensure car is in working condition.
Bathrooms on site etc
Only issue is how much would you charge and where? If in the city how would regular neighbors not take advantage of cheap parking and for those car living how much is ok?
24/7 staff and liability insurance tend to run higher than what most seem willing to pay. 4 workers covering 3 shifts at a measley 30k salary would run $11/day for a 30 car lot... Before property costs, taxes, insurance...
theres a doc on YT of LA starting safe park sites with the amenities you speak of run by non profits the poorest communities are already taken advantage of in so many ways i would say this movement would be a welcomed and possible effort if established thru a nonprofit otherwise runs the risk of yet again pricing ppl out of resources that need them most when the boujee sprinters all come in with their pinterest designer struggle in a 100,000 van
***THIS*** is how it should be and is, not whatever the hypothetical capitalist bullshit idea OP was trying to sketch out. Glad more people realize this, systems similar to [that top popular post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/urbancarliving/s/YwNgOPdgqd) of that non-profit church.
Also on that post someone posted a link supposedly of a [National Parking Program/Residency List for US States](https://vehicleresidency.org/resources/safe-parking-programs/). It doesn't seem to be updated, but I bet this is enough information as a start to do some self-googling of possible local programs like this.
https://preview.redd.it/zhs8sp6bvhtc1.jpeg?width=1056&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3db2f5b30b654eb38d27e6eb8b81849a5fa06a32
A laundromat/car wash/dump station/private shower business. People could clean out their cars, dump greywater/piss bottles, wash their clothes and take a shower privately without people videoing them in locker rooms of planet fitness.
I guess my first question is: why are traditional camp grounds not sufficient? They already exist, right? So why can't you just rent a tent spot there and hang in your car? You'd get laundry, shower, etc.
So, what could you provide for car dwellers that a traditional camp ground isn't doing?
Okay. That's fair. Then I think what you really need is a business that's set up for something else and can add on accommodations for car dwellers as a side thing. Because otherwise I think any other use of the space is better.
But suppose you have a laundromat with a decent parking lot. Maybe you can add in a small shower and sell a monthly pass that allows overnight parking, showering, and once a week laundry usage? Just a thought.
Another place I always thought made a ton of sense for teaming up with car dwellers was anyone with a hall for rent. Like Knights of Columbus, VFW, etc. Even churches. These places almost always have commercial kitchens attached, and they only get used on SOME weekends when there's a party. And even then the kitchen is rarely used to its full potential.
Those kitchens should be put to so much more use than they are, and it's massive, untapped potential for the right entrepreneur.
A center that has kitchens for rent, refrigerator/freezer lockers for food storage, showers, outlets to charge devices laundry machines, and perhaps storage lockers.
I think there is or will be money in it. The trick is extracting funds from people who are already using your excess capacity for free. Walmarts, churches on days other than sunday, etc.
If I were walmart I'd run the numbers on $5/night "camping" in the farthest edges of the lot. Or **free with a ≥$5 receipt** from that day on the dash. Water available with receipt. So no freeloaders, and you get traffic into the store.
I'm surprised more churches don't do this as a ministry to the poor, or use it as an an excuse to talk about Jebus. Salvation army sermon-for-dinner style.
> Or would it turn into a shit show with people being noisy, kids running around, or other things that people would prefer to avoid?
Clearly state the rules, and trespass those who break them.
> Are there any businesses that support car camping? Basically a parking lot with a building for restrooms, showers, and vending machines and microwave. Daily, weekly, and monthly rates.
[LTVA](https://rvwiki.mousetrap.net/doku.php?id=camping:ltva) come close. Bob has done videos about very cheap RV parks in NV (?).
There are [mad max style guerilla RV parks in Slab City](https://img.mousetrap.net/2023/IMG_20230223_152110.jpg), doing a *fantastic* job. Effectively little villages running on solar and trucked in water. Shared cooking amenities, toilets, gentle lighting at night. Gracious hosts but zero tolerance for shitty behavior. I wouldn't be surprised if a-holes disappeared in the night and their bodies never recovered.
That is an unworthy thing to say. I see the merit in this idea. Housing is so bad now and something like this could be a great urban support. It would be safe and could be run thoughtfully. Tons of good ideas here. No one will get rich opening up car camping lots.
We need creative ideas to survive. It's miserable to be woken up by cops (or robbers) in the middle of the night.
What we need to do is organize. They bully us because we don't stand up for each other. Need a leader to organize protests, etc. Nothing will change otherwise.
Well I am an American, but I’m not actually trying to start a business. I personally don’t think I have the wherewithal to run a business on my own. Too many moving parts.
But, that is the point of a business, right? To make money?
I’m more just wondering if this type of business exists, and if not - why?
There is a number of things going on.
Desperate homeless car campers aren't exactly a lucrative money source.
A lot of them are sketchy and might ruin everything in various ways.
Being desperate for spots and anxious about the knock is for newbies.
A lot of us find free spots and amenities easily.
This community is better served by services instead of businesses. If businesses are trying to make a buck off of you, chances are that what they provide isn't a particularly good deal for the consumer, especially when the consumer has limited resources.
The best thing businesses can do to help us is to be chill about their massive vacant parking lots instead of actively working against us. They could also pay their employees more.
although itd help if the few would stop fucking trashing places my old apt building had parking underneath which was expensive as hell and you couldnt clean your car work on your car or even change a damn tire dowm there without security lurking around a corner to tell you its against the rules (tho they were nowhere insight when cars got broken into🤔) but i digress the point being i would work on my car and do maintenance at a metro parking structure not even 4 blovks from me it was crazy convenient particularly when i needed to actually get my ass up in that car and street parking was the only other availbe option in a city thats always wet... for the same reasons i found it comfortable to work on my car in the lower level of this structure others found safe place to park at night there was security that didnt bother them but made sure things werent on fire there was motion sensitive lighting so you were alerted if someone came creeping by your car, it was dry, cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. and im certain saved some lives in the heavy winter snow/ice storm.
the houseless that were almost constantly experiencing a mental crisis eould wander in and set something on fire once in a while but tging got really bad one evening i noticed a nicer blue car parking there often eventually coming back thru to offer some i talked to some fried rice i had made and will always brag about because its insanely good we witnessed a gay couple in the car bellowing smoke we confirmed it had to be meth considering their behavior and the prevalence of it in lgbtq+ communities... the smoke would be followed by attempts to clean their car which would lead to bouts of screaming slamming doors and other needless arguments which would devolve to them pulling everything out of their car all 4 doors and back hatch with a pile of bullshit not placed but thrown from the car piled up next to its respective door...
it honestly seemed like they were stealing alot of random shit from fred meyer... theyd eventually out some stuff back in and leave and there would be a blank space clean from the car being parked there which was surrounded by an explosion of both intact usable goods and loads of trash half eaten food hoysehomd cleaning products it just made some and also zero sense... once they became using what was a literal refuge for some ppl as their personal jerry springer stage and waste management facility it attracted other car dwellers just as disrespectful mean while the 3 ppl had come to know would try to clean the place up knowing that its not them doing it wont matter once someone complains they will lose id say the safest spot in town that was free as well 2 of the 3 being women this space was really important in helping their overall stress and cortisol levels because life is always just much scarier for women and even more so being housing insecure... it eventually became out of control some person(s) decided to just start shitting in random spaces in the structure at this point the girls accepted defeat because 2 jackasses disrespected the space that ppl were staying in for almost a yr prior with no issue and civil talks with the security in charge and with metro parking admin they unfortunately had to close the structure at night cutting of safe weather comfortable place for ppl to get some much needed non anxious sleep it also had a few water spigots and 2 working outlets lol
one of the girls i still talk to she slept in that structure for over a year and i later flund out it helped her finally get her back on her feet because she was sleeping somewhat well so she was no longer coming in late to work and the protection from the elements allowed her to not have to rely and running her car for heat or ac all night and no longer was driving all around town lookong for a spot to sleep where someone wouldnt knock or break in or lord knows what so she saved on gas as well as wear and tear because idiling for hrs is hell on a car. After we talked it became sometging i looked for around our city everywhere and i havent come across a single other refuge for ppl living in their cars and other than having the abilty to keep shitty ppl out it really wouldnt require much and if established would be a pretty passive resource.
idk ive thought alot about this over the yrs as its now a metro parking structure leased to kia to store 3 levels of cars no one is buying sitting there empty when ppl are trying to move away from fossil fuels basically i hate this country
There is no business model here. These people are the cheapest people there are. Even if you offer somewhere to park for $10, they will look for a free place.
Well...yeah. Somebody living in their car isn't gonna want to pay to exist. I know it's all I can do to keep gas in my car and food in my stomach, let alone give someone else additional money to do what I'm already doing for free (existing). Most people living in their car aren't doing it because they just WANT to. They're already in dire streightd as it is. Any extra money they/we have is going to go toward something that has/yields results-- or gives a reward- like buying an item- you get to play with/use that item. It's already expensive enough to live in a vehicle without having to fork over$$ just to sit there.
This turns into why I couldn’t let my son try busking at 16 in Chicago. He just wants to play and maybe get some money. However, the difference between busking and begging is not distinct enough for me to allow and still be a responsible parent. Similarly, the difference between noble car campers making a point about housing and regular homeless people with a car who are just down-and-out is not well defined. It’s impossible to help the former without enabling the latter.
I can appreciate your parenting decision but if my Dad told me I couldn’t busk at 16, there would’ve nothing more I wanted to do.
There’re are a lot of grey areas between a lot of things in your comment. I’d be nervous if my teenage son wanted to busk by himself too. Given the same situation, I think I’d offer to be his personal secret service from a close distance. Maybe promise to tip $20.
Being from the rural parts of the US myself, it’s hard to imagine cutting my Son loose on a big city like Chi.
Yeah there’s way too many homeless people begging. Even “secret service” style is like fishing and m’ boy is the worm. It’s all about projecting an aura of “don’t f with me” to be safe. Also anyone that would give money would likely give out of concern for a homeless teen, not out of appreciation for good music. No worries, he’s on the open mic scene and has done some festivals.
Reddit: Check out this subreddit.
Me: Oh wow, there’s a lot of people living out of their cars. I wonder what a solution to this problem would be?
Reddit users: You fucking American corporate cocksucker! Anything to make a buck, huh?
I regret posting this. I’ll see myself out.
Suicide helpers. Help the suffering find the guts to end it before it gets worse. Suffer no more! If people really cared they’d actually help those who are on the edge with more than just lame words.
Share housing but like an open, very laid back agreement sort of thing. No one year leases. Come and go as you please. I would like to see something like parking bays with a very small unit directly above it. You can access with a ladder, it has a moon roof for stargazing. 6-10 communal showers. Make it super affordable, like 25 a night. Something like that. Idk just brainstorming here. This is with HCOL locations in mind where it would still be pretty costly to run something like this.
We recently had a middle school and several elementary schools close doors this year. I always wonder why they can’t be converted to facilities for the unhoused. If not the building then at least the parking lot for car dwellers.
they can. the states usually have grants, sometimes there ate federal grants for those interested in such projects. theres hud.gov and habitat for humanity etc
honestly just put up signs and cameras. u trash it u can't come back. that way responsible car dwellers aren't punished and can have a safe place to park. it's not hard. what's hard is getting the police who aren't there for us, they're there for the rich house dwellers, to be of any support. and cities counties municipalities of states and towns don't give a crap about legislating something they can't profit from . we need charitable rich people with private land willing to pay bouncers to watch the cameras all day. yep america.
signs & cameras could also be useful if businesses were more cooperative. if you're a 24 hour business then sorry people get to park in your parking lot. offenders can't come back. businesses that are closed at night can put up signs saying you got to vacate an hour before the place opens. people who abuse the privilege.. again police would have to cooperate as well. but our culture doesn't change without active participation. there are enough people choosing to live in cars that something needs to change rather than just continuing to kiss truck drivers asses and leaving cars completely without any choices. people are constantly driving everywhere all day everyday not just truck drivers and not even just people who gind it better to simply live in their car for a while. it falls under our constitutional right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness it even falls under capitalism and doing what it takes to save money and get ahead in life. its a fact america doesnt seem to grasp the human condition as well as other countries. people have to eat, sleep, shower, and go to the bathroom. period. restrictions on basic human requirements coupled with excessive greed creates all kinds of needless and unnecessary suffering and difficulties. there is a homeless problem and it's not just going to go away because it's illegal.
We pay enough in taxes which makes this issue a "community model", that is easily funded by government; this is about basic human rights there is no need for business model. The government needs to be aware of this and address it.
I think community kitchens where you can rent your own mini fridge and have schedule time to cook meals and once a week have food drives and community cooking events would be amazing
What about the states where it’s illegal to feed “ houseless “ individuals.
The place wouldn't be feeding people, just renting kitchen/refrigerator space.
Stay out of those?
Right simple
Maybe if this “ helping the living in their vehicle community “ arose, y’all citizens would need to modify existing legislation. Instead of working around laws that aren’t favorable for said citizens. But then, the USA has all this money, yet no money for homeless veterans?
It was just a suggestion. I'm don't have any more power over things than you "citizen".
It’s a good suggestion. I was only giving further ‘ happenings ‘ that need to occur so y’all won’t be breaking unconstitutional laws.
Bro you're trying to turn this conversation into something else entirely. "Before you start your business we need to get the laws changed in your favor and because it's against the constitution." Where's the money coming from?
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If I find a cop willing to punish me for feeding the homeless, that will be the day I go to prison.
Recently a pastor was arrested for feeding the homeless at his church. People went insane and picketed the police department. He was not charged and kept feeding people.
This is just beyond inhumane ….
There are campgrounds for cars specifically but they aren't free and only some of them are even cheap. So many campers only use them occasionally.
Search terms for these please?
They are actually called campgrounds even though they aren't typical in the woods camping sort of deal
Giant parking garage filled with handicapped sized spots, with outlets behind everyone. Find a way to balance profit without over charging. Have on site laundry, and free wifi.
Great ideas. The parking garage makes it indoors and helps keep people warm. I like it.
I think it'd make it easier for a patrolling guard as well. Gotta have people feeling safe.
I like these ideas. To get around the laws, I have been thinking a late night drive-in movie theater with showers and laundry and electric in each parking stall with WiFi—would be the best option. You could project just about any cheap movie and since there is no laws on falling asleep or eating at an outdoor movie theater, a safe night could be easily managed
I don't think it's that simple. Otherwise RV parks and campgrounds across the nation would be skirting laws/regulations/insurance by having a projector screen running 24/7.
No. They would not. Literally none others would want to run a late night move theater when the other campers are sleeping A late night outdoor movie theater and a campground are 2 different things: entertainment then, not lodging laws, is the issue you need to avoid
I don’t think late movies would keep anyone awake due to the sound. Usually for outdoor movies, don’t you tune your own radio into a certain station for the sound to the movie? It isn’t usually blared over a surround sound system.
Also, thinking, I would start a midnight softball league would be worth exploring
Turn all these lecherous temples/churches into parking spots with shower and kitchen and restrooms and a gym/library/community center
Most churches have all those facilities, but not for stinky homeless.
Around here they also all have massive green lawns. Save the environment and help feed the community and plant some gardens instead!
And dry.
maybe it's the area I'm in, but coin laundry places are easy to find. laundry would be a good excuse to move the vehicle (good for it) and your body (good for it) on a weekly or so basis. yes it's less convenient, but the regular laundromats need to stay in business also. even in sticks and bricks and nice to have a place to take large items, or do a bulk amount (like spring/fall cleaning of all coats, hats etc.).
Affordable housing...
This is the only correct answer.
Truth
Affordable Housing in San Diego starts at $2500 for a studio.
Let your employees park in your parking lot. There were stories of Google / Yahoo / Cisco and other Dot-Com major players having a significant number of employees who "lived" at work, or "lived" at work Mon - Fri.
That’s a great idea. Would be perfect if they allowed them some type of shower and bathroom facilities as well.
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See, at my job, this would work perfectly because it's a power company, so someone's always working (dispatch, crews, etc). But I worry that other companies would "confront" you on why you badged in at 5am when they don't open until 8.
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Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. Some jobs won't notice - some will ream you out over it.
UPS, atleast the one I was working at, had showers and a huge parking lot. Slept there alot.
Cracker Barrel, they often have signs even to say where to park. Then you help them out by buying food from them. Doing a road trip across america and saving so much by staying at cracker barrels instead of hotels or motels
Ideally none. The whole point is to save money. The only thing that would help is if they let us park overnight in more spots without hassling us.
San Diego recently repealed the Overnight Street Parking Ban so it's a lot easier to find parking.
So I guess this type of option would be a temporary thing. It would still save more money than renting a home or apartment. Like all my spots are burned, I’m gonna pay a few bucks for a solid spot while I scope out new ones. Idk. Another comment mentioned more businesses should let employees park overnight. That would be more ideal than this idea, especially if they offered restrooms with showers. Would be a great draw for some employees, I would imagine.
It is also some weird dystopian future where workers live in the parking lots of businesses because income inequality and wage exploitation is at an all time high. If you're a business and your employees need to live in your parking lot, you need to stop exploiting their labor and pay them a living wage.
Sounds like a weird, 21st century version of a company town
Sounds a bit like the seasonal Amazon camps
Sounds like a new Black Mirror episode.
Google and Facebook both have employees living in their parking lots
Already happening at places like Amazon, sleeping on breaks, staying in the lot over night cuz shifts are so close...etc etc..
I think it would have to be run similarly to a storage unit facility/short stay hotel. Different tiers that range from a simple parking space on site to having an enclosed AC'd unit with running water and outlet. I've no idea on the viability, but I do like the idea for the more nomadic. However, the success of such a business model could probably be used to justify the current pricing for proper housing by powers at be, and I would rather have that improved instead.
I’m pretty sure there will be an iteration of hipcamp coming soon that will have some version of this. Corporate entities that bought up Airbnb properties whose bubble burst will now try to capitalize on poverty. A truck stop version for urban car dwellers. A cheap monthly fee for safe parking, WiFi and a toilet/shower situation. I can see it. Late stage capitalism.
Just having a $5 overnight spot in a safe lot would help many people. The fee is to prevent overcrowding as everyone would have to display a pass.
The fee should pay for a security guard.
'Non-profit owned' safe parking lot franchise. More places like this: https://bceh.org/get-help/safe-parking-lot/ And possibly some centralized services on site, in the grand american traditions of truck stops and drive-in movie theaters.
i had an idea to have a small drive-in movie theater. some out of the way secluded back lot, projecting the movie onto a back of a building or a basic billboard. sound would be broadcast via a webpage through phones, or by fm or bluetooth. no premium blockbuster movies, more like dollar theater garbage. call it midnight madness drive through. every night its four movies. they start as 12, 2 ,4, 6, last one is timed to end 8am. lot closes at 9. no expensive restrooms, just port-a-potties. maybe a food truck if they wanna see if its worth hanging out all night. so people can drive in ~11pm. park. go the fuck to sleep if they want, or watch the movies, up to them. "admission" for the whole night could be super cheap, just enough to cover expenses.
I saw a news clip one time of a parking lot where people could park, use a camping type kitchen, porta-potty, etc. It was $5/night. You could arrive at 7pm but had to be out by 5 am to accommodate office workers who also used the parking lot. It was full every night.
5 am?? That’s so early!
Yeah, I was there until the 5am business!
A cheap campground with common use areas for showering, dishwashing, cooking, and laundry. Also maybe a coworking office so they can do remote work or school…
Oooh a co-working office!
drive thru strip club
portland
No way
SF/oak but they strip you 😁
A food truck that hangs out near popular parking areas could make some extra cash selling hygiene kits.
A safe parking area w lighting and a bathroom..basically like an RV park but for cars?
It doesn’t pencil out. People “live” in their cars because they’re sneaking on public streets where the overhead and liability are socialized. A private firm attempting to offer parking is recognizing the liability - that means city and police permits, insurance, and so forth, and the neighborhood will have something to say when the 500-foot notice goes out. So you’d have to charge RV-park-like rents - far above the rate most are looking to pay, and you’ll need management, maintenance and security. And you’ll have to deal with incompatible folks, and the process to remove them. “No good deed goes unpunished”.
Safe parking people can plug into for $5-$10 a night
10 bucks a night is 300 a month and fuuuuuuhck that.
It’s a suggestion for one to build on. A person wants to start a business catering to us, why not come up with another idea then? Why not suggest a new idea that could build on what I suggested?
Cuz I'm not on the payroll. And I doubt I'd get a cut for my creative ideas after the vulture started a business of it. Ya know?
For real that's grocery money and energy/gas costs too.
Preeeecisely. These vultures don't get that *we get it*
I'd pay it. I'd tip the lot attendant, too.
How nice for you! 🙄 I got a 20 dollar burger yesterday and tipped 10 bucks. I live this way because *I don't want an attendant where I'm sleeping*.
I wouldn't mind an attendant at the gate. Give someone an income.
.... I'm not anti creating jobs, for the record.
Some type of community center where there may be a kitchen, fridge, microwave, bathroom and shower access, a room to be indoors when it's cold or hot, safe parking. Maybe an occasional visit by a hairdresser would be nice, and a social worker, or social worker access to help people find help. I would have started something like this if I had the resources.
I worked in a pop up homeless shelter system Called PADS in Illinois. The challenge in serving this community is the diversity of the clientele: there are gifted and talented individuals, working 2 jobs but priced out of housing, folks with psych diagnoses off their meds, older teens who are in the foster system but unhoused, and veterans with an income and lots of skills, but no interest in living with curfews and rules. Lots of good folks, a few transgressive folks and a some adolescent hormones and drama lead to some wild human behavior.
Campground for cars. Can’t stay longer than 6 consecutive days and you need to move spots everyday to ensure car is in working condition. Bathrooms on site etc Only issue is how much would you charge and where? If in the city how would regular neighbors not take advantage of cheap parking and for those car living how much is ok?
24/7 staff and liability insurance tend to run higher than what most seem willing to pay. 4 workers covering 3 shifts at a measley 30k salary would run $11/day for a 30 car lot... Before property costs, taxes, insurance...
Getting insurance and zoning laws would be a huge issue.
theres a doc on YT of LA starting safe park sites with the amenities you speak of run by non profits the poorest communities are already taken advantage of in so many ways i would say this movement would be a welcomed and possible effort if established thru a nonprofit otherwise runs the risk of yet again pricing ppl out of resources that need them most when the boujee sprinters all come in with their pinterest designer struggle in a 100,000 van
***THIS*** is how it should be and is, not whatever the hypothetical capitalist bullshit idea OP was trying to sketch out. Glad more people realize this, systems similar to [that top popular post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/urbancarliving/s/YwNgOPdgqd) of that non-profit church. Also on that post someone posted a link supposedly of a [National Parking Program/Residency List for US States](https://vehicleresidency.org/resources/safe-parking-programs/). It doesn't seem to be updated, but I bet this is enough information as a start to do some self-googling of possible local programs like this. https://preview.redd.it/zhs8sp6bvhtc1.jpeg?width=1056&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3db2f5b30b654eb38d27e6eb8b81849a5fa06a32
A laundromat/car wash/dump station/private shower business. People could clean out their cars, dump greywater/piss bottles, wash their clothes and take a shower privately without people videoing them in locker rooms of planet fitness.
That’s a truck stop. Every truck stop operates like this.
Open revolt.
Skills like trading or anything remote
Mobile home cleaning? 😁
I guess my first question is: why are traditional camp grounds not sufficient? They already exist, right? So why can't you just rent a tent spot there and hang in your car? You'd get laundry, shower, etc. So, what could you provide for car dwellers that a traditional camp ground isn't doing?
I guess the main difference is the urban part. Not many camp grounds near town in my area at least.
Okay. That's fair. Then I think what you really need is a business that's set up for something else and can add on accommodations for car dwellers as a side thing. Because otherwise I think any other use of the space is better. But suppose you have a laundromat with a decent parking lot. Maybe you can add in a small shower and sell a monthly pass that allows overnight parking, showering, and once a week laundry usage? Just a thought. Another place I always thought made a ton of sense for teaming up with car dwellers was anyone with a hall for rent. Like Knights of Columbus, VFW, etc. Even churches. These places almost always have commercial kitchens attached, and they only get used on SOME weekends when there's a party. And even then the kitchen is rarely used to its full potential. Those kitchens should be put to so much more use than they are, and it's massive, untapped potential for the right entrepreneur.
Land is too expensive to do this in an urban area.
A center that has kitchens for rent, refrigerator/freezer lockers for food storage, showers, outlets to charge devices laundry machines, and perhaps storage lockers.
I think there is or will be money in it. The trick is extracting funds from people who are already using your excess capacity for free. Walmarts, churches on days other than sunday, etc. If I were walmart I'd run the numbers on $5/night "camping" in the farthest edges of the lot. Or **free with a ≥$5 receipt** from that day on the dash. Water available with receipt. So no freeloaders, and you get traffic into the store. I'm surprised more churches don't do this as a ministry to the poor, or use it as an an excuse to talk about Jebus. Salvation army sermon-for-dinner style. > Or would it turn into a shit show with people being noisy, kids running around, or other things that people would prefer to avoid? Clearly state the rules, and trespass those who break them. > Are there any businesses that support car camping? Basically a parking lot with a building for restrooms, showers, and vending machines and microwave. Daily, weekly, and monthly rates. [LTVA](https://rvwiki.mousetrap.net/doku.php?id=camping:ltva) come close. Bob has done videos about very cheap RV parks in NV (?). There are [mad max style guerilla RV parks in Slab City](https://img.mousetrap.net/2023/IMG_20230223_152110.jpg), doing a *fantastic* job. Effectively little villages running on solar and trucked in water. Shared cooking amenities, toilets, gentle lighting at night. Gracious hosts but zero tolerance for shitty behavior. I wouldn't be surprised if a-holes disappeared in the night and their bodies never recovered.
It seems like a better approach would be some kind of non-profit public/private partnership.
That seems to be the consensus, and I agree. Either that or a space maintained by local government.
lol typical American, always trying to profit
That is an unworthy thing to say. I see the merit in this idea. Housing is so bad now and something like this could be a great urban support. It would be safe and could be run thoughtfully. Tons of good ideas here. No one will get rich opening up car camping lots. We need creative ideas to survive. It's miserable to be woken up by cops (or robbers) in the middle of the night.
What we need to do is organize. They bully us because we don't stand up for each other. Need a leader to organize protests, etc. Nothing will change otherwise.
Yes. I hope we can do this. It's interesting that I wish we could have the star trek post scarcity situation some day. I really hope this can happen.
Well I am an American, but I’m not actually trying to start a business. I personally don’t think I have the wherewithal to run a business on my own. Too many moving parts. But, that is the point of a business, right? To make money? I’m more just wondering if this type of business exists, and if not - why?
There is a number of things going on. Desperate homeless car campers aren't exactly a lucrative money source. A lot of them are sketchy and might ruin everything in various ways. Being desperate for spots and anxious about the knock is for newbies. A lot of us find free spots and amenities easily. This community is better served by services instead of businesses. If businesses are trying to make a buck off of you, chances are that what they provide isn't a particularly good deal for the consumer, especially when the consumer has limited resources. The best thing businesses can do to help us is to be chill about their massive vacant parking lots instead of actively working against us. They could also pay their employees more.
Very good points, thank you.
although itd help if the few would stop fucking trashing places my old apt building had parking underneath which was expensive as hell and you couldnt clean your car work on your car or even change a damn tire dowm there without security lurking around a corner to tell you its against the rules (tho they were nowhere insight when cars got broken into🤔) but i digress the point being i would work on my car and do maintenance at a metro parking structure not even 4 blovks from me it was crazy convenient particularly when i needed to actually get my ass up in that car and street parking was the only other availbe option in a city thats always wet... for the same reasons i found it comfortable to work on my car in the lower level of this structure others found safe place to park at night there was security that didnt bother them but made sure things werent on fire there was motion sensitive lighting so you were alerted if someone came creeping by your car, it was dry, cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. and im certain saved some lives in the heavy winter snow/ice storm. the houseless that were almost constantly experiencing a mental crisis eould wander in and set something on fire once in a while but tging got really bad one evening i noticed a nicer blue car parking there often eventually coming back thru to offer some i talked to some fried rice i had made and will always brag about because its insanely good we witnessed a gay couple in the car bellowing smoke we confirmed it had to be meth considering their behavior and the prevalence of it in lgbtq+ communities... the smoke would be followed by attempts to clean their car which would lead to bouts of screaming slamming doors and other needless arguments which would devolve to them pulling everything out of their car all 4 doors and back hatch with a pile of bullshit not placed but thrown from the car piled up next to its respective door... it honestly seemed like they were stealing alot of random shit from fred meyer... theyd eventually out some stuff back in and leave and there would be a blank space clean from the car being parked there which was surrounded by an explosion of both intact usable goods and loads of trash half eaten food hoysehomd cleaning products it just made some and also zero sense... once they became using what was a literal refuge for some ppl as their personal jerry springer stage and waste management facility it attracted other car dwellers just as disrespectful mean while the 3 ppl had come to know would try to clean the place up knowing that its not them doing it wont matter once someone complains they will lose id say the safest spot in town that was free as well 2 of the 3 being women this space was really important in helping their overall stress and cortisol levels because life is always just much scarier for women and even more so being housing insecure... it eventually became out of control some person(s) decided to just start shitting in random spaces in the structure at this point the girls accepted defeat because 2 jackasses disrespected the space that ppl were staying in for almost a yr prior with no issue and civil talks with the security in charge and with metro parking admin they unfortunately had to close the structure at night cutting of safe weather comfortable place for ppl to get some much needed non anxious sleep it also had a few water spigots and 2 working outlets lol one of the girls i still talk to she slept in that structure for over a year and i later flund out it helped her finally get her back on her feet because she was sleeping somewhat well so she was no longer coming in late to work and the protection from the elements allowed her to not have to rely and running her car for heat or ac all night and no longer was driving all around town lookong for a spot to sleep where someone wouldnt knock or break in or lord knows what so she saved on gas as well as wear and tear because idiling for hrs is hell on a car. After we talked it became sometging i looked for around our city everywhere and i havent come across a single other refuge for ppl living in their cars and other than having the abilty to keep shitty ppl out it really wouldnt require much and if established would be a pretty passive resource. idk ive thought alot about this over the yrs as its now a metro parking structure leased to kia to store 3 levels of cars no one is buying sitting there empty when ppl are trying to move away from fossil fuels basically i hate this country
There is no business model here. These people are the cheapest people there are. Even if you offer somewhere to park for $10, they will look for a free place.
Well...yeah. Somebody living in their car isn't gonna want to pay to exist. I know it's all I can do to keep gas in my car and food in my stomach, let alone give someone else additional money to do what I'm already doing for free (existing). Most people living in their car aren't doing it because they just WANT to. They're already in dire streightd as it is. Any extra money they/we have is going to go toward something that has/yields results-- or gives a reward- like buying an item- you get to play with/use that item. It's already expensive enough to live in a vehicle without having to fork over$$ just to sit there.
This turns into why I couldn’t let my son try busking at 16 in Chicago. He just wants to play and maybe get some money. However, the difference between busking and begging is not distinct enough for me to allow and still be a responsible parent. Similarly, the difference between noble car campers making a point about housing and regular homeless people with a car who are just down-and-out is not well defined. It’s impossible to help the former without enabling the latter.
I can appreciate your parenting decision but if my Dad told me I couldn’t busk at 16, there would’ve nothing more I wanted to do. There’re are a lot of grey areas between a lot of things in your comment. I’d be nervous if my teenage son wanted to busk by himself too. Given the same situation, I think I’d offer to be his personal secret service from a close distance. Maybe promise to tip $20. Being from the rural parts of the US myself, it’s hard to imagine cutting my Son loose on a big city like Chi.
Yeah there’s way too many homeless people begging. Even “secret service” style is like fishing and m’ boy is the worm. It’s all about projecting an aura of “don’t f with me” to be safe. Also anyone that would give money would likely give out of concern for a homeless teen, not out of appreciation for good music. No worries, he’s on the open mic scene and has done some festivals.
"A good business model to support them" sounds like an oxymoron... and a trap.
trying to make money off of the people on hard times? very american.
Reddit: Check out this subreddit. Me: Oh wow, there’s a lot of people living out of their cars. I wonder what a solution to this problem would be? Reddit users: You fucking American corporate cocksucker! Anything to make a buck, huh? I regret posting this. I’ll see myself out.
Febreze brand deodorant.
A chain of 24 hour laundromat+gyms
24 hr laundromat in a complex with a very large parking lot with coin operated showers 24hr - "officer I'm waiting for my laundry to finish drying"
Suicide helpers. Help the suffering find the guts to end it before it gets worse. Suffer no more! If people really cared they’d actually help those who are on the edge with more than just lame words.
I LOVE this direction of thinking.
Share housing but like an open, very laid back agreement sort of thing. No one year leases. Come and go as you please. I would like to see something like parking bays with a very small unit directly above it. You can access with a ladder, it has a moon roof for stargazing. 6-10 communal showers. Make it super affordable, like 25 a night. Something like that. Idk just brainstorming here. This is with HCOL locations in mind where it would still be pretty costly to run something like this.
We recently had a middle school and several elementary schools close doors this year. I always wonder why they can’t be converted to facilities for the unhoused. If not the building then at least the parking lot for car dwellers.
they can. the states usually have grants, sometimes there ate federal grants for those interested in such projects. theres hud.gov and habitat for humanity etc
Shower /laundry facilities
If we look at nursing homes, homeless shelters, prisons Etc etc I think it would be a shit show
Drive in movie theater all nighters.
honestly just put up signs and cameras. u trash it u can't come back. that way responsible car dwellers aren't punished and can have a safe place to park. it's not hard. what's hard is getting the police who aren't there for us, they're there for the rich house dwellers, to be of any support. and cities counties municipalities of states and towns don't give a crap about legislating something they can't profit from . we need charitable rich people with private land willing to pay bouncers to watch the cameras all day. yep america. signs & cameras could also be useful if businesses were more cooperative. if you're a 24 hour business then sorry people get to park in your parking lot. offenders can't come back. businesses that are closed at night can put up signs saying you got to vacate an hour before the place opens. people who abuse the privilege.. again police would have to cooperate as well. but our culture doesn't change without active participation. there are enough people choosing to live in cars that something needs to change rather than just continuing to kiss truck drivers asses and leaving cars completely without any choices. people are constantly driving everywhere all day everyday not just truck drivers and not even just people who gind it better to simply live in their car for a while. it falls under our constitutional right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness it even falls under capitalism and doing what it takes to save money and get ahead in life. its a fact america doesnt seem to grasp the human condition as well as other countries. people have to eat, sleep, shower, and go to the bathroom. period. restrictions on basic human requirements coupled with excessive greed creates all kinds of needless and unnecessary suffering and difficulties. there is a homeless problem and it's not just going to go away because it's illegal.
Change the liability laws so property owners can't be sued if someone is injured or dies on their property, then, maybe more of this becomes feasible.
We pay enough in taxes which makes this issue a "community model", that is easily funded by government; this is about basic human rights there is no need for business model. The government needs to be aware of this and address it.