In less than a month, a new ordinance will take effect placing additional restrictions on where RVs and other oversized vehicles can park in unincorporated communities across Los Angeles County. The rule will prohibit these vehicles from parking on certain streets and in public areas without a permit.
Supporters of the ordinance, including some local business owners, argue that large vehicles create safety hazards by blocking sightlines for drivers and taking up limited parking spaces that employees and customers rely on.
Critics, however, say enforcement should not move forward without first addressing the needs of the people who live in these vehicles. Many RV residents are low-wage workers or individuals who cannot afford traditional housing options in the region.
Professor of urban planning Chris Tilly shared with LAist that he has frequently sees RVs parked near his home, but stated that “we got to know the RV owner, as well as being familiar with the survey results from the recent UCLA report on vehicle residents, so we understand that these are people doing their best to survive under difficult circumstances…Please do not make their lives worse.”
