National Vehicle Residency Collective

06/06/2026

'Grand Junction City Council votes 5-2 on camping ordinance change

By (Robbie Patla)
Updated: Jun. 4, 2026

[GRAND JUNCTION, CO]

After hours of council discussion and public comment, the Grand Junction City Council voted 5-2 on an ordinance amending a law that prohibited the enforcement of camping on public property when no overnight shelter is available.

The ordinance proposed a change to an existing city law enacted in April 2019 that prohibited camping on public property. That ordinance included certain exceptions: if there were no available overnight shelters, police could not enforce the law. This change removes that exception.

The change is prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2024. According to the City of Grand Junction’s staff report for this agenda item, “The US Supreme Court held that there was no constitutional right to camp on public property regardless of whether there was available overnight shelter or not.”

(...)

Residents shared their concerns about the change as it relates to the homeless community.

“I believe that it’s immoral to enact, to make effect laws that are unjustly targeting our friends and neighbors who are living without housing in the community,” said Reverend Nicole Campbell, a Deacon for the Episcopal Church of Colorado.

Others spoke in support of the change, advocating for the protection of public spaces.

“Unregulated camping near the Colorado River and in public spaces creates persistent environmental damage,” one resident said.

“The US Supreme Court’s ruling on Grant Pass versus Johnson gives our city clear authority to protect public spaces without first providing shelter beds,” said Ruth Kennet, a Grand Valley resident. ”It’s time to use that as authority. Our parks, trails, and riverfront must remain safe, clean, and welcoming for everyone."

Residents proposed other ideas for the council to consider.

“Rotating micro-shelter villages with on-site behavioral health support, paid community restoration crews that hire stabilized individuals to restore the very parks and riverfronts that they once occupied,” said Kennet.

“We would like them to pause to enact something like safe parking, safe camping,” Campbell said.

In the end, the council voted 5-2 to pass the ordinance, officially amending the law. Towards the end of the session, Councilmember Anna Stout encouraged the city to look at funding opportunities for service providers who assist homeless people.'

FULL ARTICLE LINKED BELOW

06/05/2026

[FLORIDA]

Miramar tightens rules as RV living spreads in neighborhoods.
By Luisa Yanez June 4, 2026

'If you’re using an RV for camping, Miramar officials say you have nothing to worry about.

But if you’re using one as a home in a residential neighborhood, the city is cracking down.

Miramar commissioners approved a new ordinance Wednesday night aimed at stopping the growing practice of people living in recreational vehicles parked in residential neighborhoods.'

Article linked in comments

06/05/2026

The Reality for Unhoused UC Santa Cruz Students

By Cecilia Schutz and Ella Peña, June 3, 2026

[FULL ARTICLE LINK IN COMMENTS]

'Jane Van Laiff, a fourth-year transfer student currently living in her van, expressed similar frustrations over the meager spaces to decompress. She noted the lack of privacy in her fishbowl of a vehicle, forcing her to constantly remain mobile throughout the day. Napping or lounging in her van is not an option, leading her to spend copious hours at McHenry Library, outside or in campus cafes.

“I go to my car when it gets dark, and I leave as soon as it gets light,” Van Laiff said. “I’ve had to find other ways to occupy myself. I’ve never had a life where I need to figure out what I’m going to do for the next 12 hours of every single day.”

Van Laiff originally looked into housing in Santa Cruz on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but said that everything she found was at least twice the cost of what she paid when living in San Francisco. With no luck finding an affordable unit, she moved into her old family van, and spent the summer before moving to Santa Cruz converting it for optimal livability.

As a transfer student who receives sufficient financial aid from the university, Van Laiff said the majority of her refund checks go toward the preservation of her van. At one point, she even maxed out her financial aid due to stacked car payments.

“In a way, I am sort of paying rent,” she said. “But at the same time, I do think I am paying substantially less than somebody who is paying $1,000 a month for a place, and most people here are paying more than that anyways.”

She mostly eats out for meals because the fridge in her van can’t keep things colder than 50 degrees, about 10 degrees above the safe refrigeration temperature recommended by the FDA.'

06/03/2026

New report on the CICERO INSTITUTE from our partners at the National Homelessness Law Center, research memo linked in the comments:

'The Cicero Institute is a right-wing think tank based in Austin, Texas. It was founded by Joe Lonsdale, a billionaire venture capitalist and the co-founder of Palantir, the infamous tech giant known for selling data for government surveillance, including ICE detentions. Over the last decade, Cicero has become one of the loudest voices shaping the growing attacks on homeless people. Cicero advocates for forced labor, forced treatment, and detention camps. They advocate against real solutions to homelessness, like housing and support.

We have always known who is hurt most by Cicero laws – our neighbors who can’t afford rent and have no choice but to live outside. But today’s report reveals who stands to benefit from their laws and influence.'

Are the Cicero Institute’s backers profiting from the anti-homeless laws they advocate for? Findings raise questions about venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale’s profit motives behind his Trump-advising Cicero Institute.

05/31/2026

'A safe parking program that closed last year returns to Indianapolis June 22. The initiative seeks to provide a safe place for unhoused people to sleep in their cars overnight.

It was initially scheduled to open June 1 and is finalizing insurance.

Elizabeth Friedland started Safe Park Indy in 2024 with an all-volunteer staff. Organizations donated unused parking lots, where people could sleep overnight for up to 60 days.

At one time, the waitlist had about 400 people for 30 spots. Friedland said the need was clear, but the demand was overwhelming.

"We found out that there’s obviously a huge need for this program, the community is supportive of this program, but we also found out that an all-volunteer staff cannot run this,” she said.

Friedland asked nonprofits working in the housing space if they could take it on. She said, in the end, those groups had limited finances to run their own programs. Safe Park Indy ended after a year.

Safe Park Indy 2.0 returns with some changes. New check-in and waitlist processes aim to make it more manageable to run on a volunteer basis.

“I thought, ‘Okay, let’s figure out a way where I can run this in a more sustainable way that requires less manpower, a little less funding, and see if we can stand this up again,” Friedland said.

As of May 27, 200 people applied through the program's website.'

Read the full article, linked in the comments :)

05/31/2026

Do you live in or travel through California? Here's an opportunity to give public comment and help ensure parks are accessible for all.

From their website, linked in the comments below:

'California State Parks is inviting the public to provide feedback on the draft application guide for a $188.5 million competitive grant program aimed at expanding access to parks and rcreational opportunities in underserved communities throughout California. The Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP), now in its fifth round, supports the Newsom Administration’s Outdoors for All initiative by providing funding to help communities create new parks, improve existing parks and build more outdoor spaces where people can play, exercise, gather and connect with nature.

Round 5 of the SPP was made possible through Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. The Climate Bond supports projects that create new parks and recreation opportunities in communities with limited access to outdoor spaces. Eligible projects may include aquatic centers, athletic fields, community gardens, outdoor fitness equipment, public art, amphitheaters, playgrounds, trails and other features designed to serve local communities.

Public comments on the draft Round 5 SPP application guide are due by 5 p.m. Friday, June 26. Public input will help shape the guide document for this important program that eligible applicants will use to apply for funding.

State Parks will host two virtual public comment hearings in June where members of the public can learn more, ask questions and provide feedback. Details are below:

WHAT: Public comment hearings on the draft Round 5 SPP Application Guide

WHEN:

Tuesday, June 2, 1–4 p.m. (Click here to RSVP)
Monday, June 15, 9 a.m.–noon (Click here to RSVP)
For more information, visit parks.ca.gov/spp