LOS ANGELES — Stacey has been struggling with homelessness for five years. Now, she is living in her RV in a safe parking lot.
“I can finally relax and get my life together,” said Stacey.
What You Need To Know
According to the 2025 Greater Los Angeles homeless count, more than 72,000 people are homeless on a given night in Los Angeles County
This all comes as a new law has gone into effect in LA allowing law enforcement to dispose of abandoned or inoperable RV’s worth up to $4,000
To enter this transitional housing program, residents like Stacey have to promise to work with a housing navigator and to give up their RVs upon entering housing
The parking lot Stacey is staying in is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is part of the Pathway Home RV Interim Housing Pilot Program.
For years it was sitting empty, but in 2024 it was turned into transitional housing for those living out of their RVs.
Now, residents like Stacey and her dog Beethoven have a safe place to sleep at night and search for a job.
“On the street it is kind of hard to get a job and even keep up with one because you don’t have a place to shower, to sleep and you don’t really have clothes,” said Stacey.
According to the 2025 Greater Los Angeles homeless count, more than 72,000 people are homeless on a given night in LA County.
The 2025 homeless count also shows that RVs are the most common type of shelter for people living outdoors.
The 24-hour, 14-spot RV safe parking lot that Stacey is staying in offers a security guard, a gate, water, electricity, restrooms and medical care.
It is run by Mel Tillekeratne, the co-founder of the Shower of Hope.
“Everyday you see nurse practitioners come on to the site and do everything from checkups to physical therapy on our clients because now there is a place they can actually visit them,” said Tillekeratne.
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said this was originally launched as a pilot program in collaboration with the LA County Homelessness Initiative.
The program has been in operation for a year and has been able to help eight people get into housing.
Due to its success, Supervisor Mitchell said the program was extended.
“We are going to continue this as long as we have the land available and I think it is a great opportunity for other communities and elected officials,” said Supervisor Mitchell. “If there is a plot of land that may not be vacant permanently at least it can be used in a temporary time frame for something like this.”
This all comes as a new law has gone into effect in LA, allowing law enforcement to dispose of abandoned or inoperable RVs worth up to $4,000.
To enter this transitional housing program residents like Stacey do have to promise to work with a housing navigator and to give up their RVs upon entering housing.
“I think I basically got what I need, I just need to put my part in it,” said Stacey.
Tillekeratne said it is not just about providing people with housing but with the resources needed to keep them in housing, and he said that is exactly what this program does.