Los Angeles International Airport will provide a secure parking lot and will allow people living in their vehicles to park overnight, under a new plan recently approved by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.
LAX is the first airport in the country to receive approval, on a pilot basis, from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to utilize airport land for assisting the homeless. The FAA also approved that the use of this 2.79 acre fenced in area may be considered a community benefit, which means the airport does not need to receive fair market value for the use of the land. In this case, the land will be provided at no cost to the program administrator.
“Los Angeles World Airports is committed to being a good neighbor and we are proud to work with our partners to pilot a first of its kind Safe Parking program on airport property,” said Beatrice Hsu, president of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners. “We look forward to working with Safe Parking LA and our city and neighborhood partners to provide this much needed service.”
More than 19,000 people of LA County’s approximately 69,000 homeless live in their vehicles, according to the most recent count from the Los Angeles Homeless Services. The site will provide a legal place for them to park overnight and includes restrooms, security, and trash services. The program participants are required to leave the Safe Parking location during the day, during hours of nonoperation, and sign a code of conduct. They also need to be enrolled in programs that assist them transitioning to more permanent housing solutions.
