Seattle is on the verge of a major shift in how it handles people living in RVs on city streets.
Seattle is on the verge of a major shift in how it handles people living in RVs on city streets. A new plan would offer more services to move vehicle owners into shelter and housing, but also set a deadline to get permit or face a ban on overnight parking.
The Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee approved a package of legislation on Tuesday that would create the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program, sponsored by Councilmember Dan Strauss.
"We are looking to better regulate this one type of vehicle while at the same time, provide important strategies for people who are living in their vehicles to have a more stable life," Strauss said after the vote.
The proposal directs $5 million in already-budgeted funding toward outreach, safe parking lots, vehicle storage and services for people living in motor homes and travel trailers.
It also would create a permit system for some vehicle residents while eventually banning overnight RV parking on public streets for everyone else.
Under the proposal, people eligible for a free permit would have to be identified through a one-time citywide census. They would also have to own the vehicle and remain engaged with service providers once enrolled.
They would also have to abide by some behavioral requirements so that trash and noise do not affect the surrounding neighborhood.
Permit holders would then be allowed to park overnight in designated industrial areas, though they would have to move their vehicles every 72 hours.
The permits could be revoked if the person rejects offers of appropriate shelter too many times.
People without permits would be limited to two hours of street parking and barred from parking overnight anywhere in Seattle. The legislation would allow the city to tow violators without notice, although warnings could be issued during an initial enforcement period.
The program is scheduled to begin April 30 with parking enforcement beginning by July 31.
The legislation also creates 500-foot buffer zones around schools and playgrounds, expands the city’s ability to lease sites for safe lots and vehicle storage, and calls for the eventual removal of concrete eco-blocks placed on public streets to deter RV parking.
Councilmember Dionne Foster proposed allowing people to apply for permits after the census period closes, but the committee rejected the amendment despite support from Councilmember Eddie Lin.
“If this program allowed for an ongoing census from here until the end of time, that would entrench this problem,” Strauss said. “We are not going to open the door to the rest of Western Washington. We need to care for the people who are on our streets today."
Supporters said the plan gives Seattle a more structured way to help people living in vehicles, instead of moving from block to block without consistent access to services.
Critics worry that people missed in the census, those whose vehicles are not in their names or people who become homeless later could be excluded and lose the vehicles they use as homes.
Questions also remain about enforcement. About 20% of parking-enforcement positions are vacant, and towing RVs requires specialized equipment.
Seattle currently has no RV-specific safe lot.
Glassyard Commons, a West Seattle site operated by the Low Income Housing Institute, is expected to open in late 2026 with 72 RV spaces and 20 tiny homes.
The full City Council could take a final vote as early as Oct. 20.
