In April 2023, the City of Duluth launched Safe Bay, an outdoor parking program for people living in their vehicles. The idea caught the attention of Minneapolis Council Members Chavez, Stevenson, Chughtai, and Chowdhury, who have introduced their own version. Their ordinance would allow nonprofits, religious organizations, and government entities to host managed parking lots where people can sleep in their cars. The authors describe it as one of several tools for helping people who are experiencing homelessness or are close to it.
After a public hearing on October 20, the Business, Housing, and Zoning (BHZ) Committee voted to send the ordinance to the full council. Only a few committee members raised doubts. Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer asked whether any budget dollars or nonprofit sponsors had been identified. None have. Council Member Pearll Warren shared the story of a cousin who died of an overdose in a vehicle. She asked who would be checking on people and whether a host church could be held liable. Staff answered that every sponsor must carry its own liability insurance and have its own security plan.
Our best guess is that the ordinance will pass at the October 29 meeting, with the nine votes needed to override a mayoral veto if it comes to that. To learn more, you can find the presentation slide deck in LIMS [here]. If you have questions or concerns, now is the time to contact your council member.
The residents who testified made a persuasive case. The sadness, trauma, and frustration people feel about homelessness in our city was clear. Many residents are open to creative solutions, and Safe Outdoor Parking is one that a broad public may find acceptable.
Still, no one at the meeting could say how large the need is. The original 2023 proposal estimated $150,000 in startup costs to serve 250 vehicles. Duluth’s program, which ran seasonally, served about 10 vehicles a night at a cost of roughly $800 per day.
The Cost of Positive Outcomes
Committee members agreed that the proposal is well thought out. Any provider that wants to open a lot will need a management and security plan approved by the BHZ Committee and the Minneapolis Police Department. The regulatory bar is high, and important questions remain open. Chief among them is Warren’s: who will check vehicles for overdoses? As she put it, “not all closed eyes are asleep.”
The ordinance would take effect January 1, 2027, but residents are unlikely to see lots open right away. Each site must be at least 10,000 square feet and have permanent restrooms. We have not analyzed how many religious organizations or nonprofits meet those requirements, and neither has the council, but we suspect the number is small. Sites that do qualify will also need funding for on-site security and services from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., when all vehicles must leave for the day.
That staffing will be expensive. Duluth’s experience works out to about $80 per vehicle per night. Add insurance and services, and the cost could reach $100 per vehicle per night or more. At that rate, the program begins to approach the cost of a hotel room, which raises a fair question about whether the benefits justify the expense.
Leading by Collaborating
Safe Outdoor Parking is meant to be one more option for responding to the shortage of affordable housing that can lead to homelessness. Several people who testified explained why some people avoid the shelter system: shelters are often full, most do not allow pets, people feel ashamed, and shelters can be unsafe.
Three parts of the discussion deserve more attention.
Work with the county and state. According to a 2025 Hennepin County handout to state legislators, the county “allocates $191 million to housing and homeless activities each year.” Minneapolis is one of many cities searching for solutions. If the council wants to lead, it needs the county and state on board. Homelessness involves more than affordable housing. It is tied to addiction, mental illness, disability, the needs of young people and older adults, and involvement with the justice system. These issues cross city and county lines. To be effective, Minneapolis leaders need to work with other governments toward shared, cost-effective goals.
Work with the mayor. If the city wants to try this program without county or state support, it can at least bring the mayor along. The council keeps advancing programs as though the mayor has no say. They may wish that were true, but wishing does not make it so. During the committee meeting, Council Member Chavez said he did not know whether the mayor would veto the ordinance. Why not? If the mayor has concerns, address them. If the goal is a workable, low-barrier option where people can keep warm in their cars overnight, and the authors want it to succeed, they need to keep the mayor informed. He was elected by voters across the entire city.
Win over doubters with a pilot. Secure a site and a provider. Cap the number of vehicles and show it can be done safely. Show skeptics that letting people keep their pets and offering the dignity of a toilet will not attract “predators,” as one person feared in testimony, and that it will not generate nightly calls to the police. A successful pilot can ease neighbors’ legitimate concerns, or at least allow for adjustments before the program expands.
As the council’s own slide deck notes, Minneapolis has been under a homelessness public health emergency since December 2023. Meaningful progress will require cooperation across agencies and across city and county lines. The causes of homelessness, and the solutions, are too large for any one city to handle alone. They call for a wide network of service and housing providers, medical and emergency workers, and coordinated planning.
Leadership is not always about being first or loudest. Sometimes it means working behind the scenes to build consensus. That can take longer, but when the goal is a lasting result, it is often the best way to get the job done.
