San Francisco’s RV residents are running out of time to find a new place to live: Jalopnik

New on-street parking restrictions in San Francisco have car dwellers scrambling for safe, legal parking spots. From November 1, large vehicles, including campers, will only be allowed to park for a maximum of two hours before they have to be moved, reports ABC 7 News. While finding legal overnight parking is always a concern for those who live on wheels, the two-hour limit is in effect day and night. This will cause major disruptions for people living in vehicles, who will have to constantly move them as they try to live, work and sleep once the law comes into effect.

“From November, large vehicles over 6 meters long or 2 meters high (campers, trailers, large vans) will have a new 2-hour parking limit,” says The San Francisco website dedicated to the large vehicle program. That includes not just the obvious RVs, but also large cargo trailers and RVs. I think the next time I visit I’ll have to park outside of town and ride my motorcycle into town since my RV is big enough to fall under this restriction.

The city offers Refuge permits for large vehicles to certain San Francisco car residents, exempting them from the new law for the first six months while they try to find alternative housing. Recipients must comply with all other parking laws, including street cleaning bans and existing residential parking time limits. They must also keep the area around their rigs clean, refrain from excessive noise and have no open flames, which is good etiquette for vehicle occupants no matter where you are. Recipients must also maintain contact with the city’s case management services and accept housing if and when it is offered to them.

There are holes in this well-intentioned policy that are big enough to drive a Class A motorhome through. The people initially eligible for a large vehicle refuge permit were determined by a city visit on May 31, during which 451 eligible vehicles were identified according to Mission Local. But many people say they were overlooked during this one-time count. While city officials claim to have examined “every inch” of the city, 94 people have filed appeals, 78 of which were granted as of October 28. Applicants must provide specific documentation proving that they and their vehicles were in San Francisco between January 1 and May 31, 2025, including registrations, insurance agreements, vehicle purchase or repair receipts, and even parking tickets or towing receipts. Some vehicle residents are unable to provide such documentation, making them ineligible for an extension even if they have lived and worked in the city for years.

Another problem is that the homes the city offers may not be suitable for them, the municipality said National Vehicle Residence Collective. Some, including older people or LGBTQ people, do not feel safe in communal shelter. Others fear having their personal belongings stolen, which in some cases is all they own. Still others do not want to be separated from their spouse, partner, child or pet. Even those who qualify for a large vehicle refuge permit are at risk of having it canceled if they refuse services, even if such services do not work for them.

Justin Hughes/Jalopnik

The elephant in the room, however, is that housing has simply become too expensive, especially in the San Francisco area. The average home there costs about $1.5 million, reports NBC Bay Areayet the average time on market is only 19 days, compared to the 50-day national average. According to Zillowthe average rent in San Francisco is $3,669, which is more than some people make in an entire month. While some choose to live in vehicles to have adventures and save money, many today are forced to do so. A monthly RV payment of $610 is less than $1,000 for a single room. Making life in a large vehicle impossible due to strict parking restrictions will not solve the problem of unaffordable housing.