Palo Alto’s Safe Parking Program Struggles to Fill Case Manager Roles, Stalling Homeless Transitions

Only 11 households exited Palo Alto’s safe parking program between July and December 2025, with just three securing permanent housing. The average resident stayed nearly 15 months, and the site operated at near-full capacity with only three vacancies for the entire six-month period. Despite its goal of short-term shelter, the program has become a de facto long-term housing solution for many.

Move Mountain View, the nonprofit that runs the site, reported in a recent update that it failed to meet its performance goals under a $126,000 federal CDBG grant. The grant was intended to fund two full-time case managers to help residents transition to stable housing. But the nonprofit assisted only six individuals with intensive case management between July 2024 and June 2025 — less than 20% of its target.

The inability to fill case manager roles has stalled progress. A social worker position at Move Mountain View remains advertised as of April 15, and staff acknowledged in a report that these vacancies have limited the program’s ability to meet its goals. Without case managers to connect residents with housing, employment, or family resources, the safe parking site has become a bottleneck rather than a bridge.

Palo Alto has not included Move Mountain View in its proposed list of CDBG subrecipients for the 2026–2027 cycle. The city’s Human Relations Commission discussed the list in April, and the nonprofit’s exclusion signals a possible shift in funding priorities. Meanwhile, the city’s lease for the Geng Road site expires in September 2026, and no public statement has been made about whether the contract will be renewed or reallocated.