The Redmond City Council voted Jan. 28 to allow semi-permanent but moveable microshelters in the city’s Safe Parking sites.

Dozens of people spoke during a public comment period before council voted on the issue. All were in favor of allowing the microshelters.

Mountain View Community Development executive director Rick Russell said the nonprofit, which since 2021 has operated safe parking sites where people can legally sleep and park in their vehicles, would start by building and placing eight garden shed-sized structures at a few of its sites on private property. The shelters have a bed, storage space, heat and electrical hookups, but no indoor plumbing. They can sleep two people and there are plans for a double-sized unit that could sleep a family of four.

“It’s heartbreaking to see kids sleeping in the back seats of cars and then get up and get on the school bus in the morning,” Russell said. “We’d like to give them a real bed in a warm space.”

The organization has eight Safe Parking sites across Redmond, most on private property such as churches and businesses. The eight spots have 32 spots for people to sleep and Russell said there is a need for more. In the future, Russell said that if the pilot project proves successful, may expand the program start building the shelters on public property. The current pilot system is expected to run through 2026.

People who want to use the shelters have to apply and work with a case manager with a goal of moving into stable housing — just like people who are participating in Safe Parking. Russell said the smaller shelters can be more effective than personal vehicles in getting people moved into more permanent housing.

“The exciting thing about microshelters is where they’ve been used, people are moving into housing more quickly than they do when they’re living in RVs,” Russell said. “And they provide an opportunity for people who want to leave unauthorized camps but don’t have a working vehicle.”

Women, people with children, and assault survivors often choose to live in cars, RVs, or microshelters rather than in a group shelter, Russell added, so providing safe, legal, sanitary places for them to stay is an important part of the Safe Parking program.

The city of Bend has had success with microshelters, Russell said, and the state of Oregon is providing the structures in an effort to address record homelessness. The program doesn’t require city funds, but the city must request the shelters.