Summit County Nonprofit Hopes Expansion Of Overnight Parking Program Can Help Amid Housing Crisis

SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- It's not always someone's first choice for housing, but for a few, it's one of the only safe options. Ten people are currently allowed to stay overnight at the Agape Outpost Church parking lot in Breckenridge, and it's almost full every night with people sleeping in their cars with nowhere else to stay.

Lars Shirey has been sleeping in that parking lot for more than two years.

"Because of incredibly escalating real estate pricing and popularity with AirBnB with short-term rentals it has incredibly impacted locals here," Shirey explained.

Almost everyone taking advantage of the parking lot as housing has a job, saving up money for more stable housing. Shirey is a lone exception to the rule living off of social security, but he told CBS4 Mountain Newsroom Reporter Spencer Wilson he sees first hand the struggle people have finding a spot to stay.

"There are younger kids who are doing two to three jobs, and they are splitting a two to three-bedroom with five people," Shirey said.

"It is just absurd," Shirey added.

Unsheltered Chairperson Diane Luellen is behind the movement to increase the spots offered for people sleeping in their cars in Summit County to the Summit County Justice Center parking lot. That hasn't been fully approved yet, but Luellen is confident more spots would be used, especially if they started to advertise their option. She believes this is just one more tool to help the housing crisis and workforce housing issues in the county.

"Summit County could not survive without that economic workforce whose staffs, the restaurants, who works on the mountains," Luellen said.

"But they do not make enough money to afford what's even called workforce housing that's still beyond their capability," added Luellen.

In that instance, Luellen said camping in these protected lots is a short-term option while people save up money for a down payment on rentals.

"It's just supposed to be a place you can sleep at night so you can go to work in the morning and get on with your life!" Shirey exclaimed.

The Summit Board of County Commissioners is expected to hear a second reading on the proposal for the additional lot Tuesday night.