People experiencing homelessness in Olympia can now park a car or RV in a private driveway or church parking lot and live in it legally for up to six months under a new pilot program the city launched Tuesday, Aug. 25.
City Manager Jay Burney initiated the program through a memorandum using authority granted by Ordinance No. 7443, which declared homelessness a public health emergency.
Community Development Director Tim Smith presented details at the Olympia City Council's Aug. 25 meeting and fielded questions from council members.
The permits are free. Property owners, not vehicle occupants, must apply through the Community Development Department. Applications are available online now.
What the program allows
One vehicle may park in the driveway of a developed residential lot with low-density housing. Faith-based properties such as churches may host up to two vehicles in a paved parking lot. Properties governed by HOA covenants that prohibit vehicle habitation are not eligible.
Each permit lasts six months and can be renewed if conditions are met. The Community Development Director can revoke a permit early if a neighbor or property owner files a complaint that triggers a formal investigation.
Rules for participants
Restroom access is required, whether through the host home's bathroom, a church facility or a portable restroom. RVs must connect to a sewer clean-out where available and feasible; RV waste may only go into an approved clean-out or a mobile sewage transport device. No connection to septic systems is allowed. No visible outdoor storage, rubbish or garbage is permitted.
A policy shift
The program marks a reversal from the city's 2024 approach under Ordinance No. 7410, which allowed vehicle camping only on city street rights-of-way and required vehicles to move every 24 hours while maintaining at least 500 feet of separation from other camping vehicles, according to The Jolt News.
The new program instead moves people off public streets and onto private property with a host's consent. The city says it is also intended to give homeless response teams additional opportunities to connect people living in vehicles with services.
The resident who pushed for change
C.C. Coates, a disabled and retired union carpenter who lives in her van, began addressing the City Council in April 2026. She argued that Olympia's cost of living is unbearable for disabled, retired and low-income workers, and told council members the 2024 code "wrote away her life." On Aug. 25, Coates returned to thank the council for what she called compassionate policymaking.
What's next
"We know that this is one more way to provide stable living for people who need it," Mayor Dontae Payne said at the Aug. 25 meeting.
Smith said the city will evaluate the program using permit application numbers and community feedback, with recipients assessed case by case.
Council member Robert Vanderpool proposed giving permit recipients a placard to display in participating vehicles so neighbors understand the situation.
Other council members raised concerns about how the city will verify need, enforce conditions and notify neighbors when a permitted vehicle arrives. Smith said the city could send notices or have frontline employees explain the program if residents call, The Olympian reported.
The city has not announced a specific date for its first formal review of the pilot. As we reported ahead of Tuesday's meeting, the proposal had been on the council's agenda. Residents who want to host someone can find the permit application on the city's Community Development Department website.
