Portland to open first RV safe park

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - City Leaders, Multnomah County and The Salvation Army are preparing to open Portland’s first RV safe park.

Sunderland RV Safe Park, located at 9827 Northeast Sunderland, can host about 55 vehicles.

“We really want to be able to help provide a safe environment for folks that don’t choose to live that way, but quite often that’s all they have,” says Major Bob Lloyd, Salvation Army.

The state provided $1 million as well as grants from the American Rescue Plan Act - those dollars will provide basic necessities like a kitchenette, bathrooms, showers, and laundry. There will also be services to fix vehicles and conference rooms so those living at the safe park can meet with service reps and get the help they need.

“Some people will require mental health support; some people may just require help getting IDs. Some people may require support getting some back debt paid off,” says Major Lloyd.

Just a block away, neighbors say they’re fed up with RV’s parked on Northeast 33rd Drive also say they’re happy to see the new safe park.

“The biggest problem to me, is the amount of trash that they leave around or that people dump on their places, and that brings rats and mice, and quite a lot of drug use,” says Susan Rollins, who lives near the safe park.

The safe park is a temporary solution and hopefully a transition into permanent supportive housing when they open in July.

“The thing about a place like this is that you can have a broken-down RV on the side of the road with no toilet facilities with no garbage facilities here you have those, so I do see a large difference and not the quality of the RV but how people are respected,” says neighbor, Ray Stanszak.

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