Paying to sleep in a parking lot? For some Summit County workers, it’s the best housing option

In The NOCO

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Housing costs in Colorado’s mountain resort towns are so high that many workers can’t afford an apartment or room in the towns where they do their jobs.

In Summit County, dozens of workers opt for an unusual solution. They pay $75 a month for a pass that lets them sleep in their car in a parking lot in Frisco.

The nonprofit Unsheltered In Summit runs the Summit Safe Parking Program. The program manages the parking lot and provides a portable toilet and trash disposal. Tenants in the lot must show a pay stub that proves they work in the area.

The New York Times has reported it’s the only program of its kind in the country.

Paul Minjares lives in one of these lots and helps manage it as a paid employee. He screens applicants and keeps an eye on what’s happening from day to day. He first heard about the program after he’d lost his apartment and started sleeping in his car.

Paul joined Erin O'Toole to talk about what makes this program work – and what it’s like to call the parking lot home.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.

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