Colorado Springs woman introduces plan to help solve car camping

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Codi Natelli envisions a future in which homeless care in Colorado Springs looks drastically different.

When she was in high school, her father left, forcing her mother and two siblings to live out of their car for two years.

“Being able to provide that way out is really important, because there was not that for me,” she tells News5.

For the last two years, she’s been planning a solution for people in similar situations, and she’s ready to roll.

“I’ve thought of everything,” she says. “We’re ready to go.”

Introducing Codi Natelli’s “safe-parking” initiative. The plan would take a few underutilized parking lots around Colorado Springs and allow up to 20 vehicles to park at each.

Patients would be the beneficiaries of free services, including meals, showers, access to care, assistance in finding housing, and case management.

“Allowing these fenced-off spaces to become these safe refuges for individuals living in their vehicles, that way their stuff is safe, their vehicles are safe. They can access care and medical care, case management on site, without them having to abandon a vehicle somewhere,” she says.

Patients would have to abide by a number of rules, such as no drugs, alcohol, or weapons. They’d have to agree to seek support rather than stay stagnant. Natelli says patients would have up to 60-90 days to get on their feet, allowing the program to serve as many as possible.

Natelli says she’s heard from numerous businesses ready and willing to offer their parking lots to her. She also has volunteers lined up willing to provide care, serve food, and even plow snow in the case of inclement weather.

She hasn't disclosed the businesses that have offered their lots, but says the space would be a controlled environment, outside of residential areas, and complete with unarmed security. The police would also be aware of the situation, responding to any potential violence on site.

She believes the plan would reduce the amount of strain on officers “playing tag” with car-campers.

Natelli says once she secures permits for a location, she’ll be ready to roll.

“We had two representatives from the city’s homeless and housing department. They expressed a willingness to work with me and assist me in the program with any permitting that we may require.”

Vehicle camping has been a long-standing issue presented to the City Council. On November 10, the Council opted to delay a vote on a measure that would harshen penalties for public car camping in one spot for longer than 24 hours.

Offenders could incur fines up to $2,500 and be subject to possible jail time.

The vote has been rescheduled for May 26. Natelli says it feels like “a race against time” to get her program implemented. She says she’s prepared to begin once a permit is secured with or without city funding.

She’s requested between $36-38,000 from the city annually, but this would simply serve as a stopgap between any lapse in volunteered service.

She says the budget for the program is complete.

“A lot of these things that are on the higher end of the budget have actually either completely disappeared or have been donated.”

The city released its official statement regarding the news. You can read it below:

“Community perception matters,” says Natelli. “We’re focused on transparency and collaboration, so residents, providers, and participants feel like partners rather than opponents.”

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