CINCINNATI — An area school district recently opened a “Safe Sleep Lot” outside its elementary school, marking the nation’s first district-run site of its kind.
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The lot offers 12 open spots for eligible families struggling to find stable housing, allowing them to park and sleep overnight after an intake process, our news partners at WCPO reported.
The Safe Sleep Lot is located at William Howard Taft Elementary School in Cincinnati.
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Project organizers also placed amenities inside a nearby ADA-accessible trailer.
This trailer includes two restrooms, two showers, a kitchenette, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a separate office space.
Families using the lot also receive toiletries and a sleep kit.
The lot is intended to serve as a temporary solution, a “bridge” for families to secure shelter placement.
Alternatively, Project Connect can provide a short hotel stay for families that meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homelessness.
Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Shauna Murphy spoke about the challenge children face when experiencing homelessness.
“I have no idea what it’s like to be 5 years old and have to sleep in a car and then go to school and get your reading lesson and your math lesson and take a test,” Murphy said. “You may not have experienced that either, but you understand the mission and the vision and the difference your contributions are making today.”
The “Safe Sleep Lot” program is scheduled to operate through Nov. 30.
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