Homelessness & RV Living in California — What’s Happening
1. RV and vehicle-based homelessness are increasing sharply
Many people in California — especially in the Bay Area and Southern California — are living full-time in recreational vehicles (RVs), vans, and other vehicles because traditional housing has become unaffordable. A combination of soaring rents, high home prices, and limited affordable housing has pushed even some full-time workers into vehicle living as a last-resort housing option.
2. Vehicle homelessness has more than doubled in some areas
In Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley), official data shows that the proportion of homeless individuals living in vehicles has more than doubled since 2019 — from about 18 % to roughly 37 % by 2025.
3. California has a disproportionate share of nationwide homelessness
Although the state only makes up around 12 % of the U.S. population, it accounts for nearly one-quarter of all homeless people in the country. The high cost of housing is a major factor driving this disparity.
💸 Enter the “Vanlords”
4. What are vanlords?
Vanlords is a colloquial term for individuals who purchase used, often decrepit RVs or campers and then rent them out — usually informally — to people living without conventional housing. These rentals are typically unregulated, with no formal leases, tenant protections, or standards for safety and habitability.
5. Exploitative, unregulated market dynamics
Because traditional housing supply is so constrained and campground or RV park spaces are limited, people with few options may pay hundreds of dollars a month to live in these vehicles. This has created a “shadow rental market” where vanlords profit by exploiting housing insecurity.
🏙️ Policy Responses & Social Impact
6. Cities are trying different approaches
Some municipalities, like San Jose, have established safe parking sites where people living in vehicles can park legally and access basic services (showers, case management, laundry), albeit with long waitlists.
Other cities have moved to regulate or even ban the informal rental of RVs as homes and enforce strict parking limits for oversized vehicles, arguing public safety and sanitation concerns.
7. Legal and enforcement challenges
Legal actions have blocked some enforcement efforts (e.g., in Los Angeles a judge halted plans to dismantle RV homes under a new law, saying the city lacked authority), highlighting the tension between policy, public safety goals, and the reality that many RV occupants see these vehicles as their only shelter.
📌 Broader Homelessness Context in California
8. Overall homelessness remains a major challenge
California’s homeless population remains high, with one of the nation’s largest numbers of people experiencing homelessness. This includes a high share of unsheltered individuals — meaning they live outdoors, in tents, or in vehicles — highlighting the chronic shortage of affordable housing and shelter options.
9. Safe parking / RV support programs are expanding
In response to growing vehicle homelessness, several safe parking initiatives exist across the state, offering supervised places to park with services and connections to housing support — but supply is limited compared to need.
California’s combination of high housing costs, housing shortages, and limited shelter capacity has led to a significant increase in people living in RVs and other vehicles. This has created an informal market in which vanlords rent out these vehicles, often without tenant protections, taking advantage of the housing crisis. Cities are experimenting with policies ranging from safe parking sites to tighter regulations on vehicle living, all while grappling with legal, logistical, and humanitarian challenges.