Homeless and confused in Chula Vista

There’s a buzz on the streets of Chula Vista among those who live out of their vehicles. Some think that they can go to city hall and obtain a “Special Parking Permit,” as it seems to suggest on the permit-process section of the city’s website.

The first bullet point underneath the “Special Parking Permit” header reads: “For residents living on streets with established Time Limited Parking (please note, this permit does not apply to metered parking).”

“If you live on the street, you can get a permit? Wow,” questioned Anne Steinberger, the City of Chula Vista’s marketing and communications manager. “I can definitely see your point.”

A couple of homeless individuals who wanted to remain anonymous mentioned that they went and tried to get a permit but were given “the runaround.”

When asked about the amount of people who attempted to apply for the non-existent permit, Steinberger said she didn’t know. She said she sent a screenshot of the wording to the department that handles the web pages for revision.

“I can understand that that could be somewhat confusing, but it was meant for people whose homes are on the streets that have limited parking hours.”

On the Chula Vista municipal code page that includes the general ordinances of the City of Chula Vista, it’s pretty straightforward and there is no confusion.