MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minneapolis Advances Supervised Overnight Parking Proposal for People Living in Vehicles
The proposed ordinance would require staffing, sanitation and safety measures at designated lots, with full council consideration still ahead.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 22, 2026). Minneapolis council members have advanced a proposal that would allow people experiencing homelessness to sleep overnight in their vehicles at designated, supervised parking lots.
The measure moved forward Tuesday, October 20, and remained subject to full City Council approval. MPR News reported that the proposal would take effect in January if approved under the anticipated schedule.
Operators would have to provide on-site staffing, bathrooms and trash services. The proposal also calls for overnight operating rules, quiet hours and a safety plan submitted for police review.
Additional requirements described in the proposal include access to water and daily litter cleanup. Open fires, illegal weapons, alcohol use, nonmedical cannabis and nonprescribed controlled substances would be prohibited.
The city’s planning materials describe safe outdoor parking as a temporary use of existing off-street parking lots. Each location would require an interim use permit and a city business license.
An interim use permit would limit a site’s operation to as long as five years and require a public hearing, providing nearby residents and businesses an opportunity to comment on a proposed location.
For people relying on vehicles for shelter, a regulated location could reduce repeated displacement while creating a consistent place for outreach. City planning materials identify connections to services, improved safety and reduced exposure to tickets and towing among the proposal’s objectives.
The approach draws on programs in Duluth and Denver. It would establish an authorized setting for overnight vehicle shelter rather than automatically opening every parking lot to that use. Individual locations would still have to satisfy the applicable approval and operating requirements.
Residents can follow the proposal through the city’s safe outdoor parking information page.
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