IN JANUARY 2022, when the city announced a new program in Bayview with the opaque title “vehicle triage center,” it seemed a rare win-win in the world of big city homelessness strategy.  

The Bayview VTC would offer a “safe parking” area where people living in their cars or RVs could access electric service, showers and sanitary facilities, all in a 24/7 secure location supported by the full panoply of city-contracted “wraparound services.” Residents would also have access to city workers knowledgeable about the process of securing permanent housing.