CPS to Open Secure Sleep Lot for Homeless Families

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Water from the road is absorbed through the gaps in the curb and the slope of the asphalt towards the edge. Perennial flower beds absorb water for growth. Mulching with gravel — Source: beekeepx / Getty

Cincinnati Public Schools is taking a new approach to support families without stable housing. Starting next spring, one of the parking lots at William Howard Taft Elementary will be converted into a safe overnight lot for families who are currently living in their cars.

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The district says it’s addressing a growing need. More than 300 CPS students don’t have a place to sleep each night, many spending nights in parking lots or on the move. Project Connect Program Manager Rebeka Beach says she’s watched student homelessness climb steadily over the past 15 years.

“Every year we have just been seeking additional funding because of the need. The need just continues to grow,” Beach said. “We don’t want any child to have nowhere to go.”

The secure lot will start with 12 designated spaces and will be fully fenced, locked, and monitored by security overnight. Families will receive sleep kits stocked with blankets, pillows, and window covers for privacy. They’ll also have access to bathrooms, meals on certain nights, and charging stations for phones.

Beach says the goal is to give students some stability so they can rest and be ready for school.

“We want to make sure our students’ basic needs are met so that they’re positioned to learn. Because if a child goes to school hungry or they haven’t slept, or they don’t feel clean and they have not had, had access to shower and get ready for school, they’re just not positioned to learn in the same way as their peers.”

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The safe sleep lot will also help outreach workers connect with families and move them more quickly into shelters or housing. CPS modeled the concept after similar programs in California, making it the first district in the country to implement this kind of initiative.

The district expects the lot to open by March 2026.