Palo Alto bans car-dwelling

The San Francisco Chronicle sent me down to Palo Alto last week to cover a city council meeting where they were voting to ban car-dwelling.  Some homeless people in the area own vehicles and are able to live out of them and sleep in them, but the city wants to force them out.  After an extremely long meeting where almost 80 people spoke out, most against the ban, the council voted 7-2 in favor.  Before the meeting I met Gator, who was born and raised in Palo Alto and now lives in his RV, as well as Chuck, who lives in his car. When the meeting got out close to midnight I followed Chuck to where he parks his car every night to see how he turns his car from a vehicle into a motel.  I went back early the next morning to see him and Gator again, but couldn't find Gator.  When the ban goes into effect in six months, Chuck and Gator may have to find a new place to live.  

Chuck moving his belongings to the front seat to sleep in the back.

Gator at a protest in front of City Hall before the meeting.