Pacific Beach resident Anna Hawley says she’s sympathetic to people who have no choice but to live in their cars or vans but says she too has safety concerns.



"They’re usually here two to three days at a time, then they move, then they might come back,” said Hawley.



News 8 also spoke with a woman named Monique who asked that we not use her last name. She’s from Idaho and is part of the “van life” movement of people who live in their vans by choice.



"I think the majority of people living in their vans are travelers who want more freedom rather than paying mortgage or rent,” said Monique.



But she says she’s respectful of residents.



"I try not to park in front of people’s houses overnight. I try to park somewhere where it’s not going to be in someone’s front yard,” Monique said.



She says “van-lifers” are unfairly getting lumped in with those who cause problems in people’s neighborhoods



"They have trash piled up on top of their vans and those people I do consider them to be causing a bad rap for van-lifers,” Monique said.



But “van-lifer” or not, Volk had this response:



"She’s gotta understand, this is our neighborhood. It’s true I don’t own the street. Come on and enjoy it, but then leave. Don’t sleep here. This is not your bedroom, this is our neighborhood.”



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