Long Beach may look into a homeless program that would help people living in vehicles find a safe place to park at night while also connecting them to social services and resources to secure permanent housing.

Although such a program would be new to Long Beach, it is not a new idea. Other cities such as San Diego and Santa Barbara have seen success with similar “safe parking” initiatives, which designate parking spaces in various lots, including those belonging to churches and nonprofit agencies.

Given residents’ rising concerns around homelessness and the city’s recent emphasis on addressing the issue with compassion, 2nd District Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce said she wants the city and local community to talk about the feasibility of creating such a program.

“This is to try to ensure we are not only finding these people a safe space but also getting them as close to resources as possible,” she said. “This is not the end strategy but it is something we can do in the short term.”

The “safe parking” idea took root last week during a City Council discussion about restricting parking for RVs and oversized vehicles, which some feared could unintentionally criminalize the homeless.

Pearce referenced several U.S. Department of Justice rulings that have struck down similar laws in cities across the nation, including in Los Angeles and Santa Cruz. She said she doesn’t want Long Beach to be in the same spot.

“There are several cases that said (cities) cannot ban sleeping in your car unless (they) have adequate beds for those who are homeless, and Long Beach does not,” she said.

The city attorney’s office will return to council next month with a report on what the city can and cannot do when it comes to regulating parking for RVs and oversized vehicles, and Pearce hopes to see a similar report on a “safe parking” program around the same time.

Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews had suggested a similar approach during the Great Recession when people were losing their homes at an alarming rate, and he said he would like to see a safe haven program come to fruition now. With risings rents and a vacancy rate of 2 percent, competition for housing is at an all time high in Long Beach, and a number of people have been displaced as a result.

“I think we have to be more compassionate about people not being able to afford a place to live,” he said. “If we price them out, where are they supposed to go?”

A report released in 2014 by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found a rising trend in cities across the nation that were enacting laws that criminalized “harmless, unavoidable behaviors,” including those that prohibit sleeping, panhandling or camping in public.

And Long Beach is one of those cities. The city has enacted laws that prohibit “aggressive” panhandling, camping in public and sleeping in a vehicle.

The last citywide homeless count in 2015 identified approximately 2,345 people experiencing homelessness, including 231 people living in their vehicles. And health officials said they expect to see those numbers climb during the next official homeless count in January.

The City Council will likely request a study on a “safe parking” initiative on Tuesday. The council meets at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.