This car dealership provides a safe place for homeless to park and sleep overnight

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/us/car-dealership-homeless-trnd/index.html





Just like any other used-car dealership, during the day, Kiplin Automotive Group sells cars. But as night falls and others return home, Kiplin Auto's manager James Charles turns on the lights and transforms the dealership into a haven for those who are homeless and living in their cars.

With its well-lit lot, security cameras and welcome invitation, the car dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers homeless men, women and families a safe place to park and spend the night without worrying about whether they're breaking the law or trespassing.


That peace of mind means everything to those living in their car, according to Davina Stephens, who has lived in her car on and off for the past eight months.

Stephens, 46, currently works at a bank call center, but when she accepted the job, she was let go at her previous job three weeks too soon.


"Weeks of no income set me back," Stephens told CNN. "It's hard to dig yourself out of a hole when you don't have savings and things like that."
She was eventually evicted and although she tried to make some cash by giving people rides, she had no choice but to live in her 2012 Chevrolet Impala.

At night, Stephens would pull into the parking lots of fast-food restaurants, gas stations and apartment complexes that were under construction. She would try to sleep but would often be awakened by the blinding flashlights of security guards who told her to move along.

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"It's soothing that you can close your eyes and not worry that you have to open them 15 minutes later. It takes your headache away," Stephens said.
Since Charles' post went up on January 23, about 20 families, men and women have parked their cars in his lot. Some stay for just one night, and others come back every night for weeks.

James Charles and his family were homeless for 90 days after they were forced out of their rental home. Now, they allow homeless people to park at his car dealership overnight.