Cincinnati Public Schools operates what it describes as the first district-owned and district-run overnight parking lot for families experiencing homelessness, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The Safe Sleep Lot at William Howard Taft Elementary School opened April 30, and Megan Rahill, a shelter and housing specialist with Project Connect, said more than 300 people have slept there so far.
Project Connect supports district students experiencing homelessness under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. District data cited from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce put about 2,650 CPS students, nearly 8%, as having experienced homelessness in 2025-26, up from roughly 2,000 in 2021-22. Project Connect Manager Rebeka Beach said the district saw a significant rise in families sleeping in cars.
The lot has 12 spaces and runs nightly from 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., with three to eight families typically staying. Families are referred, complete an intake appointment, and receive supplies including pillows, towels, blankets, and laundry pods; children choose a stuffed animal. A coded parking pass is scanned by security.
After a night in the lot, families are verified and added to a shelter waiting list, and Project Connect arranges a hotel stay: up to two weeks for CareSource members, or four to six nights otherwise. Beach said shelter waits usually run one to two months, and there is no cap on nights at the lot. The lot operates March through November; Christ Church Cathedral will host families in winter.
Amenities include security, a library, wifi, and a planned Wednesday tutoring program.