Fremont residents concerned with RVs parked in their neighborhood

Residents in the Irvington Neighborhood in Fremont are growing frustrated over people living in their RVs while parked near their homes. 

They say their generators are loud and creating health issues. 

“I’m a prisoner in my own home, despite being hardworking tax paying citizens, I pay a great amount of tax, a great amount of parcel tax to live here, how is this even justified?” Sheila Mani of Fremont said.

She lives across the street from the RVs and said the generators used by the people living in the RVs are creating health issues for her son who has asthma. 

“The toxic fumes enter our home, and it has led to him being on nebulizers every night over the last three months, there is no other cause for it other than this, this was the new piece that has entered our life,” Mani said.

Councilmember Teresa Cox, who represents the area, said it’s legal for them to be parked there.

“This is a public street, and so with a public street, unless you change the rules to say you cannot park there, they can park there,” Cox said, adding that she is looking to get those rules changed. 

“My priority in representing my district is to see how we can also possibly apply the parking rules so we can keep this safe, because we have children here, they go to after school programs, their sport programs, it's a constant park for families.” she said.

But Cox also acknowledges that Fremont is an extremely expensive place to live in and affordable housing has not kept up with the need. 

Meanwhile, families in the RVs say they’re just trying to get by.

One woman, who did not want to be identified, lives with her husband and three kids inside one of those RVs said they’ve been living there for about eight months -- six in that area -- after facing layoffs and an eviction. 

She said they feel safe, and though she and her husband now work, they’re struggling to get by. 

She says yes, living in an RV, you don't have to pay rent, but the expenses add up with food and clothing for her three kids. 

She said she hopes the city will allow them to stay in a place where they can park their RV safely.

She also said her goal is to move into a place like an apartment. But it's been difficult to do so. 

Mani, who is one of the residents concerned about the RVs, also said she empathizes with those living in the RVs but she wants the city to find a solution. 

Cox said that in order to find a solution, they're going to need city, county, state and federal dollars.