Some Lapis Road campers can stay. Others have nowhere to go with RV parks full.

A sliver of gray ocean peeks through the marine layer. Robert Ruch, 53, stands outside of his RV parked on Lapis Road, just beyond Marina city limits, and looks out at the view. Ruch stretches his arms toward the ocean, then the city. “I’m standing at the edge of society, yet society doesn’t want me,” he says.

Ruch is homeless, living in his RV. He used to work in construction, but says he’s long been out of work due to two injuries sustained on separate jobs, one of which was helping reconstruct a bridge after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. On top of that, he was recently diagnosed with spinal cancer. Ruch lives on a little more than $300 a month.

He’s joined about 35 to 40 other people camping on Lapis Road, who are organizing to keep the area clean and secure. The teamwork comes after a county effort on Aug. 10 to clear the road of campers, vehicles and waste. Sheriff’s deputies gave campers until Aug. 31 to clean up and move on. Social Services officials were on site to help get campers acquainted with resources. One thing they couldn’t offer: another place to park.

There might be a solution coming, but it’s still in progress. The county invited bidders to propose parking programs to support a growing homeless population. Monterey County Purchasing Officer Mike Derr says one proposal came in by the Aug. 18 deadline.

The next step is for the County Board of Supervisors to identify a source of funding for the $300,000 project. “Were trying to move this as quickly as possible,” Derr says. “We’re making sure to dot our i’s and cross our t’s, eliminating any hiccups.”

But pressure for an immediate solution is mounting. Bella Maddox, Ruch’s neighbor on Lapis Road, says social services benefits are easy to sign up for, but hard to keep. She says she was on a Section 8 housing waitlist for five years, but missed one appointment and was immediately kicked off. “I was number 537 on the list when I first signed up,” Maddox says. “I never left the 500s.”

Maddox and her neighbors say buying an RV is sometimes the only option between the street and transitional housing. Maddox says she’s tried to find facilities with water and sewage hookups, but prices are steep and spots are booked, “from here up to Sacramento.”

Ruch says his research showed RV parks average $1,400-$1,500 per month: “If I had that money, I’d be living in a studio apartment.”

About two miles southwest of Lapis Road is Marina Dunes RV Park, one of the many places Maddox has looked into, but can’t afford. The park has ocean views, electricity, Wi-Fi, fire rings and recently renovated bathrooms with showers. A spot in this RV park costs around $90 a night – and they are in high demand. “We’re booked solid from now until November,” Resort Manager Angie Wendell says. Wendell says many Lapis campers have inquired, but usually turn away because of the price.

There is some immediate reprieve coming. On Aug. 29, the Board of Supervisor voted 3-1 to allow people living in vehicles who are complying with penal and health codes to stay parked between 6pm-10am until Nov. 30, or until the county’s overnight parking program is set up. The county will also provide portable toilets and trash receptacles, which are to be pumped and cleaned weekly.