A discussion of efforts to reduce homelessness in the area brought out the largest crowd Tuesday since MainStreet Oceanside resumed its Monthly Morning Meetings last August.
Nearly 50 people attended, about twice the number at the previous monthly meeting in January.
Rick Wright, MainStreet CEO, said city officials accepted his invitation to attend, even though they knew the meeting could get contentious. “They did not have to come,” he said, “We thought it might be confrontational.” But, he said, “to their credit they brought the whole team.” Representatives of the Police, Code Enforcement and Housing and Neighborhood Services Departments participated.
Mostly, people listened, although there was some concern expressed that police aren’t doing enough about the homeless in the area, including local alleyways.
A new “point-in-time” census of the homeless is due at 4 a.m. Feb. 24, Sal Roman of the city’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) said during his PowerPoint presentation on “homeless reduction efforts.”
That nationwide census, Roman said, will determine a lot of the funding for programs to reduce homelessness.
Roman showed a video that the City recently produced regarding their efforts to ease the homeless situation.
Police Sgt. Nate Brazelton, with HOT, said the team’s purpose is to go out and contact homeless individuals and build trust. He said it made 1,015 contacts last year, some of them with the same individuals, found shelter for 174, and permanent housing for 15.
He showed the resources pamphlet given to those contacted.
Roman said motel vouchers were available for people to stay for up to 29 days. He declared that program “42-percent successful.”
The next step for people, he said, is 30 to 90 days in “transitional housing.”
Social workers are involved, Roman said, and “clients do not have to worry about food or where they are going to sleep.”
“The city does not do all this alone,” Roman said, showing logos for agencies such as Interfaith Community Services. Operation Hope and San Diego Rescue Mission are involved in the process as well.
Working with Code Enforcement officers, Roman said, there were 176 clean-up days and 18,316 bags of trash were hauled away from encampment sites.
Many people were referred to sober-up services or accepted other referrals, he said.
Reporting it’s “not just an Oceanside Police Department problem, but a human problem,” the presentation included a list for “community awareness and involvement” that suggested locking dumpsters and opening up overgrown tree areas.
Leilani Hines, Housing and Neighborhood Services Director, said a new 50-bed shelter at the former Ocean Shores High School near the intersection of Oceanside Boulevard and El Camino Real is expected to open later this year, and there are plans for “permanent supportive housing” in 2023-2024.
Part of a $6 million and even bigger $40-million project, Hines said, the eventual goal for the homeless is to help them “take the opportunity and make the most of their life.”
On the other hand, she said, if someone really does not want to get off the street, “there is not a whole lot we can do.”
From the audience, Patty, who declined to give her last name, said “I do not feel protected.” “It’s not safe, someone is going to get killed,” she said. Oceanside, she said, should be a model of solving the homeless problem, not a magnet for homeless people.
Capt. Sean Marchand said anyone who feels threatened should call 911.
Hines said county health department personnel are working to help homeless with mental health problems. “They are stepping it up countywide,” she said. But in some cases, she said, “our hands are tied.”
Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman, Community Relations Liaison for County Supervisor Jim Desmond, said he is interested in receiving e-mails from constituents.
The discussion took the meeting’s entire hour, so Wright said that Linda Piña, scheduled to talk on the sixth anniversary of Carla and Linda’s Walking Food Tours would make a presentation at the next meeting, at 8:30 a.m. March 1 in MainStreet’s headquarters, 701 Mission Ave.
At the beginning of this meeting, Wright reported the passing of longtime MainStreet supporter and business leader Dave Kiss.
The MainStreet Morning Meeting is held on the first Tuesday of each month at 8:30 a.m.
We welcome all parties interested in the progress of Downtown Oceanside, including businesspeople, residents, and City staff.
This informative one-hour meeting is held in an informal discussion format. The general public is always welcome! Come meet your city officials, MainStreet Oceanside staff and members and find out about upcoming events and changes to YOUR downtown and city.
The MainStreet Morning Meeting is held at the MainStreet Oceanside meeting room at 701 Mission Avenue. Call our office for more information or directions at (760) 754-4512.
