Oceanside moves safe parking for homeless to new location

Oceanside’s safe parking program for the homeless that opened last year in the North County LGBTQ Resource Center’s parking lot on Apple Street is moving to a larger lot at the city’s Senior Center on Country Club Lane.

The program got off to a good start on Apple Street with room for 25 to 30 vehicles, city officials said, and the new location will have more space, better security and easier access to services for the homeless.

The Oceanside City Council at its meeting Wednesday unanimously approved the move and added one year to its contract with Dreams for Change, the nonprofit that operates the overnight parking program for people living in their vehicles.

“It’s a great move and I’m looking forward to serving more people who need this service desperately,” said Councilmember Eric Joyce.

The new contract begins retroactively on Jan. 1 and goes through Dec. 31, 2026, at a cost of $329,329, which is an increase of $100,000 from the first year.

The new location will allow “increased flexibility to scale or expand program capacity over time based on demonstrated need and available resources,” the staff report states. It does not specify a number of vehicles, although Mayor Esther Sanchez said it should be able to handle as many as 50.

Dreams for Change will have two full-time staff members on the premises overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to provide case management, site coordination, peer support, program oversight, and site security, according to a city report.

The adjacent Senior Center will be closed and inaccessible during the parking program. Portable restrooms and hand-washing stations will be provided for the participants.

The new location is at the city’s original Senior Center, just east of Interstate 5 and south of Mission Avenue. Oceanside now has a second, larger Senior Center at El Corazon Park.

A few people who wrote letters or attended the council meeting said they were concerned that the move would place the parking program too close to a nearby Boys and Girls Club and a community swimming pool.

“As a teacher, a senior citizen myself, and long-time resident of Oceanside, I do not believe in moving the safe parking site to anywhere near where children and seniors frequent,” said Diane “Sunny” Goodwin in a letter to the City Council. “These are both very vulnerable groups, especially children! I know I have felt threatened by homeless individuals becoming aggressive with me.”

The move also could occupy parking spaces needed by people who use the daytime services at the Senior Center, Goodwin said.

However, city officials said the overnight program will be closely monitored and participants must leave during the day.

“People will leave before (Senior Center’s) programs begin in the morning and will arrive after senior programs end in the afternoon,” said Parks and Recreation Director Manny Gonzalez.

Despite rumors to the contrary, security has improved in the area around the Apple Street location since the safe parking lot opened there last April, said North County LGBTQ Center founder and Executive Director Max Disposti.

“We had zero incidents,” Disposti said. “It’s been a positive experience.  We have seen decreasing crime.”

City Manager Jonathan Borrego said the police chief agrees that crime is down in the Apple Street neighborhood, and that the same effect is expected at the Senior Center.

Participants in the safe parking program must be Oceanside residents, 18 years or older and serve as head of household, homeless and residing in a functional vehicle. Recreational and commercial vehicles are not allowed. Participants must complete a safety screening and agree to take part in case management and stability-related services.

The program prioritizes individuals referred through agencies such as the Oceanside Housing Authority, the Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, and the LGBTQ Resource Center, the city report states.

North County’s only other homeless safe parking program is at the Vista Civic Center in the neighboring city of Vista. It opened in mid-2023 and is operated by Jewish Family Service, with space for 25 vehicles.

Encinitas had an overnight parking lot program for homeless people at the city’s Community and Senior Center until it was closed at the end of 2025 after operating about five years. Mayor Bruce Ehlers said at the time there were better ways to serve the program’s clients.

The city of San Diego has had a homeless safe parking program since 2017 that is now operated in five locations by Jewish Family Service.