HEART Program Coming to Expand Homeless Outreach

The Oceanside City Council approved a new program aimed at getting more help to people living on the streets through a coordinated civilian-led approach.

The Homeless Evaluation, Assistance & Response Team, known as HEART, is a multidisciplinary outreach model focused on connecting unsheltered individuals to housing, supportive services, behavioral health resources, and stabilization support through a street outreach approach.

Approved at the May 20, 2026 City Council meeting, the program represents a shift in approach from law enforcement outreach to social workers and case workers specializing in outreach support. The team will be funded by Measure X revenue with $400,000 included in the proposed FY 2026/27 budget, scheduled to be adopted in June.

HEART was developed in response to direction the Oceanside City Council provided during a February 2025 Homelessness Workshop, when it called for a more coordinated approach that relies on social services rather than law enforcement for non-criminal concerns.

The HEART team will be led by a newly-created City Homeless Outreach Coordinator that will oversee contracted outreach staff including social workers, behavioral health professionals, and people with lived experience of homelessness. The team will be developed and supervised by the City's Homeless Services Manager.

The day-to-day work of the HEART team will include proactive direct engagement in high-impact areas, connecting people to meaningful behavioral and medical services, helping with ID documents and benefits enrollment, and facilitating access to shelter, safe parking, and employment and housing resources. The goal is to build trust, improve stability, and help clients address barriers that often prevent them from successfully obtaining and maintaining housing long-term when housing opportunities arise. The HEART team will maintain a citywide "By-Name List" to monitor progress, and will report outcomes on a regular basis.

HEART joins a broader network of City programs working to address homelessness in Oceanside. The City's Navigation Center provides 24-hour shelter, which will expand from 50 to 75 beds July 1, 2026. The City's Safe Parking Program offers a secure overnight option with resources for people living in their vehicles. The City also continues to work with state Encampment Resolution Grant funding to address camps along Buena Vista Creek, a joint effort with the City of Carlsbad. Additionally, Oceanside continues to support the construction of affordable housing in the City and recently broke ground on another project -- Coast Villas, bringing 56 homes for low-income adults (15 of these apartments will be reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness). Along with partners, Oceanside invested $4.25 million in the project through Inclusionary Housing and federal HOME-ARP funds and is contributing 15 HUD-VASH Vouchers, a federal program pairing rental assistance with VA case management, and 40 Project-Based Vouchers to make rents more affordable for residents.