ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to extend the city’s partnership with Jewish Family Service for its safe parking program through the end of 2025.
The decision followed a wide-ranging discussion on homelessness that touched on shelter availability, outreach efforts, and the city’s broader Homeless Action Plan.
Policy and Housing Planning Manager Patty Anders updated the council on the city’s Homeless Action Plan, originally adopted in 2021 to guide local strategies to reduce homelessness. The plan focuses on increasing service capacity, reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness and expanding access to housing.
According to Anders, Encinitas saw an increase in both unsheltered and total unhoused individuals from 2023 to 2024, reflecting broader regional trends. Staff attributed part of this uptick to the geographical boundaries used for the annual point-in-time count, which include census tracts extending into inland North County areas.
Council members raised questions about the scope of that data, noting that the count appears to include areas outside of the city.
“There was a question whether, for us, [Rancho Santa Fe] is included, whether Western Escondido was included, because those would skew the numbers,” Mayor Bruce Ehlers said. “But we assume 90% of the point-in-time count are in Encinitas.”
Anders responded by pointing to a map provided by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness that included broader census tracts outside the city limits, validating Ehlers’ concern that the reported numbers may reflect a wider area.
Encinitas currently has exclusive access to 12 beds at the Buena Creek Navigation Center in Vista and served 56 residents there in 2024. Of those, 13 were placed in permanent housing and five were placed in temporary housing.
The report also highlighted Encinitas’ participation in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and its development of a “By Name List” to better coordinate services for the unhoused. Anders said this data-driven approach is essential for targeting support to the most vulnerable residents and meeting state and federal grant requirements.
Discussion on the city’s Jewish Family Service safe parking lot drew significant public input, with over a dozen speakers weighing in. The program provides up to 25 overnight spaces for individuals living in their vehicles and has operated at the Encinitas Community Center since 2020. In 2024, the program served 36 individuals, with 16 exiting to housing.
Supporters described the program as a compassionate and practical intervention.
“We are able to provide that connection and community to those in need,” said Nicole McCune, director of the safe parking program. “We work together to break the cycle of poverty.”
Jewish Family Service requested an extension of the city lease agreement through December 2025, citing secured funding and ongoing need. The council directed staff to bring back a resolution in order to extend the program.
Deputy Mayor Joy Lyndes, who had opposed the program in 2021, said she regretted that initial vote.
“I will admit that was a mistake, and I know how valuable it is,” Lyndes said. “I just think it’s a marvelous program that has shown us some great success.”
In addition to moving forward with the parking program extension, the council voted to continue the broader discussion on the Homeless Action Plan to a future special meeting. Ehlers said public comment would remain open for the continued item.
City Manager Jennifer Campbell confirmed that staff is currently reviewing options to fill the recently vacated Homeless Services Coordinator role. She said the city is exploring whether a regional partnership could provide broader outreach coverage.
“We’re looking for the best use of resources and the folks that provide that,” Campbell said. “Right now, my team and I are looking at the best use for our city resources, to get the best services for our city and the most coverage we can.”
