ESCONDIDO — Sack lunches and holiday meal services provided by Interfaith Community Services were preserved following the Escondido City Council’s approval of updates to the nonprofit’s permit, which allows it to serve the local homeless population.
Interfaith, established in 1979 by local faith organizations, has operated under a conditional use permit (CUP) at its 550 W. Washington Avenue location for 23 years. The permit has enabled the nonprofit to provide transitional housing, emergency shelter, withdrawal management and related services.
Over the years, the organization’s permit accumulated 175 conditions of operation across five different CUPs.
At its Jan. 15 meeting, the council unanimously approved consolidating the 175 conditions into 63, rephrased to align with the city’s current standards.
The changes follow an investigation by the Escondido Police Department’s Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) Unit, which found Interfaith among the city’s top 20 locations for service calls. The investigation also alleged 30 CUP violations in recent years, including loitering and littering near the site.
In February, then-Police Chief Ed Varso sent a letter to Interfaith CEO Greg Anglea listing the alleged violations, all of which Interfaith denied. Since then, the nonprofit has collaborated with the city to address concerns.
The updated CUP clarifies expectations and aims to mitigate nuisances associated with the site. Key changes include annual operational reporting to the city, a public right-of-way mitigation plan to address how Interfaith will respond to nuisance behavior near its facility, and a security and operations management plan regarding on-site security.
Anglea emphasized that the changes allow Interfaith to maintain critical programs while addressing nuisance concerns.
“All individuals accessing morning meals will be required to register and enroll,” Anglea said.
As of Jan. 15, 117 individuals had registered under the new procedures.
If Interfaith receives three or more violation notices within the first 90 days, its permit will require immediate review by city officials, potentially leading to suspension or other actions.
A proposed restriction on distributing sack lunches was reversed after Interfaith requested the program continue. The council approved the program with conditions, limiting lunch distribution to breakfast hours and requiring tracking methods to identify whether lunches contribute to littering.
“I am in support of a compromise,” said Mayor Dane White.
Anglea noted that clients were warned against littering to avoid jeopardizing the program. In December alone, Interfaith distributed more than 6,000 to-go meals.
Deputy Mayor Consuelo Martinez encouraged Interfaith to strengthen relationships with neighboring businesses.
“This is the moment to go above and beyond,” she said.
Additionally, the council ensured that Interfaith could continue hosting its Thanksgiving and Christmas meal services, which were accidentally omitted from the updated CUP.
Several council members commended both city staff and Interfaith for their collaboration. Councilmember Christian Garcia called the partnership one of the city’s significant accomplishments over the past year.
