OCEANSIDE — The city has hired its first homeless services manager to strengthen coordination between local government and service organizations in addressing homelessness.
Tameka Tates stepped into the role in late February, bringing more than 20 years of experience in social services and over a decade working with unhoused populations.
“She brings a wealth of experience that will be of tremendous value as we continue to seek solutions to address our homeless population while at the same time ensuring our finite resources are being used in the most impactful ways,” City Manager Jonathan Borrego said in an email.
Borrego said Tates will “play an integral role in achieving meaningful results” as the city refines its homelessness response following the City Council’s February workshop.
During that meeting, council members directed staff to update the city’s Homeless Action Plan while focusing on key priorities, including expanding outreach and support services, increasing short- and long-term housing options, mitigating public health and safety impacts, ensuring the sustainability of response efforts, and preventing at-risk households from falling into homelessness.
A San Diego native, Tates has spent most of her career in the region, with additional experience in Los Angeles. She initially pursued a career in law enforcement, earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State University before shifting to social services. She obtained two master’s degrees in organizational leadership and human resources from Chapman University.
Tates previously served as associate director of housing for People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) in San Diego, which provides shelter, rental assistance and homelessness prevention services. More recently, she worked for Brilliant Corners, a Los Angeles-based organization that offers rental assistance and case management to help people stay housed.
In Oceanside, Tates aims to bridge gaps between city efforts and nonprofit services to create a more unified approach.
“You need the community to be involved,” she said. “Rather than operating in our own silos, we need to come together to figure out what’s working, what we need to do to continue making it work, and what we could be doing better.”
Tates also noted that Oceanside has a significant number of elderly and women experiencing homelessness, an issue she hopes to prioritize.
As she settles into the role, Tates is reviewing current strategies and working with city staff on updates to the Homeless Action Plan, which is expected to be finalized by September.
“My goal is to say, hey, what are we doing, and could we do better — are there holes we can fill, are there entities we can bring together, and include the community — not just homeless people, but everyone who lives here,” she said.
Tates also plans to enhance the city’s data collection on homelessness and service outcomes.
“It’s key—I think sometimes people get scared of data because it might not show us what we want to see, but it helps us to understand where we are,” she said.
With more than a decade of passion for working with homeless populations, Tates is optimistic about making a meaningful impact in Oceanside. However, she acknowledges that homelessness is a complex issue that requires long-term solutions.
“This is not something that’s going to go away overnight,” she said. “Many don’t understand that a lot of people are a paycheck away from being homeless — we have to not only look at how we can fix that problem now, but also what we can do in the long term.”
