OCEANSIDE — The Oceanside City Council has agreed to change the name of the city’s 50-bed homeless shelter and extend a property use agreement with San Diego Rescue Mission to manage the shelter’s operations for at least another year.
In 2021, the council approved a three-year agreement with San Diego Rescue Mission to run and operate the Oceanside Navigation Center. Two years later, the shelter officially opened at 3131 Oceanside Blvd at the former Ocean Shores High School campus.
As the expiration date of the original agreement approached on Nov. 17, San Diego Rescue Mission requested a one-year extension of the property use agreement until Nov. 16, 2025.
The existing agreement sets forth the terms and conditions for using the facility and governing the operations of the services provided by San Diego Rescue Mission.
Since the shelter has been operating for over a year now, staff recommended separating the property use agreement from the facility operating agreement this time. Staff will bring the facility operating agreement to the City Council for consideration in January.
The San Diego Rescue Mission also requested to change the shelter’s name to “North County Lighthouse,” however Mayor Esther Sanchez requested changing that request to “Oceanside Lighthouse” instead.
“I know that we are very focused on ensuring that we are addressing our homeless folks in Oceanside,” Sanchez said. “Oceanside Lighthouse would be fine, but to say North County suggests that it is more regional, and I am concerned about that.”
Since opening, the shelter has taken in 508 people, with 282 successfully leaving the shelter into an appropriate support program or permanent housing. Of the people served at the shelter, over 44 were veterans, 41 were children, and 58 were victims of domestic violence.
According to the city, the shelter serves as a “critical entry point” in its response to homelessness and a “short-term solution” to help people get off the streets and into housing.
The San Diego Rescue Mission will continue to provide services to unhoused individuals in lieu of paying rent on the facility. City staff estimates these services cost over $1 million annually. Meanwhile, the city remains responsible for maintenance and utility costs for the property.
