OCEANSIDE — After establishing a Safe Parking Program along Apple Street last year to provide a safe place to sleep to individuals living in their cars, the city is moving the program one mile away to the Country Club Senior Center.
On Feb. 18, the Oceanside City Council agreed to relocate the program from its current location at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center to the senior center’s parking lot along Country Club Lane. The city also approved amendments to its contract with nonprofit Dreams for Change, which operates the program.
These amendments include extending the contract through December, increasing the contract maximum to $558,697 with a current contract amount of $329,329, and appropriating $166,000 in Measure X funds to support the program through June 30.
Max Disposti, North County LGBTQ Resource Center executive director and founder, said the program has run well at the center, and they have had no major issues with any of the participants. However, Disposti said the change is beneficial to the city because it will no longer have to pay the center to rent their property, and can instead use the city-owned senior center for free.
The new site will also provide greater security than Apple Street, he said.
“I just want to reassure the public that it’s been a positive experience,” Disposti said. “This is gonna be an improvement. I appreciate the fact that the new parking lot will have a gate. Our place didn’t have a gate, so that helps facilitate the tranquility of people to sleep overnight.”
City staff said the new location will improve stability and access to services, allow for program expansion, enhance monitoring and safety, and include portable restrooms and hand-washing stations.
The Safe Parking Program currently serves an average of 25 to 27 vehicles per month. With the new location, the city hopes to realize its original goal of expanding the program to 50 cars per month.
At the new site, the Safe Parking program will operate from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., rather than 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Case management services will be offered onsite to participants from 6 to 10 p.m.
Between March 2025 and January 2026, the safe parking program served 114 adults and 22 children, according to the city. The most common age group among clients was those 55 and older, reflecting the demographics of the city’s overall homeless population.
City Homeless Services Manager Tameka Tates said that because of the program’s high number of older adults, moving it to the senior center will hopefully reach more residents living in their vehicles.
“Our homeless elderly community is suffering in silence,” Tates said. “This is another way for us to outreach with those individuals who are going to the senior center to receive services through the day, and then understanding where they can go possibly at night.”
Oceanside’s Safe Parking Program provides amenities like bathrooms, showers, food, water, and trash services. Participants also have access to wraparound services, including housing navigation, workforce training, financial literacy, and resource referrals.
Other than Oceanside, the only other safe parking program in North County is located in the city of Vista. The safe parking program in Encinitas shut down at the end of 2025 after operator Jewish Family Services suddenly announced it could no longer fund the program without full city funding — a pricetag local officials said the city could not afford.
“We’ll be one of the only two cities, which is still a desert for the whole North County,” Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce said.
Some residents said the program could have negative impacts on the senior center, including taking up parking spaces. Resident Jimmy Knot said seniors in the community need the opportunity to provide more feedback to the city.
“As with any kind of safe parking, there is carryover parking that could impact the seniors that use the center,” Knot said.
City leaders said they carefully selected the new site and are confident it will not interfere with senior center programs. They noted that program participants are required to vacate the lot during the day outside of the program’s operating hours.
“We believe that the presence of the safe parking will actually improve security around the grounds,” said Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez. “They’ll leave before our senior programs are initiating in the morning, and arrive after we’ve ended our programming in the afternoon.”
Still, council members recommended communicating with the neighboring Oceanside Boys and Girls Club facility and the Oceanside American Little League regarding the arrival of the Safe Parking Program.
Tates emphasized that there is no coming and going from the lot once attendees are in for the night and that security will ensure it stays safe.
“I do feel it is a very good place for this to happen,” said Mayor Esther Sanchez.
The program’s last day at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center will be Feb. 28, Disposti said.
