DATE: April 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: APPROVAL OF THE HOMELESS EVALUATION, ASSISTANCE & RESOURCE TEAM (HEART), APPROPRIATION OF $200,000 IN MEASURE X FUNDS FOR STARTUP COSTS, THREE NEW POSITION CLASSIFICATIONS, THREE NEW FULL-TIME PROVISIONAL POSITIONS AND AUTHORIZATION OF PHASED IMPLEMENTATION.
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that City Council approve the establishment and implementation of the Homeless Evaluation, Assistance & Resource Team (HEART) as a City-led Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) to support housing-focused street outreach and coordinated engagement with individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness; appropriate $200,000 from Measure X reserves to fund Phase I startup costs and partial-year staffing for the HEART program from the date of Council approval through June 30, 2026; approve three new position classifications; approve the addition of three new full-time provisional positions - one Homeless Outreach Coordinator, one Homeless Outreach Specialist, and one Homeless Outreach Assistant; and authorize the City Manager or designee to proceed with recruitment, classification placement, hiring, and program implementation consistent with City policies and Human Resources procedures.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City of Oceanside continues to address the complex and evolving challenges associated with homelessness in public spaces, including parks, waterways, commercial corridors, transportation areas, and other high-visibility locations. Over the past several years, the City has expanded service capacity through the development of the Oceanside Navigation Center, implementation of the Safe Parking Program, enhanced encampment response coordination, and partnerships with regional service providers to increase pathways to housing stability.
During the February 2025 City Council Homelessness Workshop, the City identified the need to strengthen homeless outreach efforts by transitioning to a more coordinated, multidisciplinary model that reduces reliance on law enforcement and enhances service delivery. The HEART program was developed to achieve this goal by providing a City-led, proactive outreach team focused on housing navigation, stabilization, and coordinated service delivery across departments and community partners.
While these efforts have strengthened Oceanside’s homelessness response system, field outreach operations remain largely dependent on contracted providers and reactive response models. As the City’s programs and service partnerships have expanded, staff has identified the need for a more structured, City-led outreach framework to ensure consistent engagement practices, improved interdepartmental coordination, stronger data-driven accountability, and alignment with municipal priorities.
To address this need, staff proposes the creation of the Homeless Evaluation, Assistance & Response Team (HEART). The HEART is designed as a multidisciplinary, City-managed outreach model focused on proactive engagement, stabilization, diversion, prevention, and service navigation. The program incorporates the principles of Housing-Focused Street Outreach (HFSO), a nationally recognized framework emphasizing person-centered engagement, strategic collaboration, and rapid connection to housing pathways and supportive services. This model is tailored to Oceanside’s local context, geography, and existing service infrastructure.
Because housing availability and program eligibility are determined by regional resources and funding availability, the HEART team will focus on connecting individuals to appropriate housing pathways and services, including diversion, reunification, shelter, interim housing, and permanent housing opportunities, while strengthening coordination across the local homelessness response system.
Establishing a City-led outreach team will allow Oceanside to:
• Standardize proactive outreach and engagement practices
• Improve coordination across Police, Fire, Public Works, Library, and contracted providers
• Deploy outreach resources strategically based on emerging trends and service gaps
• Strengthen accountability through measurable performance indicators
• Provide consistent follow-up and relationship-based engagement
• Improve responsiveness to community concerns
The HEART program is intended to complement, not replace, existing contracted services such as the Navigation Center and regional outreach providers. This City-led model ensures outreach activities remain aligned with Council priorities, funding requirements, and performance expectations while strengthening system-wide coordination.
The HEART team will operate utilizing a split-shift model to align with peak outreach engagement hours, with staff deployed during early morning and late afternoon periods. This approach ensures effective coverage during the times when unsheltered individuals are most accessible, while maintaining a standard 40-hour work week. Mid-day hours will be leveraged for care coordination, documentation, and partner engagement. Weekend outreach will be implemented on a limited basis during Phase I, with coverage focused on high-impact morning hours and subject to adjustment based on service demand and program evaluation.
The existing Interfaith Community Services outreach team, which currently partners with the HOT model, will be supervised by the Homeless Services Manager to ensure a more coordinated, citywide approach to outreach. This alignment allows for more effective utilization of licensed and pre-licensed social workers to provide direct connections to services, case management, and housing opportunities tailored to client needs. Additionally, co-location with the Crime Suppression Team will enhance coordination with law enforcement when necessary, including for safety considerations, notice postings, and access to specific areas.
The requested appropriation represents one-time startup funding to support initial implementation during Fiscal Year 2025-2026. The Human Resources Department conducted a comprehensive classification and compensation analysis, resulting in the proposed job descriptions and salary ranges needed to recruit qualified candidates.
The HEART team will consist of three new provisional positions: one Homeless Outreach Coordinator, one Homeless Outreach Specialist, and one Homeless Outreach Assistant. These positions are designated as provisional, as the program is funded through Measure X, a voter-approved half-cent sales tax set to expire in April 2036.
Following are the proposed position details:
Homeless Outreach Coordinator - MECO (ADMIN151)
Responsible for leading the City’s Housing-Focused Street Outreach program through direct field engagement, coordinating outreach operations, supervising outreach staff, and ensuring program accountability, performance tracking, and reporting.
Homeless Outreach Specialist - OCEA (ADMIN150)
Responsible for conducting direct field outreach, engaging individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and connecting clients to housing pathways, services, and community resources.
Homeless Outreach Assistant - OCEA (ADMIN149)
Responsible for supporting outreach operations, assisting with client engagement and resource coordination, and providing administrative and logistical support to the HEART Team.
Additionally, the HEART program will introduce a Homeless Help & Prevention Line (HHL), providing residents and individuals experiencing homelessness with a direct access point to outreach services, diversion assistance, and resource navigation. This centralized access point will improve accessibility, support early intervention, and provide the community with a clear pathway for requesting assistance.
The HEART team will incorporate measurable performance indicators to evaluate effectiveness, including housing placements, service referrals, coordinated entry connections, and housing stabilization outcomes. These metrics will support transparency, guide continuous improvement, and ensure alignment with the City’s goal of increasing pathways to housing stability.
Implementation will occur in phases to ensure responsible program development and fiscal oversight. Phase I will focus on program design, classification placement, recruitment, onboarding, training, and operational infrastructure during Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
Through this phased approach, Oceanside is positioned to implement a coordinated, accountable, and data-driven outreach model that strengthens the City’s homelessness response system while improving service coordination and advancing pathways to housing stability.
FISCAL IMPACT
Phase I startup costs in an amount not to exceed $200,000 require City Council appropriation from available Measure X reserves for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. These funds will support partial-year personnel costs, recruitment, onboarding, training, equipment, program setup, and operational readiness for the Homeless Evaluation, Assistance & Resource Team (HEART) through June 30, 2026.
No General Fund impact is anticipated, as the program will be funded through Measure X reserves.
|
Description |
FY 25-26 Requested Appropriation |
Account Number |
|
Personnel |
|
3 new positions (provisional) |
$33,937 21,423 |
150153103.5105 150153103.5207 |
|
Maintenance & Operations |
|
Reports & Studies |
5,000 |
150153103.5326 |
|
Machinery & Equipment < $10K |
20,000 |
150153103.5330 |
|
Travel & Conference |
6,000 |
150153103.5345 |
|
Training - Registration Fees |
5,000 |
150153103.5350 |
|
Materials, Supplies & Services |
25,000 |
150153103.5355 |
|
M&S - Software |
8,000 |
150153103.5355.0009 |
|
Uniform |
6,000 |
150153103.5380 |
|
Telephone |
9,000 |
150153103.5385 |
|
Housing |
30,000 |
150153103.5395 |
|
Administration Fees |
30,640 |
150153103.5405 |
|
TOTAL |
$200,000 |
|
Following is the detailed estimated fully loaded cost for the three requested positions. For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, $400,000 in Measure X funds is proposed to support the fully loaded cost of all three HEART positions, estimated at $342,285, as well as $57,715 for Maintenance and Operations costs necessary to operate the program. Future costs will be programmed during the normal budget process.
|
Positions |
FY 25-26 (2 Months, Step A) |
FY 26-27 |
|
1 Homeless Outreach Coordinator |
$22,380 |
$137,927 |
|
1 Homeless Outreach Specialist |
18,216 |
112,940 |
|
1 Homeless Outreach Assistant |
14,764 |
91,418 |
|
Personnel Total |
$55,360 |
$342,285 |
|
Maintenance and Operations |
144,640 |
57,715 |
|
Total Budget/Cost |
$200,000 |
$400,000 |
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee recommended City Council appropriate funds from Measure X to start the HEART program
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
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Prepared by: Tameka Tates, Homeless Service Manager
Reviewed by: Michael Gossman, Assistant City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Job Descriptions