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
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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 outr...
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