Escondido council approves Interfaith plan to convert shelter beds into short-term withdrawal management program

Escondido — The Escondido City Council on a 3-2 vote approved a modification to Interfaith Community Services' Conditional Use Permit to convert existing emergency shelter beds into short-term withdrawal management beds at 550 West Washington Avenue.

City staff presented the modification during a public hearing, recommending adoption of Resolution 2025-11 without changes to an existing condition (E-5) that would alter gate hours. Alex Rangel, assistant planner, told the council the conversion would not change total on-site capacity and that the project qualifies for a CEQA exemption for existing facilities (Cal. Guidelines §15301).

Council members and public commenters framed the matter as both a public-health response and a local-planning question. Interfaith representatives said the conversion is intended to expand access to medically supervised detox and to speed placement of people into longer-term treatment.

Interfaith’s representative said, “Last year, we helped more than 1,000 individuals overcome homelessness” and that the organization “has secured a $12,000,000 grant from the County of San Diego to expand our withdrawal management services.” The Interfaith representative added the change would convert 49 emergency shelter beds into withdrawal management beds while keeping the facility’s total permitted bed count at 103.

Supporters, including volunteers and faith leaders, urged council approval, saying the program would give people an immediate route into clinical care. Jen Harple Road, a local business owner, told the council the modification is “compassionate” and “fully funded.” Several speakers described family members lost to fentanyl or methamphetamine overdoses and urged the council to approve resources that increase access to treatment.

Opponents and some council members raised concerns about regional draw and residency. Sarah Fisher cited local data saying Escondido has one of the highest per-capita counts of unsheltered people in North County and said she feared the proposal could increase the city’s homeless population by admitting people from other jurisdictions. Others pressed Interfaith and staff on how the program will prioritize Escondido residents and what happens to participants who decline or fail to complete the program.

Interfaith and staff told the council that outreach would prioritize people who are physically unsheltered in Escondido and that transportation back to a person’s community of origin is offered when appropriate. Interfaith said typical stays in the withdrawal management beds would be 10 to 14 days, and that, historically, roughly 70% of people entering the intake program came directly from Escondido streets and about 70% complete the program and move into longer-term treatment.

To address council concerns, the mayor asked Interfaith to provide ongoing outcome data. Under terms discussed during the meeting, Interfaith will provide regular reporting on numbers served, the number who came from Escondido, completion rates, and where people who do not complete the program are discharged. Councilmember comments indicated a preference for more frequent reporting than the permit’s minimum annual requirement — council members suggested quarterly or monthly updates.

Planning staff said the Planning Commission had recommended approval by a 6-1 vote. Staff noted the emergency-shelter space at the site has been closed since fall 2023 for lack of funding, and that converting unused capacity into withdrawal management beds would reactivate underutilized space without increasing total on-site, permitted beds.

Mayor White framed his support as contingent on Interfaith meeting conditions the council had set in recent months. “Every single expectation that I had set forth has been met 100%,” he said before moving to approve the resolution.

The council’s approval was 3-2. The motion adopted Resolution 2025-11, allowing Interfaith to convert the 49 emergency-shelter beds into withdrawal management beds while retaining the site’s total authorized capacity. Staff will file a notice of exemption under CEQA and will return to the council with the reporting framework discussed at the meeting.

The council discussion and public testimony made clear the modification is time-sensitive: Interfaith said the county grant requires program startup within weeks and that the award was tied to an effective date in February 2024. Interfaith said it had hired additional staff and had outreach teams ready to fill beds, and that the county contract runs for five years.

What’s next: Interfaith must follow the CUP conditions and the city’s reporting timeline; staff will file the CEQA notice of exemption and return with any future requests to change gate-hour condition E-5 for separate analysis.

Votes at a glance: City Council approved Resolution 2025-11 (Interfaith CUP modification) — outcome: approved, vote: 3-2.