Encinitas council reviews draft 2026–31 homeless action plan; staff directed to pursue safe-parking options and stronger data reporting

Encinitas city staff on Monday presented a draft update to the city's Homeless Action Plan (HAP) for 2026'to'2031 and reported early results from a recently contracted outreach team.

Dr. Crystal Pew, the city's homeless programs coordinator, told the City Council the San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM) began outreach in late November 2025 and, between Nov. 24, 2025 and Jan. 21, 2026, "enrolled 98 individuals through street outreach and had 40 placements," a result she described as "significant progress in less than 2 months with only 1 outreach worker and 1 housing navigator." Pew said the draft update adds two goals to the prior plan: a Goal 4 focused on enforcement and public safety (including approaches for service-resistant individuals) and Goal 5 to "use data to drive accountability and results."

The presentation traced outcomes from regional partners including PATH, the Buena Creek Navigation Center (BCNC), Jewish Family Services (JFS) and SDRM, and reviewed preliminary point-in-time (PIT) count trends showing regional decreases reported between 2024 and 2025. Pew cautioned that PIT results remain subject to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness''s validation process before final release.

Public commenters and several councilmembers focused on the city's now-ended safe parking program. Teresa Beauchamp, a 38-year resident, urged the council to "restore the safe parking program" and to "contract with Dreams for Change," a provider several speakers said the city has discussed. Jim Stiven and other residents criticized the draft for omitting safe parking and asked staff to prioritize a path to bring a local option back.

City Manager Campbell said negotiations with JFS to extend the prior safe parking operation did not succeed and noted that any new contract with annual expenditures over $100,000 requires a formal procurement process. "JFS was $610,000," Campbell said; she added that another provider''Dreams for Change''has provided a lower quote "coming in at over 300." Campbell said staff would open any procurement publicly and use an evaluation panel should council direct that step.

Councilmembers repeatedly requested clearer, more frequent reporting and public-facing metrics. Councilmember Lyons asked staff to "include the restoration of the safe parking program into goal number 3" of the HAP and to return with more detail on scope, cost and data metrics. Several councilmembers supported publicly noticed outreach meetings (staff had proposed three meetings targeting business leaders, nonprofit providers and a citywide forum) and a dashboard to track by-name list outcomes and program performance.

Paul Armstrong, chief of staff for SDRM, described SDRM's internal tracking system and said the organization works to submit client records into the regional Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) when participants authorize data sharing. Armstrong said some people decline to be entered into HMIS and SDRM maintains a separate internal by-name list; staff said SDRM currently maintains the city's by-name list and shares appropriate information with city staff.

Rather than voting, the council provided direction: staff should prepare procurement options (including issuing an RFP if Council so directs), present budget implications in upcoming workshops, schedule the proposed public outreach meetings as noticed meetings, and return with clearer data and reporting proposals for council review. City Manager Campbell and staff were asked to report back with a scope and estimated costs for a safe-parking or alternative triage/navigation option and a recommended public dashboard.

The meeting concluded with council praise for staff and regional partners and a request that staff continue to refine metrics, funding options and potential program models before formal council action.

Ending: The council did not adopt any ordinance or contract during the special meeting; instead it provided direction to staff and requested follow-up information and publicly noticed outreach. The council adjourned after the discussion.