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Oceanside council approves HART outreach team, funding and one coordinator
Summary
The City Council authorized creation of a Homeless Evaluation Assistance and Response Team (HART), approved a $200,000 Measure X appropriation for startup and operations, and authorized one Homeless Outreach Coordinator position; council debated whether frontline outreach workers should be city staff or contracted before passing the measure 5-0.
Mayor Sanchez and staff on May 20 presented the Homeless Evaluation Assistance and Response Team, or HART, as a city-led, multidisciplinary outreach model intended to shift Oceanside from a primarily law-enforcement-led approach to a case-management, civilian-led structure.
Tamika Tates, the city's homeless services manager, told the council HART is designed to provide proactive outreach, stabilization, service navigation and behavioral health connections while maintaining operational collaboration with the Oceanside Police Department. Staff requested appropriation of $200,000 from Measure X reserves for startup and operational costs and asked the council to authorize one Homeless Outreach Coordinator position to oversee day-to-day operations and contracted outreach staff.
During public comment, speakers offered mixed views. Jimmy Knott and Ed Fitzpatrick urged the council to bolster prevention and medical services and to prioritize seniors and other at-risk groups. Supporters including Rachel White and Michael Aplikowski said shifting to social-work-centered outreach would build the trust needed to connect people with housing and services.
Deputy Mayor Joyce, who moved approval, emphasized prevention funding in the plan and the goal of freeing police to focus on traditional public-safety roles. Chief Torino Valdivinos, who has overseen the prior HOT team, said an in-house staffing model would be ideal but acknowledged budget and staffing constraints; he called the move away from a police-led model "the right direction." Joyce said HART will start with a coordinator and contracted outreach staff, with staff returning in October 2026 with performance metrics and initial outcomes.
Councilmember Figueroa proposed an amendment to hire three in-house outreach workers rather than rely on contractors, citing concerns about consistency and staff turnover. The amendment failed. The council ultimately adopted staff's recommendation to implement HART, appropriate $200,000 in Measure X funds, and establish one Homeless Outreach Coordinator position. The motion carried 5-0.
The city will begin recruitment for the coordinator if the council's action stands; staff said an implementation plan and initial outcome report will return to the council in October 2026.
