Encinitas plans public hearings to revise Homeless Action Plan

By Gary Warth
Feb. 11, 2026

ENCINITAS — A revised Homeless Action Plan in Encinitas could include a new safe parking lot or other options such as hotel vouchers, and residents will have an opportunity to weigh in during three upcoming public meetings.

The City Council received a progress report on the plan — originally adopted in February 2021 — and heard comments from several residents during a special meeting Feb. 11.

Crystal Pugh, hired in September as the city’s homeless programs coordinator, delivered the presentation. She described the Homeless Action Plan as a framework for aligning the city’s efforts with RTFH, the regional Continuum of Care, community standards and the broader regional action plan to prevent and end homelessness.

“The HAP provides clear direction and accountability for how resources are allocated, ensures a coordinated response across agencies and partners, and builds public trust through transparency and commitment,” Pugh said. “It also positions the city to qualify for state and federal funding and supports long-term, sustainable solutions rather than short-term fixes.”

While Pugh’s presentation highlighted many steps the city has taken to address homelessness, Encinitas also lost one program when its safe parking program ended Dec. 31 following a cost dispute with operator Jewish Family Service.

Several residents said the revised plan should include restoring a safe parking lot. One man told the council he has lived in his vehicle since becoming homeless in Encinitas and needs a safe, legal place to stay.

Mayor Bruce Ehlers said he is not opposed to a new safe parking lot but suggested there may be more affordable or effective alternatives.

He recalled speaking with a woman at the former safe parking lot who said she did not feel comfortable entering the Buena Creek Navigation Center because, as a single woman, she was uneasy about staying in a low-barrier shelter.

Ehlers said he understood her concern but questioned whether hotel vouchers might provide a more humane and practical solution.

“A hotel voucher would have been much more humane and beneficial,” he said. “Imagine a family or single mom with two kids. Instead of trying to do homework and sleep in a car and shower in a public facility, wouldn’t it be better to have them in a hotel?”

He also noted that hotel vouchers could be less expensive than the $600,000 annually that Jewish Family Service requested to operate the safe parking program.

The city’s original 2021 Homeless Action Plan focused on identifying the needs of people experiencing homelessness, improving the city’s response, ensuring public safety, and strengthening regional collaboration. Its goals included increasing capacity to end homelessness, reducing homelessness through a person-centered response system, and expanding temporary and permanent housing options.

Pugh outlined several initiatives tied to those goals, including expanding the Homeless Outreach Program for Empowerment (HOPE), a collaboration among Sheriff’s deputies, county social workers, and mental health professionals.

Other efforts include strengthening partnerships, expanding diversion programs, and improving the by-name list to prioritize housing resources. The city is also developing targeted strategies for vulnerable populations, including seniors and individuals considered service-resistant.

Additional goals were added last year following residents’ concerns about homeless activity and enforcement. In June, the council proposed clarifying enforcement strategies, updating ordinances, and addressing service-resistant individuals.

Pugh said those initiatives include “balancing enforcement with compassion by implementing trauma-informed training, exploring alternative response models, ensuring humane approaches to public safety, and providing public education to reduce stigma.”

Another goal aims to discourage “recruitment” from outside the area and prioritize Encinitas residents.

That objective is partly addressed through a new contract with the San Diego Rescue Mission, which began outreach services in November and created a by-name list prioritizing local residents.

Rescue Mission Chief of Staff Paul Armstrong addressed the council and challenged the term “service-resistant.”

“It’s just that we haven’t been able to connect with them yet,” he said.

Armstrong said the organization focuses on building trust over time.

“They may start with ‘No,’ but when they see us every day for 45 or 60 days, it starts to become a real possibility,” he said. “When we started in Vista, about 80% were refusing services. Within two months, we flipped that and had 85% asking for services.”

Since November, the Rescue Mission has served 98 people in Encinitas. From Nov. 24 to Jan. 21, outreach workers entered 98 individuals into the by-name list and placed 40 people into programs.

Of those placements, 5% moved into permanent housing, while others entered detox (5%), shelter (15%), the Buena Creek Navigation Center (35%), East County Transitional Living (17%), or Rescue Mission programs (23%).

Pugh also reported that in the past year, the My Encinitas app logged 279 requests, PATH enrolled 40 people and housed 22 of them, the Buena Creek Navigation Center enrolled 72 people, and the former safe parking lot served 52 people.

Point-in-time counts conducted in 2024 and 2025 show homelessness declining both countywide and locally.

The 2025 count showed a 7% reduction countywide compared to 2024. In the Encinitas area — which includes San Dieguito, Solana Beach, and Del Mar — unsheltered homelessness dropped 26%, and the overall number declined 12%.

Results from the 2026 count are expected in the coming months. Three public meetings on the revised Homeless Action Plan will be scheduled later this year.