Interfaith Community Services holds a meeting every year with volunteers, donors and community members to talk about what’s working and what's needed to help those who are unhoused.
Like every year, Wednesday’s discussion featured faith and a focus on the ongoing problems and solutions regarding homelessness in North County.
“At its simplest level the increase in homelessness is the result of housing unaffordability,” said Greg Anglea, the organization's CEO.
This year, the homeless service provider also invited North County officials to take part in the discussion inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Escondido.
“The Escondido mayor joined us and shared the need to create more beds for people overcoming addiction issues. So we are working in partnership with the city of Escondido and County of San Diego to create additional detox beds,” Anglea said.
Also in attendance for the first time were elected officials from Carlsbad, San Marcos and Oceanside.
That included San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones. Her city is providing rental assistance and case management to those on the brink of losing their housing.
“In San Marcos we have been very intentional about our affordable housing. We have about 10% of our housing stock, 3,300 units, that are deed restricted affordable. So that's how we have actually really helped people not get into homelessness,” she said.
Oceanside City Councilmember Eric Joyce says homelessness doesn't know borders, and North County cities must work together.
“If we want to really put a dent in homelessness, if we really want to solve the problems instead of moving people along city to city, then we have to get on the same page and invest in the solutions that work — which is actual housing first model, fully invested with a continuum of care that meets people where they're at,” he said.
For 30 months now the Regional Task Force on Homelessness has counted more people becoming unhoused for the first time compared to those who are being rehoused in San Diego county.
“Homelessness today is very different than it was five years ago. A lot of folks are really on the cusp of homelessness,” Jones said. “Sometimes it's just a month or two of rent that can help them when they are facing a loss of job or something like that.”
Both the North County Coastal and North County Inland regions also saw an increase in homeless individuals over the past year according to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count.
“People want to get off the street and they want help with addiction. But they have nowhere to go. If they don't have anywhere to go, what are we doing expecting the outcomes to change,” Joyce said.
