Expand the items below for more details.
The Anita and Stan Maag Food and Nutrition Center – The Food and Nutrition Center (FNC) provides a variety of fresh produce, pantry staples, ready-to-eat foods, frozen items, and basic needs support to help students stay healthy and successful in school. Students must be enrolled in at least one class to access services.
CalFresh – CalFresh, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) throughout the United States, is a program that provides low income households with monthly benefits to buy food.
211 San Diego – a San Diego County resource and information hub that connects community members with housing, food, utility, health and other resources.
SD Food Bank– The food Bank and their network of community partners have a food locator map to find a food distribution site near you.
Feeding San Diego- offers food assistance at sites throughout San Diego County. The Find Food Map below allows you to search for free food distributions near you by entering your zip code.
Comet’s Closet – Comet’s Closet is a free clothing program that provides students with up to 2 full outfits (or 8 items) per semester. This service is available to all active Palomar students enrolled in at least 1 course. At the San Marcos campus, students may request an appointment or do a walk-in by checking in with the cashier at the Food & Nutrition Center (SU-40). [Booking Link]
Comet’s Closet at the Rancho Bernardo Education Center is open to students on the first and third floors. No appointment is required. Students can follow the posted signs on either floor to select free clothing.
Safe Parking
Dreams for Change – provide safe and secure overnight parking.
Jewish Family Services Safe Parking Program – provide safe and secure overnight parking.
Transitional Age Youth Housing and Shelters
Casa de Amparo (San Marcos) – provides housing and comprehensive support for emancipated or current foster youth who are pregnant and/or parenting, ensuring their basic needs are met. Services include trauma-informed case management, access to medical and mental healthcare, employment and education connections, independent living skills training, and monthly grocery and transportation support.
Compact T.H.R.I.V.E. – This program supports youth ages 14–24 experiencing housing insecurity in North San Diego County. Youth receive referrals and services to help meet basic needs and work toward reunification, shelter, or stable housing. Based on eligibility, assistance may include move-in costs, vehicle repairs, utility deposits, work-related supplies, and short-term hotel stays as a bridge to permanent housing.
Doors of Change – supports transitional aged youth (17-24) get immediate access to safe housing, basic living supplies and healthcare.
San Diego Youth Services – Provides overnight shelter and day centers for homeless youth (including pregnant teens on a case-by-case basis) and runaways (aged 12-17). Services include family reunification, information and referral, counseling, case management, independent living and social skills development, job development, food, and clothing.
Unicorn Homes – provides crisis and transitional housing to LGBTQ youth (14-29). Also provides paths to mental health resources, job readiness, life coaching, and independent living skills.
Urban Street Angels (Vista) – Support youth (ages 18-25) by providing stable housing, peer support, mentorship, mental health counseling, and job training initiatives.
YMCA – Tay Academy (Escondido and Oceanside) – supports youth between the ages of 12-25, provides immediate practical aid, including snacks, hygiene kits, clothing, and other necessities, while also arranging transportation to shelters and connecting youth to additional supportive services.
Domestic Violence Shelters
Carol’s House – Offer rapid re-housing services for domestic violence survivors leaving abusive relationships.
Center for Community Solutions (San Diego) – two emergency shelters and two long-term shelter programs located in San Diego County at confidential locations, supporting adults and children violence survivors. Includes wrap around services.
Olive Crest / Safe Families For Children: Support for parents in crisis, giving them time to get back on their feet while their children (ages 0-18, including parenting teens) are cared for in a safe and loving environment. San Diego – 619.291.9347
One Safe Place (San Marcos) – provides free, comprehensive wrap-around services that encourages people to move forwards with their lives. This includes safe housing assistance, trauma treatment, children’s advocacy, pet assistance, and other legal aid assistance.
Emergency Shelters
Alpha Project – Alpha Project offers three Emergency Shelters for Adults, whichprovide shelter for 510 individuals as well as case management and support services to prepare clients for permanent housing using the Housing First Model.
Interfaith Community Services (Oceanside) – The Oceanside Navigation Center is a 75-bed, low-barrier shelter for Oceanside residents experiencing homelessness, offering stays of up to 90 days. Operating 24/7, the program uses a Housing First, trauma-informed approach to quickly stabilize participants and support towards securing permanent housing. For inquiries call: 442-351-1452
San Diego Rescue Mission – 30-day emergency housing shelter South County Lighthouse, National City. Men, women, and families. Up to 2 pets allowed. Call (619)819-1842
Rachel’s Night Shelter (San Diego) – Emergency shelter for women who are unhoused in San Diego. (619) 696-0873
Short-Term Housing
Interfaith Community Services (Escondido) – Interfaith offers temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness – with or without a housing intervention already in place. This program serves to assist in their transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Our Temporary Housing is in Escondido. Availability: (760) 489-6380.
La Posada (Carlsbad) – provide 24/7 short and long-term housing for men. Other services include food, clothing, hygiene products, and employment support.
Operation Hope in Vista – Provides temporary shelter for families with children and single women through a 90-day program.
Long-Term Housing
Community Resource Center (Carlsbad) – CRC provides case management to Carlsbad individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and living with a disability. This program combines affordable, long-term housing with intensive wrap-around case management to help people regain independence and improve their quality of life. Referrals for this program come directly from the Coordinated Entry System facilitated by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
House of Rachel / Casa Maria (San Diego) – Independent living for unhoused women. Tenant-based affordable shared housing for homeless women with no age limit. 619 696-8613
Interfaith Community Services (North County) – Permanent housing units and programs provide safe and affordable housing for homeless community members as well as families with a disabled adult.
La Posada (Carlsbad) – provide 24/7 short and long-term housing for men. Other services include food, clothing, hygiene products, and employment support.
Family Shelters
Alpha Project – The program offers 42 units for families with children experiencing homelessness and provides safe housing and supportive services needed to prepare for longer-term or permanent housing, as well as successfully promoting self-sufficiency, wellness, and recovery.
Interfaith Community Services (North County) – The Family Shelter program is a short-term shelter program serving traditional and non-traditional families. This program provides a safe, stable environment for families seeking permanent housing. Availability: (760) 803-0877 or familyshelterinquiry@interfaithservices.org.
Operation Hope in Vista – Provides temporary shelter for families with children and single women through a 90-day program.
Community Shelters
Alpha Project – Casa Raphael (Vista) – a certified residential treatment program for men in recovery from substance abuse. Provides housing, food, recovery workshops, case management, mental health counseling, access to healthcare, work, financial assistance, and other support services.
Interfaith Community Services – (Escondido, Carlsbad & Oceanside) bridge program members between emergency shelter to long-term housing. Emergency housing provided at the Escondido location through Haven House (760)644-4644 | Interfaith Veteran Service Center – (760)529-9979
Operation Hope in Vista – Provides temporary shelter for families with children and single women through a 90-day program.
Rachel’s Women’s Center (San Diego) – Drop-in day center for women who are unhoused or very low income. Hours of operation are 7:00 am- 5:00 pm. (619) 696-0873
San Diego Rescue Mission (San Diego) – provides emergency shelter and residential rehab & recovery programs for men, women, and single parents (up to 3 kids). Sober living facility. Call (619)8191742
Room Finders
* These are hosted by a third party. Please make sure to read the terms & conditions and thoroughly check a listing for accuracy, and ensure the apartment is truly available, and the landlord has been verified. Use caution when sending large deposits through Zelle, Venmo, etc., that cannot be refunded if fraud exists.
Apartments – General apartment finder
Cirtru – Find houses and rooms for rent
CSUSM Off-Campus Housing 101 – find quality housing within a commutable distance from campus
211 San Diego – a San Diego County resource and information hub that connects community members with housing, food, utility, health and other resources.
Brother Benno’s – Brother Benno’s serves North County San Diego neighbors by providing meals, basic needs, community outreach and addiction recovery services.
CalWORKS Housing Support Program [HSP_FLYER] –
Community Resource Center (Carlsbad) – “Our mission is to help our neighbors create paths to healthy food, stable homes and safe relationships. We do this through a variety of programs including emergency assistance, domestic violence emergency shelters, counseling, housing stability and access to food.
Project T.O.U.C.H (Menifee) – provide comprehensive case management, employment assistance, transportation, food, clothing, medical assistance and more.
Rachel’s Women’s Center (San Diego) – drop-in day center that provides food, clothing, hygiene facilities, behavior health support and more.
Rachel’s Promise (San Diego) – To provide a safe, supportive environment and opportunities for women with few or no resources to gather, begin, and continue self-help efforts. (619) 473-2400
Solutions for Change (Vista) – addresses root causes of poverty and dependency, and equips families with the skills, knowledge and resources to permanently solve their challenges and transform their life. Blends affordable housing, education, employment training, career pathways and personal development within one cohesive program.
Urban Street Angels (Vista) – Support youth (ages 18-25) by providing stable housing, peer support, mentorship, mental health counseling, and job training initiatives.
Wesley House (San Diego) – provides affordable supportive housing for college students that include wraparound services to support academic excellence.
Basic Needs Gas Cards – Students can email basicneeds@palomar.edu to inquire about receiving a gas card. Resources are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Students may not receive more than three gas cards per semester, including those that are given by other departments.
Brother Benno’s – Brother Benno staff can assist with getting Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit System (NCTS) passes for: Citizens 65+, Medicare recipients (not MediCal), people with disabilities who qualify for a reduced fare under federal and state law, youth ages 6-18 (school ID, transit identification, or government-issued photo ID required), under the Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program.
Flex On-Demand – part of the North County Transit District, provides low-cost transportation within a fixed route. [Fact Sheet]
United Way – partners with 211 to provide individuals with transportation assistance to access food, employment, education, housing, etc.
Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP) – Youth riders: Get ready to ride! FREE public transportation in San Diego County is now available to anyone age 18 and under with a Youth PRONTO app account or Youth PRONTO card.
Palomar College Wellness Center – Students referred by Palomar’s Basic Needs may use the showers located in the Wellness Center (WFC-1). Students should let Wellness Center staff know they are from Basic Needs. Hygiene kits can be picked up from the Food & Nutrition Center (SU-40) Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Brother Benno’s – The showers offered are limited and are provided on a first-come-first-served basis. The showers are ADA accessible; chairs in the showers are available for use by guests.
Humanity Showers – “[W]e aim to provide a safe and welcoming space where individuals experiencing homelessness can access essential hygiene resources and other necessities. This may include access to hot showers, clean towels, toiletries, clean clothes, and food and water.”
Palomar College Early Childhood Education Lab School (ECELS) – enroll children ages 12 months to 5 years old. Accepts alternative funding such as YMCA, CDA, etc. Includes a reduced or tuition-free* California State Preschool Program (CSPP) for children ages 2.9-5. *Families must qualify for services based on income and/or need eligibility.
Child Care San Diego – Child Care San Diego is a centralized hub designed to make it easier for families to find and enroll in childcare programs across San Diego County.
Cox Low-Cost Internet Plans – Low-cost internet plans for those on a tight budget looking for fast and reliable internet. Starting as low as $9.95 per month
Palomar College Foundation Emergency Grant – Students can contact Basic Needs staff to notify them that they need technology/lap top assistance. Emergency grants are reviewed and approved by the Palomar College Foundation, and a staff member may only apply on a student’s behalf. Approval is not guaranteed.
SD Access 4 All (City of San Diego) – Provides hotspots to be checked out from libraries for home use. Mobile hotspots are easy to use and allow users to connect their laptop, tablet and other Wi-Fi enabled devices to the internet. The device converts cellular signals into Wi-Fi to provide internet access for email, web browsing and other data transfers.
Spectrum Student Internet and Wifi – Choose from affordable Fiber-Powered Internet plans that keep you connected. Starting as low as $30/month
Showers of Blessings – Provide weekly showers, clean clothing, laundry cards, haircuts, and a hot sit-down breakfast. We also offer mail services, computer access, mobile medical and dental services courtesy of TrueCare, and connections to crucial resources for detox, mental health support, and housing.
2-1-1 – can see if you qualify for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) discount programs and connect you with other resources to help you with energy bills and make your household’s energy use more efficient. Call 2-1-1 to get started!
Alpha Project – Alpha Project’s Rapid Re-Housing Program provides rental assistance and security deposits as well as landlord advocacy, assistance with finding affordable housing and case management assistance to families and/or individuals who are homeless with the goal of moving them into permanent housing.
Brother Benno’s – Subject to available funds, Brother Benno’s offers limited emergency rental assistance to extremely low-income residents at risk of eviction and offers limited emergency utility assistance to extremely low-income residents at utility shutoff.
Community Resource Center (Carlsbad) – CRC’s Carlsbad Prevention program can provide limited rental and utility arrear assistance to Carlsbad residents in need. Households must be determined income eligible, 80% AMI or less. At this time, we are pausing taking new applications online, but you may contact us for more information. (760) 300-3238