Esther Sanchez began her second term as mayor of Oceanside this month.
Her second term, however, was not guaranteed. For weeks after the election, the race was a toss-up, and, at one point, the tally was separated by only a few dozen votes. The final margin was just 232 ballots.
"That did surprise me," said Sanchez, who is a fixture in Oceanside politics.
Sanchez previously served for two decades on the city council.
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“I think we're really focused on people, our voters, our residents here," Sanchez said, "and now in trying to ensure that they can stay here and slow down this gentrification.”
Homelessness is a persistent obstacle in Oceanside. The city's first shelter has been open for more a year, but, Sanchez said, Oceanside has some 600 people who do not have a home. The city is in the process of hiring a new homeless coordinator and recently received an $11 million grant, in partnership with Carlsbad, to help people camping along the 78 corridor.
“I think that people are just, like, we've got to do better than this," Sanchez said. "We spent so much money — over $11 million a year — we've got to be able to do more,” Sanchez said.
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Sanchez said the council during her first term was not consistently "on the same page" about how to handle homelessness and housing. She has high hopes for the new council, as it pursues ideas that include safe parking sites, expanded voucher programs and tiny homes.
In tandem with homelessness, Sanchez is focused on housing, an issue that became a flashpoint during the campaign. She intends to continue pushing back against state housing mandates, which she said can feel too "one-size-fits all."
"If the goal is to build housing — affordable housing — for our communities, then those policies are completely off,” said Sanchez, adding she is committed to building 100% affordable housing but is wary of developer influence. “They won't even listen to the community about, 'Hey, could you make it a little more consistent with our character?' They don't care about that stuff. We do.”
