North County's homeless shelters brought a bit of Christmas cheer to the region's homeless, but directors of the seasonal programs with limited budgets say they worry what will happen after the holidays.

"If this economy keeps turning down, what are we going to do if we have more and more people with no place to go?" asked the Rev. Steve Bassett, who runs the Bread of Life Rescue Mission in Oceanside.

With less funding at a time of greater need, "this is going to be ugly next year, and we're gearing up for it," said Laurin Pause, executive director of the Community Resource Center in Encinitas.

Bassett and Pause oversee two of six winter shelter systems that are open through March and are part of North County's fledgling Alliance for Regional Solutions.

"All our shelters have been operating at about a zero occupancy rate," said Mel Takahara, the alliance's administrator based at Escondido's Salvation Army offices.

Shelter operators said they hope the alliance and strong community support will yield some new ways to serve the region's homeless in the worsening economy.

"Everybody has to pitch in," Bassett said.

The two-year-old alliance is a partnership among nine North County cities and several nonprofit organizations to create a more cohesive approach to managing the shelters.

"There's been a true transformation of the response to the plight of the homeless," Takahara said. "In 2006, Escondido didn't even have a shelter."

"It's been remarkable. Last winter, every provider agency experienced a level of stability, a level of efficiency, they had not experienced before," Takahara said. "This is the right direction."

Alliance members are Escondido's Salvation Army and Interfaith Shelter Network North Inland facilities, Oceanside's Bread of Life Mission, Operation Hope in Vista, La Posada in Carlsbad and Encinitas-based Interfaith Shelter Network North Coastal.

The Interfaith shelters change locations every two weeks, usually at local church facilities.

Suzanne Pohlman, executive director of Escondido-based Interfaith Community Services, said the regional system allows directors to "shelter jump" when a homeless person approaches a facility that is full.

"We needed to come together," Pohlman said.

Takahara said no one has been turned away from the 239-bed system this month.

The system serves only North County residents, he added, and operates independent of the city of San Diego's 225-bed winter shelter.

"These are our neighbors," he said.

Each shelter provides food, clothing and other basic needs, as well as counseling and job search help.

Some shelters, such as Operation Hope, offer private rooms for families.

"It's a much different population than we saw last year," Operation Hope Director Russell Blackwood said of the 11 families and eight women housed in his facility.

"Two-thirds of them are here because of the economy," he said. "The rest are due to substance abuse or bad choices."

Bassett said he is seeing more returning clients who had found housing, but were unable to keep paying rent in this economy.

"If the middle class is struggling, you can imagine how hard it is on the poor," Bassett said. "They have a menial job, they are barely making it, there's a glitch, and they're homeless again."

Pause, whose center operates the Interfaith coastal shelters, has watched the shelter's senior population "go from 0 to 30 percent in the last four years," she said.

"Social Security doesn't cover the cost of living," Pause said. "A senior has a choice between shelter, food or medicine."

Takahara and other shelter directors praised the efforts of North County cities, individuals and organizations for what Takahara described as "unanimous support" for the regional shelter system.

"There is a joy when people of goodwill come together and give out of love and compassion," Takahara said. "The folks in our shelters are profoundly thankful."

Pause said any contributions would make a difference now and in coming months. "Everybody has different talents," Pause said. "Get the word out that everybody can help."

For more information, visit www.regionalsolutions.net.