ENCINITAS — The city plans to end its shelter partnership with Vista and secure up to 12 dedicated beds through the San Diego Rescue Mission, a shift local officials say would cut costs while giving people experiencing homelessness access to a broader range of services.
In a unanimous vote Sept. 16, the City Council authorized an extension of its agreement with Vista to continue services at the Buena Creek Navigation Center through Dec. 31 and directed staff to pursue dedicated beds at the Rescue Mission’s South County Lighthouse in National City.
The city would also continue using the county’s regional shelter network.
Staff members are expected to return Oct. 14 with an amendment to the city’s existing Rescue Mission contract to formalize the arrangement.
Mayor Bruce Ehlers said that even if the costs were equivalent, “I’d go with San Diego Rescue Mission.”
“But the cost is lower, too, so it’s even better,” Ehlers said. “Buena Creek Navigation Center served its purpose, I think we’re moving up with this.”
The proposed Rescue Mission beds would cost $87 per occupied bed per night, with an annual maximum of $381,060 if all 12 beds were occupied every night. Encinitas would retain exclusive access to the beds but would not pay for nights they remained empty, according to a staff report.
Continuing the Buena Creek partnership would cost Encinitas an estimated $715,000 annually, up from $488,758 in fiscal year 2025-26. The projected increase would raise the average nightly cost per bed from $112 to $163.
The projected Buena Creek expenses include $132,000 for the lease, $575,000 for shelter operator Retread Inc. and $8,000 for utilities. According to the report, the higher operating costs would support an additional housing navigator, housing assistance, a vehicle, insurance, move-in support and other program improvements.
Buena Creek will remain open after the Vista City Council voted unanimously Aug. 25 to fund the shelter through Dec. 31, 2027, with plans to assume responsibility for all 48 beds, including the 12 currently reserved for Encinitas.
City Attorney Ajit Thind determined the city could retain its beds under the existing contracts if the council approved funding, but staff said continued shared operations would require coordination with Vista.
The city approved the original partnership in September 2023, agreeing to pay one-quarter of the shelter’s costs in exchange for exclusive use of one-quarter of its beds. Retread Inc. was selected as the operator in January 2024, and the shelter opened March 4, 2024.
The adults-only, low-barrier shelter provides interim housing and services to help residents move into permanent housing. According to the report, it served 158 distinct Encinitas clients through June 2026, with 50 moving into permanent housing and 20 into temporary housing. Another 76 either returned to homelessness or could not be interviewed about their destinations.
The Rescue Mission already provides Encinitas with two full-time outreach specialists and a full-time housing navigator under an agreement approved in November 2025. Adding dedicated shelter beds would expand that partnership.
In written comments submitted before the meeting, Encinitas attorney and progressive political activist Bob Ayers urged the city to prioritize North County placements and use the Rescue Mission’s outreach and case management services to help people find housing closer to home.
“City policy should align with proven Functional Zero frameworks (like Redondo Beach’s) by demanding shelter solutions that keep North County residents local, rather than exporting them 30 miles away,” Ayers wrote.
Encintias resident Jim Stiven also urged the council to retain the Buena Creek partnership, citing concerns about distance and the Rescue Mission’s standard 30-day shelter stay. He noted that potential grant funding could help offset costs at either facility.
“While I understand that the SDRM option is less costly, there are at least three reasons that extending the BCNC deal is the best option,” Stiven wrote. “First, the Rescue Mission facility is in South Bay — a much more distant and unfamiliar venue than Buena Creek Navigation Center — located in our North County neighbor.”
Paul Armstrong, the Rescue Mission’s chief of staff, told the council that services are tailored to individual needs and that the shelter’s 30-day stays can be extended depending on the circumstances.
“We do look for any shelter placement that’s going to be right for that individual,” Armstrong said. “What we say is it’s a heart issue and so we address the issues of the heart and so yeah, we’re building a relationship with the person that we’re working with and we’re helping them figure out a path forward.”
Councilmember Joy Lyndes said she appreciated that individualized approach and the organization’s status as a certified CalAIM provider.
According to the report, that certification allows the Rescue Mission to connect eligible clients with medical care, behavioral health services, care management and housing support through the state’s Medi-Cal initiative, at no additional cost to the city.
Lyndes also said placing people in National City could separate them from their support networks. The staff report places South County Lighthouse about 30 miles from Encinitas City Hall, compared with about 20 miles for Buena Creek.
Armstrong said the Rescue Mission is “actively looking” for a North County building to provide shelter closer to Encinitas.
“We will have a North County lighthouse,” he said.
According to the report, Encinitas’ dedicated beds would transfer to the North County shelter once it opens.
Ehlers offered to write a letter of support if needed to help secure a closer facility.
“If there’s something we can do to help you, let us know,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara also voiced support for the Rescue Mission and its reported outcomes.
Between Nov. 24, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the organization recorded 101 placements through its Encinitas services, including 15 in permanent housing and 86 in temporary or transitional settings. The report notes that those totals include repeat placements and lists three returns to homelessness.
Those figures cover a shorter period than the Buena Creek totals and measure the Rescue Mission’s broader placement efforts rather than outcomes at a single shelter.
“It’s clearly working and to me it doesn’t matter if it’s 30 miles away or 20 miles away,” O’Hara said. “It’s about getting the best for these people that we can do and and clearly it’s working.”
Councilmember Marco San Antonio said he appreciated that the Rescue Mission’s programs serve “not just adults.”
“I love that you’re able to accept families and children,” San Antonio said. “For me, that’s a win.”
The report identifies the organization’s Mission Academy, a separate, yearlong residential rehabilitation program, as an option for families with children. The program has expanded its capacity to 228 people.
Staff also identified potential state funding to help cover the dedicated shelter beds. Encinitas is eligible for an estimated $684,575 over five years through the Permanent Local Housing Allocation program, including $226,857 initially available upon approval of the application. Applying that initial amount to the proposed shelter arrangement would leave up to $154,203 for the city’s general fund to cover.
City Manager Jennifer Campbell thanked Vista for the “new and innovative” partnership and said a tour of South County Lighthouse with Armstrong left her optimistic about expanding the Rescue Mission agreement.
“Very impressed to see the facility, very exciting,” said Campbell, adding that the food being prepared smelled good. “It’s nice to be able to actually visit to know where we’re going to be sending our folks, and it was clean and looked great.”
Campbell said staff would bring the proposed contract amendment to the council Oct. 14 for approval.
