VISTA — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to extend funding for the Buena Creek Navigation Center, a 48-bed homeless shelter, through Dec. 31, 2027.
The current funding and operating agreement expire at the end of this year. The nonprofit Retread Housing Services operates the facility under contract and has run the center since it opened in March 2024.
According to a staff report, the center has served 587 clients since opening, with 57% moving to what the report described as a “positive outcome,” including permanent housing or other temporary accommodations.
In making a motion to fund the center through 2027, Councilmember Katie Melendez said, “I’m incredibly impressed by the success of this program. … What has been delivered by Retread far surpasses what we’ve seen from other programs. … I think we have a win here and I want to see the continuance of this program.”
The council directed staff to draw the roughly $2.34 million needed to fund the program from an existing capital account established to purchase a permanent shelter site.
“I would love to see that money that we set aside for a permanent building, I would love to see it used for that purpose. I hate to cannibalize any of it for operations, but it’s available for this purpose,” Mayor John Franklin said.
Franklin said he hoped a state grant being sought for the city by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear would reduce the amount needed from the capital fund to operate the shelter in 2027. He also suggested that city staff seek charitable donations from foundations and individuals to help cover the costs.
A memorandum of understanding with the city of Encinitas, which has shared costs with Vista for the past three years, also expires Dec. 31, leaving Vista to cover the full cost moving forward.
Under the agreement, three-quarters of the center’s beds have been reserved for Vista, with the remainder dedicated to Encinitas. If the agreement expires Dec. 31, all 48 beds would be dedicated to Vista.
Melendez noted that the Buena Creek Navigation Center is on leased land and reminded her council colleagues that they still must determine “what is the future home for Vista homeless services.”
Deputy Mayor Dan O’Donnell said the city must find an alternative site, which has proved challenging.
“I wish we could have a city-owned site so we could do this thing even better.”
Of the $2.34 million projected cost for 2027, $528,000 would pay for the lease, with operations accounting for the remainder.
