VISTA — The Vista City Council unanimously agreed to allocate $2.58 million for the San Diego Rescue Mission to administer a rapid rehousing program for unhoused residents in the city.
San Diego Rescue Mission will administer the rapid rehousing funds through a program called Vista CAREs (Collaborative Access to Rehousing and Engagement). Funds come from Round 3 Encampment Resolution Funds allocated by the state, known as ERF3.
The city’s goal is to serve 125 people through Vista CAREs over a two-year period, but officials expect to exceed this goal, said city Homeless Services Program Manager Jonathan Lung.
“Approval of this item allows for the Vista CAREs program to operate immediately and be available for our residents experiencing homelessness for 24 months,” Lung told the City Council on Tuesday.
Vista leaders first awarded a contract to San Diego Rescue Mission to provide street outreach services in 2024. The following year, the city agreed to expand Rescue Mission’s responsibilities to include outreach, housing navigation, and stability, with funding of $2.7 million in ERF3 dollars.
Now, San Diego Rescue Mission will also administer the $2.58 million in rapid rehousing funds and provide four housing stabilizers who will provide case management to clients served by the Vista CAREs program.
Rapid rehousing funds can be used for short-term assistance to individuals exiting homelessness into housing, including costs such as security deposits, first and last month’s rent, and basic household furnishings and supplies.
Council members commended the city and San Diego Rescue Mission for providing this program.
“I think this is fantastic. This is definitely part of our strategic plan to address homelessness. We’ve been wanting to see rapid rehousing for a long time,” said Councilmember Corinna Contreras.
Clients must be referred to Vista CAREs by a case manager, and they must have a detailed assistance plan outlining how the client will gradually assume housing costs and eventually become self-sufficient.
The client must also have a tie to Vista to qualify, but they do not need to be located within the city of Vista.
Mayor John Franklin questioned why the program does not set a maximum on the amount of financial assistance provided to each client.
“It’s hard to think that there wouldn’t be a limit, just to prevent something that we didn’t anticipate,” Franklin said.
Lung said the amount of assistance provided will depend on each individual’s circumstances, but that all costs need to be justified by the case manager. Some individuals may only require funds to cover the initial move-in costs and security deposit, while others may need a 100% rental subsidy until they can get on their feet.
“One natural protection for the city is that the client needs to demonstrate that they can become self-sufficient over time. If they can’t demonstrate that, they wouldn’t be approved,” Lung said.
Shelter beds, Buena Creek Navigation Center
At the same meeting, the City Council also approved extensions and amendments to contracts related to shelter beds and the operation of the Buena Creek Navigation Center.
One of these contracts is with Interfaith Community Services, which contracts with the city of Vista on behalf of the Alliance for Regional Solutions to provide shelter beds for unhoused Vista residents.
The Alliance oversees a network of emergency shelters in North County, including Haven House in Escondido, Escondido Family Shelter, Operation Hope North County in Vista, La Posada in Carlsbad, and rotating seasonal shelters through the Interfaith Shelter Network.
As a member of the Alliance, Vista is guaranteed that up to 10 beds will be prioritized for Vista referrals at Haven House and La Posada. The city reimburses the cost of beds used by Vista residents, with shelter bed-night costs ranging from $70.31 (Interfaith Shelter Network) to $108 (Haven House).
The city extended its agreement with Interfaith to continue providing shelter beds through June 30, with the city reimbursing costs up to $150,000.
Between September 2023 and June 2025, 132 unduplicated clients from Vista stayed in shelter beds through the Alliance. These clients included 65 adults, 45 youth under 18, and 22 older adults over 60.
Lengths of stay varied significantly, with stays under 30 days being uncommon. Twenty-eight clients stayed longer than 120 days.
According to staff, there has been meaningful progress for many households who exit the shelter network. Of the 132 unduplicated Vista clients, 30 have exited to permanent housing, and 18 exited to other supportive programs such as recuperative care, substance use treatment, other shelters, or transitional housing.
In addition, 19 clients returned to homelessness, and 25 exited with an unknown outcome.
The council also renewed an agreement with Retread Inc., extending its operations at the Buena Creek Navigation Center through the end of 2026 and increasing the contract ceiling to $3.1 million.
The Buena Creek Navigation Center (BCNC) is a non-congregate, low-barrier shelter along South Santa Fe Avenue that opened in March 2024. It includes 36 beds set aside for Vista residents and 12 for Encinitas residents. Clients stay for a minimum of 30 days and receive case management services as well as connection to other services.
Between March 2024 and November 2025, the BCNC sheltered 331 Vista clients, with the average length of stay being 65 days.
According to city staff, the majority of exited clients have positive housing outcomes: 37% exit to permanent housing, such as rental housing or housing with family and friends, and 24% exit to temporary housing or transitional settings.
The BCNC is funded by a $5 million appropriation secured by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear.
