VISTA — The city of Vista, in partnership with nonprofit housing developer DignityMoves and other agency partners, is pursuing funding for a new, permanent supportive housing project for transitional-age youth exiting foster care.
The project will provide 35 units of permanent supportive housing for transitional-age youth (TAY) ages 18 to 25 and is being managed through a partnership among the city, DignityMoves, Casa de Amparo and TrueCare.
The city is in the process of acquiring properties at 952-958 Postal Way, which were recently converted from office buildings into a multiresidential development, for the $18.4 million project.
TAY coming out of foster care are at an elevated risk for homelessness, due to the lack of stable housing, employment, or a family support system, as well as other challenges such as trauma and unmet behavioral health needs.
“This project represents an urgently-needed investment in some of the region’s most vulnerable young adults, many of whom face homelessness shortly after leaving the foster care system,” Mayor John Franklin said in a letter to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
On May 19, the Board of Supervisors agreed to award $1.8 million from county reserves to help close the funding gap for the project, contingent upon the city first receiving $10.8 million in Homekey+ funding from the state Department of Housing and Community Development.
Vista, DignityMoves, and Casa de Amparo jointly applied for Homekey+ funding back in February. The program provides competitive funding to jurisdictions to acquire and develop housing serving those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Homekey+ funds are being awarded on a rolling basis.
Other funds are coming from the city of Vista and DignityMoves, which have each committed $2.2 million.
“These are kids who grew up in our system, and we owe them a real shot at adulthood,” County Supervisor Jim Desmond said. “Aging out of foster care should not be a one-way ticket to homelessness. This project gives 35 young people a roof, a caseworker, a doctor, and a path to a job, all in one place. That is how you actually break the cycle.”
In addition to housing, the project will provide wraparound services including medical and behavioral health care, case management, education and employment support, and life skills development.
Last year, the city of Vista opened a 12-bedroom transitional housing facility for homeless youth known as the VisTAY house.
