VISTA — Hundreds of Vista families facing the possibility of homelessness will be able to access a new pool of $1.4 million in rental assistance funds over the next few years.
The Vista City Council on Aug. 8 allocated $1.4 million in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the implementation of an ongoing rental assistance program that will assist qualifying families with the payment of rent or mortgage, utilities and delinquent property taxes and providing counseling and legal aid to prevent eviction.
Funds will be available for households making 65% or less of the area median income, or AMI. Each family can receive up to $10,000, according to the city.
The initiative will build on the success of the city’s Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program, operated by North County Lifeline. The pilot program has provided over $330,000 in rental assistance to 96 Vista families since 2020, using Community Development Block Grant and state funds.
Councilmember Joe Green said he is hopeful that with the boost from ARPA funds, this program can help four times as many families in need throughout Vista.
“To be able to allocate those funds to help that many people is amazing,” Green said. “A lot of these people have never struggled financially like they’re struggling right now. With inflation and COVID and the economy, there’s just so much going on right now.”
Experts say more residents are facing dire financial circumstances than ever before, with the Regional Task Force on Homelessness reporting an 18% increase in first-time homelessness between 2020 and 2022.
Ongoing economic inflation and residual COVID-19 impacts have contributed to an untenable situation for many families, as they struggle to afford groceries, gas, childcare and other costs in addition to sky-high rental prices.
“Rents are high and they’re getting higher,” said Kendene Thomas, a housing navigator with Exodus Recovery Inc. in Vista. “All of the families that we are working with are employed full time but still cannot afford to get into an apartment without assistance. Most apartments are asking renters to at least make three times the amount of the rent.”
Exodus is one of the local partners that issued rental assistance funds as part of the city’s pilot program. Blanca Huaracha, an Exodus client, said the program helped her move her family out of the car they were calling home and into a stable housing situation.
“I couldn’t afford to live anymore. My kids and I went into a deep depression,” said Huaracha, a single mother of four. “Exodus helped me not to give up on my kids and myself. I’m thankful for them because I have a home now … they basically gave me my life back.”
The program will also support the goals of Vista’s larger Homeless Strategic Plan, Vista Housing Program Assistant Jonathan Lung said. Earlier this year, the city also approved opening a safe parking lot for residents living in their vehicles, set to open this month.
Following the council’s approval, the city will now identify a provider to run the program itself. This provider will handle all applications and issue payments directly to participants’ landlords and utility companies.
Along with income requirements, participants must show that they experienced a significant reduction in household income or qualified for unemployment benefits, incurred financial hardships due directly or indirectly to COVID-19, and are at risk of becoming homeless.
In the future, City Council members said they also want the city to build up long-term funding to continue supporting the rental assistance program beyond the life of the ARPA allocation, which must be used by the end of 2026.
Councilmember Corinna Contreras recommended setting aside $150,000 annually.
“I want this fund to be something that lasts until we have zero homelessness. I think it is appropriate and important and responsible and responsive to continue to fund this program even though we have ARPA funds that are gonna help us out,” Contreras said.
While the ARPA funds must be used for those making 65% AMI or less, the city can expand assistance to other income levels when they use their own funds. People making as much as 120% AMI, Contreras pointed out, are still living paycheck to paycheck.
“I want to make sure we can capture as many folks as we can,” she said.
Lung said the city would identify available general fund sources to go toward the program and bring back a report for the council.
