County outlines hotel-based regional shelter program; Vista mayor presses for information-sharing after renewed encampments

Diana Beck, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions for the County of San Diego, told the City of Vista committee that the county's Regional Homeless Assistance Program (RHAP) began in January 2020 and uses hotels and motels to shelter people while offering case management and housing navigation.

Beck said RHAP is a scattered-site emergency shelter model designed for the county's large unincorporated geography, not a single brick-and-mortar shelter. "We are currently providing shelter for up to 250 households on any given night," she said, adding that could be about 400 individuals. She said the program has served more than 2,600 people since inception and that roughly 40% of participating households exit to permanent housing, a rate she described as higher than many comparable programs.

The program is operated under contract with a vendor identified in committee remarks as ECWIS. Beck said hotels that host program participants sign agreements with the contractor and agree to monitor on-site activity, enforce participant rules and report problems to program managers. She acknowledged problems do occur and said the…