Vista staff recommend San Diego Rescue Mission for ERF3 outreach, navigation and stabilization contract

City of Vista staff recommended the City Council approve a contract with San Diego Rescue Mission to deliver outreach, housing navigation and housing stabilization services under the Encampment Resolution Funding Round 3 (ERF3) award the city accepted from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

The recommendation followed staff briefing that the city applied for ERF3 on June 30, 2024; the county-administered award was published on Dec. 23, 2024, and the city accepted the funds on Feb. 26, 2025. Staff said the application included $2.6 million for outreach, navigation and stability services and that the specific contract the committee reviewed is budgeted at $2.3 million for the provider’s Vista operations.

That contract as described to the committee runs through June 30, 2026, with an option for up to a 12-month extension. Staff outlined the contract staffing: an increase of six outreach workers (one licensed clinical social worker among them), a housing navigator, housing stabilizers, a data specialist and a coordinator to lead encampment engagement. Staff said the year-one budget for the Vista contract includes $110,000 for operations, $1,900,000 for staff costs, $100,000 for flexible spending, $10,000 for family reunification and $215,000 in administration, for a total of $2,300,000.

Daniel Schacht, North County director of outreach for San Diego Rescue Mission, told the committee the provider will use a multidisciplinary outreach team, maintain a by-name list of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Vista, coordinate case conferencing with Vista Sheriff’s and Fire departments and add clinical capacity to work with higher-acuity people. “The housing stabilizer position is really gonna be the bread and butter,” Schacht said, describing weekly in-home case management and home visits intended to prevent returns to homelessness.

Committee members emphasized data and accountability. Mayor (name not specified) said staff and partners must provide regular, comparable metrics and warned the city will “vigorously oppose partnerships in the future with organizations that are not committed to data science.” The mayor asked for a staff roster showing each position, employer and funding source and asked for monthly reporting on inflows, outflows and where people exit (family reunification, permanent housing, shelter, etc.).

Staff framed the contract as a service-delivery agreement backed by ERF3 grant funds; the item before the committee was a recommendation to forward approval to the City Council. The transcript records committee discussion and a formal recommendation to council but does not record a Council vote on the contract during this meeting.