Dignity Moves pitches Homekey Plus for 50 permanent supportive units in Vista; Lifeline raises concerns about proposed site

Dignity Moves, a nonprofit housing developer, presented a Homekey Plus proposal to the Vista City Council seeking to develop roughly 50 permanent supportive housing units in the city and to use a portion of unspent Homekey funding available in the county.

Joanne Price, cofounder and chief real estate officer of Dignity Moves, said the organization has built more than 500 units and had another 500 in development. She described multiple delivery models — modular units, parking‑lot infill and newer approaches such as 3‑D printed construction — with per‑door costs ranging from about $50,000 (parking‑lot models) to $200,000 or more for permanent units in current projects. Price said Dignity Moves was targeting a 50‑unit project on sites discussed with city staff, with a preliminary cost estimate in the $20–25 million range.

Price said Homekey Plus differs from earlier Homekey rounds by targeting permanent supportive housing, noting that $148 million was allocated to San Diego in the Homekey program and that — according to the presenter — roughly $70 million remained unspent and could be tapped for new projects. Dignity Moves proposed two city‑owned sites in discussion: 200 Michigan and the senior center (1400—site name as presented). The nonprofit identified modular vendors (Azure, LifeArc) and architects and offered to lead site identification, budgeting and grant applications in partnership with city staff.

Council members asked about unit quality, long‑term maintenance, vertical scaling and appearance. One councilmember said they were not yet convinced that modular construction was the right choice for Vista and noted concerns about long‑term durability and neighborhood fit. Dignity Moves responded that modular projects can be permanent, built to the same finishes as conventional construction, and that several California projects have been delivered on accelerated schedules.

Representatives from Lifeline, a local nonprofit with a long presence in Vista, asked to be included in any planning for city‑owned sites. Mabie Castro, chief impact officer at Lifeline, told the council Lifeline has served the city for more than 50 years and serves about 10,000 youth annually at the 200 Michigan property. Castro said Lifeline had not completed a parking‑space assessment but asked that any proposed use "enhance the services" Lifeline provides and that the organization be a co‑applicant on applications for sites that affect Lifeline property.

At the meeting, councilmembers and staff discussed next steps, including further site searches, touring modular projects, and the city preparing a resolution to allow staff to submit a Homekey Plus grant application for council consideration in August. No grant application was approved at the meeting; council members expressed interest in exploring suitable sites and asked staff to return with a formal recommendation.

Key details presented or discussed: - Developer: Dignity Moves (Joanne Price, Elizabeth Fung on screen). Delivery models included modular vendors (Azure, LifeArc) and a 3‑D‑printed pilot described in San Luis Obispo. - Target: ~50 permanent supportive units; preliminary budget estimate $20–25 million (site dependent). - Funding: Homekey Plus (state program) and other public and philanthropic funds; presenter said about $70 million of Homekey allocation for San Diego remained unspent. - Timeline: Homekey Plus requires projects come online within 24 months; presenter said modular approaches reduce construction time. - Community concerns: Lifeline asked to be included and raised potential impacts to its services at 200 Michigan; councilmembers raised questions about long‑term appearance, maintenance and site suitability.

The council did not vote on site selection or an application at the meeting. Staff were asked to continue site identification, provide more detailed cost comparisons and bring a resolution or grant‑application request back for council action if a viable site and funding plan are identified.