North County’s first shelter for homeless young adults opens in Vista

There were 298 young adults found sleeping outside in San Diego County at the start of the year. A few weeks ago, Ruben Rodriguez was on the verge of adding to that number.

Rodriguez, 21, had aged out of foster care and was staying with a friend, but he lacked a long-term bed. Then he heard about a renovated house in Vista for people like him.

“We need more programs like this,” Rodriguez said Monday at a press conference outside the three-story building. “For me, it’s kind of like home.”

Rodriguez this month became the first person to move into VisTAY House, a 12-bedroom facility for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness who are between the ages of 18 and 24. That age range is often categorized as “TAY,” for “transitional age youth,” and a number of officials believe directing more aid to that population can prevent many cases of homelessness from lasting years or decades. Plus, the 298 young adults recorded in this year’s point-in-time tally is an almost certain undercount.

The VisTAY House appears to be the only facility in North County just for that group.

“We’re gonna see the youth come through here, get into permanent housing, have a living wage and a vocation of their choosing — and never have to return to the streets again,” said Eric Lovett, founder and president of the nonprofit Urban Street Angels, which will manage the building.

Urban Street Angels already oversees similar programs in La Mesa and downtown San Diego.

The new house is striking: There are hardwood floors, gleaming countertops and windows with panoramic vistas of Vista. An air hockey table sits in a hallway. Foosball’s on the balcony. Signs on the wall detail the curfew (11 p.m.), the rules (unemployed residents who aren’t in school must apply to at least 15 jobs a week) as well as a QR code that lets you submit anonymous complaints to administrators.

Fifteen of the building’s 16 spots had been taken as of Monday morning. There were already a few signs of the personalities inside, including a collection of Edgar Allan Poe stories lying by one bed, a feather serving as a makeshift bookmark.

Lovett said young adults in Vista will get first dibs, followed by others around North County. Stays should last between six to eight months and leaders aim to house 30 people a year.

The property used to host a memory care program for older adults, officials said. When that initiative shut down, the city of Vista bought the building for about $2.2 million. VisTAY House plans to employ around 10 staffers — at least two of whom will be on site overnight — and the overall effort is estimated to annually cost $900,000.

The Lucky Duck Foundation kicked in a quarter-million dollars to get the program off the ground, but leaders said a combination of private fundraising and government support is needed to keep the doors open.

“It makes me emotional to think about what these young people go through, who have been loved less than they deserve,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin. “I know that here, they will get the love that they deserve.”

The program is part of a broader expansion of homelessness services in Vista. Nearly 50 short-term beds opened last year at the Buena Creek Navigation Center, not far from a Sprinter rail line, and the San Diego Rescue Mission is looking for a site to host another shelter in the area after getting the green light from the City Council.

Franklin was joined Monday by Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez and Councilmember Corinna Contreras, both of whom praised VisTAY House’s potential. “For all the folks that are gonna be here, you are now part of our community,” Contreras said.

The building is in a quiet suburb and neighbors were invited to the press event. One woman approached Lovett, the head of Urban Street Angels, to say she was concerned about how the program might affect her and others living nearby.

The two spent a long time in quiet conversation. “Just give us a chance,” Lovett asked.

“I will,” the neighbor responded.