Sen. Blakespear Presents $2M Check to City of Vista to Operate Homeless Shelter
PHOTO: Sen. Blakespear (center) presents Vista Mayor John Franklin (to her immediate right) a $2 million check for the City of Vista to use for the Buena Creek Navigation Center (building behind). Members of the Vista City Council, residents of the shelter, housing advocates and a friendly companion goat also attended the presentation.
VISTA, Calif. – Sen. Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, on Monday presented the City of Vista with a $2 million check to help pay the operating costs for the Buena Creek Navigation Center, which provides supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness. Sen. Blakespear was able to secure the funding from the 2026-27 state budget.
“The Buena Creek Navigation Center represents exactly the kind of shelter and support people need to transition from living on the streets to stable housing. I was thrilled to secure funding through the state budget to help the City of Vista pay for operating this valuable local resource that provides 48 non-congregate units for people to use as a stepping stone to permanent housing.”
-Senator Catherine S. Blakespear
“Thank you to Senator Catherine Blakespear for securing this additional $2 million and to the State of California for investing in the Buena Creek Navigation Center. The senator’s support helped us open the center in 2024, and this funding will help us continue providing shelter, individualized case management, housing assistance and connections to behavioral health care, substance use treatment and employment resources. With 225 participants having found permanent housing since the center opened, we are seeing meaningful results. We appreciate this continued partnership and its impact on the people we serve.”
-Vista Deputy Mayor Dan O’Donnell
WHY IT MATTERS
Homelessness is a problem throughout San Diego County and the entire state of California. The 2026 Point-In-Time Count conducted in January revealed that 9,803 people in San Diego County are experiencing homelessness, with 5,108 of them living unsheltered – on streets, in public spaces or in their cars. Across California, 181,934 people are homeless. One giant part of the problem is the lack of available shelters.
BACKROUND
The Buena Creek Navigation Center, opened in March 2024, provides 48 non-congregate beds in apartment-style housing to support individuals, couples and their pets on their path to permanent housing. Many staying at the center were previously living unsheltered.
Vista originally partnered with the City of Encinitas to jointly run the shelter but eventually took over full responsibility for the facility and its costs. The center is managed by the nonprofit operator Retread Inc.
In two-and-a-half years, the Buena Creek Navigation Center has helped more than 200 individuals transition into stable housing. The $2 million in state funding will help cover the operation costs for the center through 2027.
SENATOR BLAKESPEAR’S RECORD
- Sen. Blakespear secured $5 million in state funding in 2023 to help get the Buena Creek Navigation Center up and running. It opened its doors in March 2024.
- Sen. Blakespear secured $3 million in the 2026-27 state budget for the City of Oceanside to use for interim housing units, such as tiny homes, where people who are living unsheltered can go for safe, dignified temporary shelter.
- Sen. Blakespear secured $1.67 million from the 2025-26 state budget for the County of San Diego for its Landlord Incentive program, which provides direct payments to landlords to lower rental costs for veterans who qualify for assistance through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program.
- Since 2023, Sen. Blakespear has held an annual Ending Homelessness Summit, bringing together policymakers, experts and community leaders to address California’s homelessness crisis. On Wednesday, her 4th Annual Ending Homelessness Summit will be held at the Dove Library in Carlsbad.
Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.
