The San Diego nonprofit the Lucky Duck Foundation announced Monday plans to help the San Diego Rescue Mission fund up to 150 new homeless shelter beds in North and East County San Diego by June 30, 2026.
“With $1.5 million for this approach, we are going to be able to activate as many as 150 shelter beds to help 150 people at one time, but many more people over time,” said Lucky Duck Foundation CEO Drew Moser.
The foundation said the funding will expand the Lighthouse emergency shelter model created by the San Diego Rescue Mission.
“We will open up one just like this in North County, in Vista,” said Rescue Mission CEO Donnie Dee speaking at the organization's Lighthouse homeless shelter in National City .
Residents can stay in Lighthouse shelters for up to 30 days. During that time they receive case management services including housing assistance and rehabilitation, according to the organization.
The Rescue Mission has not yet identified the new shelter locations, Dee said.
“We’ll begin to look at buildings this week and hopefully have that online (in Vista) in the next six to nine months. And we’ll open one in East County hopefully sometime in the next year as well,” he said.
In June, the Vista City Council approved an agreement with the Rescue Mission to operate a 50-bed homeless shelter within city limits.
As part of that agreement, the city will provide $4.5 million dollars for the building. Another $1 million is coming from state funding secured by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas.
The Rescue Mission will be responsible for operational costs.
Vista Mayor John Franklin said the new funding from the Lucky Duck Foundation is also important because the city’s first low-barrier shelter, Buena Creek Navigation Center, will close in the next year.
“Today we have 36 beds, but it's a three-year contract that we’re two years into. So one year from now, that facility will cease to exist and we need to replace it within the next 12 months,” Franklin said.
Plans for the Rescue Mission’s future East County facility are in the early stages. The Rescue Mission does not yet know where the facility will be located in that region.
