The “VisTAY House,” opened in August of 2025, will provide 16 beds and wraparound services to help transition-age youth – homeless and vulnerable youth ages 18-24, including those exiting the foster care system – stabilize, heal, and achieve self-sufficiency.
Joseph, VisTAY House resident
The City of Vista purchased the 12-bedroom residential property, marking the city’s first youth-focused transitional housing investment. Urban Street Angels, a leading nonprofit service provider for homeless youth, was selected by Vista to operate the home, and the Lucky Duck Foundation is providing start-up funding to activate the project. With an average stay of 6–8 months, VisTAY is expected to serve 30 or more youth per year.
“This project is about more than just shelter—it’s about hope, empowerment, and a path forward,” said City of Vista Mayor John Franklin. “We’re proud to work with Urban Street Angels and the Lucky Duck Foundation to create a place where young people can find stability and pursue their full potential and most importantly avoid homelessness altogether.”
VisTAY is Urban Street Angels’ first North County facility, filling a major gap in services for unsheltered youth in the region. It will provide housing, food, basic necessities, wraparound case management, peer support, and career development through Urban Street Angels’ trade school program.
“We believe in the resilience of youth and seek to provide them safety and hope every day,” said Eric Lovett-Maerz, Founder and CEO of Urban Street Angels. “VisTAY will be a safe-haven first and foremost, and secondarily a launching pad for healing, growth, and independence. It’s a long-term solution, not a temporary fix.”
Joseph, VisTAY House resident: “I’m just really grateful for the opportunity. This will really help me overcome a lot of things going on in my life, with my situation and my family being homeless. I appreciate the opportunity to better myself and continue going to college and continue working.”
Joshua, VisTAY House resident
While long-term public funding is anticipated to begin in late 2025 or early 2026 thanks to ongoing financial support from the County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services Department, the Lucky Duck Foundation has committed $250,000 to make the transitional housing available and operational as quickly as possible.
“This initiative brings life-changing opportunities to youth facing homelessness,” said Drew Moser, CEO of the Lucky Duck Foundation. “Given that approximately half of the chronically homeless population suffered from homelessness as a youth, we see this as both an immediate and long-term strategy. We are honored to support this great public-private partnership and help a meaningful number of youth put homelessness behind them once and for all.”
Joshua, VisTAY House resident: “It’s really just stable housing and a place to come back to. I’m hoping to make some friends here… I’m just really happy to be here.”
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San Diego, CA 92123
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