ACTION:
____________________________
Clerk/Secretary
Department: City Manager’s Office Item No: C5
Prepared by:
Jonathan Lung, Housing & Homeless Services
Division Manager Meeting Date: September 22, 2026
Approved by:
Imelda Huerta, Assistant City Manager
John Conley, City Manager Agenda Location: Consent Calendar SUBJECT: HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION 2026-2028 WORKPLAN
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt City Council Resolution No. 2026- , approving the Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan.
COUNCIL GOALS: Homelessness and Housing
PRIOR ACTION: On June 24, 2025, adopted City Council Ordinance No. 2025-05, adding Chapter 2.54 to the Vista Municipal Code to establish a Homelessness Commission (Vote: 5-0) On May 13, 2025, directed staff to draft an ordinance amending the Vista Municipal Code to add Section
2.54 establishing a Homelessness Commission, and to schedule a Public Hearing for June 10, 2025, to consider adoption of the ordinance (Vote: 5-0).
On March 25, 2025, directed staff to draft an ordinance to establish a seven member Homelessness Commission after the City Council reviews the Standing Committee’s recommendation for the composition of the Commission and the goals of the Commission; schedule five Standing Committee meetings during even months, five Commission meetings during odd months, and two Strategic Plan Workshop meetings; reschedule the Standing Committee meeting to the fourth Thursday of even months; and appointed Councilmember Jeff Fox as Ex-Officio member to the Standing Committee (Vote: 5-0).
PRIOR HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION ACTION: on July 23, 2026, adopted the Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan (Vote: 5-0, Zuniga and Constantine Absent).
STATEMENT ON THE SUBJECT: The City Council established the seven-member Homelessness Commission (Commission) in June 2025 via Vista Municipal Code (VMC) Chapter 2.54 (Exhibit 2) to promote and support the City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness (Strategic Plan) and advise the City Council and City Manager on matters relating to homelessness. The Commission’s duties include developing a workplan for presentation to the City Council, reviewing homelessness issues and providing recommendations to the City Council, identifying outside funding opportunities, promoting community engagement, and providing a public forum for homelessness-related concerns and recommendations.
Consistent with these responsibilities, the Commission developed the 2026–2028 Workplan (Exhibit 3) to guide its activities and recommendations. The Workplan focuses on reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in Vista, strengthening support for the Strategic Plan, identifying unmet needs AGENDA
REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
SUCCESSOR AGENCY
BUENA SANITATION DISTRICT
JOINT POWERS FINANCING AUTHORITY
Approved above recommendation, adopted City Council Resolution No. 2026-162. Vote: 5-0
MEETING DATE: September 22, 2026 PAGE 2
SUBJECT: HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION 2026-2028 WORKPLAN
and critical service gaps, and expanding partnerships with organizations serving Vista residents at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
The Workplan establishes three primary focus areas: improving transparency and coordination in homelessness data collection and reporting; better understanding homelessness services available in Vista and identifying critical service gaps through direct engagement with service providers; and evaluating and updating the Strategic Plan to better address Vista’s current homelessness challenges. The Workplan includes specific actions and timelines for the Commission to complete these activities and provide recommendations to the City Council through 2028.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Homelessness Commission 2026–2028 Workplan.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact with approval of this item.
EXHIBITS:
1. City Council Resolution No. 2026- , approving the Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan.
2. VMC Chapter 2.54 Homelessness Commission
3. Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan
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RESOLUTION NO. 2026-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CHARTERED CITY OF
VISTA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION 2026-2028 WORKPLAN
The City Council of the City of Vista does resolve as follows:
1. Findings. The City Council hereby finds and declares the following:
A. The City Council established the seven-member Homelessness Commission in June 2025 to broaden community participation in the City’s homelessness policies and programs and to advise the City Council regarding the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.
B. The Homelessness Commission reviewed the City’s homelessness programs, priorities, and available data and, at its July 23, 2026 meeting, adopted a draft Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan for consideration by the City Council.
C. The proposed workplan establishes priorities to evaluate and improve data transparency and reporting, engage service providers, and identify service gaps and underserved populations, and evaluate and recommend an update to the Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.
2. Action.
A. The City Council approves the Homelessness Commission 2026-2028 Workplan and City staff are authorized and directed to support implementation of the workplan.
3. Adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a meeting of the City Council of the City of Vista held on September 22, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
WALTER CHUNG, CITY ATTORNEY
By:
APPROVED
Walter C. Chung
20260914100559
JOHN B. FRANKLIN, MAYOR
ATTEST:
KATHY VALDEZ, CITY CLERK
By:
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EXHIBIT 1
Vista Municipal Code
2.54 (1) (Vista 07/25/2025)
Chapter 2.54
Homelessness Commission
Sections:
2.54.010 Purpose
2.54.020 Establishment, Composition and Additional Qualifications
2.54.030 Appointment of Members and Additional Qualifications
2.54.040 Powers and Duties
Section 2.54.010 Purpose
The purpose of the Homelessness Commission is to promote and support the City's Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness and to advise the City Council and the City Manager on matters relating to homelessness.
Ord. No. 2025-05, Adopted 06/24/2025)
Section 2.54.020 Establishment, Composition and Additional Qualifications A Homelessness Commission of the City of Vista is established, with membership, powers and duties as provided in this chapter and other ordinances of the City of Vista. The Homelessness Commission shall be a standing commission consisting of seven members. All members of the Commission shall be voting members.
Ord. No. 2025-05, Adopted 06/24/2025)
Section 2.54.030 Appointment of Members and Additional Qualifications A. Each member of the City Council shall appoint one member to the Homelessness Commission consistent with City policies governing commission appointments.
B. In addition to the five Council appointments, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Homelessness shall each appoint one member to the Commission.
Individuals with lived experience of homelessness shall be given preference for these appointments.
Ord. No. 2025-05, Adopted 06/24/2025)
Section 2.54.040 Powers and Duties
The duties of the Homelessness Commission shall be as follows:
A. To act in an advisory capacity to the City Council and City Manager or their designee related to homelessness matters.
B. To develop an annual work plan and presentation to the City Council.
C. To review and provide recommendations to the City Council on homelessness issues.
D. To explore and suggest outside funding to accomplish the City's Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.
E. To promote and stimulate public interest and community engagement in the City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.
F. To provide a public forum for citizens to communicate their complaints, concerns, requests, and suggestions relating to homelessness matters.
G. To review and provide recommendations to the City Council on all homelessness matters referred to it by the City Council.
Ord. No. 2025-05, Adopted 06/24/2025)
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EXHIBIT 2
Homelessness Commission 2026-28 Workplan
Background
The purpose of this Workplan is to guide the Homelessness Commission’s initiatives for the 2026– 2028 period, with a focus on reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in Vista, strengthening support for the Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness (Strategic Plan), identifying unmet needs and critical service gaps, and expanding partnerships with and increasing the performance of organizations that serve Vista residents at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Focus Area 1: Consider how the City of Vista can achieve greater transparency in data collection and reporting to create greater efficiency and collaboration in regional efforts towards homelessness response.
Goal:
Assess the current reporting database(s) used to support the Strategic Plan and compare with database(s) used across San Diego County in their utility of driving local decisions in providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness.
Actions Steps:
1.By March 30, 2027, receive presentations from each Strategic Plan provider with overviews of data collection and reporting mechanisms and their feedback and concerns regarding data collection and reporting.
2.By December 31, 2027, recommend a comprehensive strategy to City Council on how data collection and reporting should be modified to improve regional outcomes, accomplish the objectives of the Strategic Plan, and effectively support regional decision making.
Focus Area 2: Better understand homelessness services offered in Vista and identify critical service gaps through direct engagement with service providers.
Goal:
Strengthen relationships with Strategic Plan-funded homelessness services and better understand services offered.
Action Steps:
1.By December 31, 2026, tour each Strategic Plan facility with provider staff to better understand its operations and services provided.
2.Provide recommendations to City Council on contract renewals as appropriate.
Goal:
Strengthen relationships with non-Strategic Plan-funded homelessness services in Vista to better understand services offered, identify gaps between Strategic Plan-funded and non-Strategic Plan- funded homelessness services, and evaluate how Strategic Plan investments can better complement existing services.
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EXHIBIT 3
Action Steps:
1. By March 30, 2027, tour each homelessness services provider facilities with provider staff not funded by the Strategic Plan to better understand its operations and services provided.
2. By June 30, 2027, prepare an inventory of homelessness services available in Vista and identify critical service gaps, underserved populations, and barriers to accessing services.
3. Provide recommendations for funding support for effective activities, underfunded programs, and opportunities for new partnerships as appropriate.
Focus Area 3: Update the Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
Goal:
Consider the effectiveness of the Strategic Plan and its application for addressing Vista’s current homelessness challenges and propose an updated Strategic Plan that is time-bound.
Actions Steps:
1. By December 31, 2027, recommend an updated Strategic Plan on Homelessness with a time-limited cycle to the City Council for adoption
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