News
Moving time at La Mision
Families are beginning to take up residence at affordable-housing complex
By Monica Unhold
San Diego Union-Tribune
June 27, 2008
OCEANSIDE – Construction crews were putting the finishing touches on La Mision Village in Oceanside this week, installing appliances, bathroom fixtures and doors.
Eighty low-income families will soon live in the $26 million affordable-housing complex, which was built on city land by nonprofit developer National Community Renaissance, using a mix of public and private financing.
Richard Baird, Haley Ford and their 7-month-old daughter Makayla were among the first to move into La Mision this month.
“We needed something we were able to afford and was forgiving because our credit isn't great,” Baird said.
Baird works in construction and Ford, who grew up in Oceanside, is a stay-at-home mom. They wanted to remain near Ford's parents but couldn't find an inexpensive apartment. La Mision Village was perfect because her parents live less than a mile away.
The family occupies a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on the ground floor with a roomy living room and comfortably-sized kitchen. Makayla has free reign over the dining area, where she can toddle around between her playpen and the toys stashed nearby.
La Mision Village is fast becoming home.
“Our friends are moving in here and they have kids the same age,” Ford said. “We'll probably hang out and take them to the playground together.”
The 80 one-, two-and three-bedroom units in the complex will be leased to families who are employed and earning between 40 percent and 60 percent of the median income for San Diego County: $79,000 for a family of four. Rents will range from $568 to $1,195, depending on the unit, family size and income.
Rents will be limited to 30 percent of the family income, which means that a family of four making $31,600 would pay $681 per month for a two-bedroom apartment. Incomes are recalculated each year to determine whether the family remains eligible for the housing.
A dozen families have moved into La Mision and more than 100 are on a waiting list, hoping to be approved.
La Mision Village is Oceanside's newest affordable-housing project. Every city is required to provide a certain amount of affordable housing, as set by the San Diego Association of Governments.
Oceanside must zone land for 2,496 new affordable-housing units between 2005 and 2010; whether the units will be built depends on the city's ability to secure government funding, said Margery Pierce, the city's director of Neighborhood Services.
Since 2005, the city has added 451 units to the city's 1,319 existing affordable-housing units.
La Mision Village is particularly desirable for families because of the services available on site. Low-cost health and social services will be provided to residents by Hope Through Housing, a nonprofit that partners with National Community Renaissance.
A low-cost preschool and after-school program will be available to residents and the surrounding community. Both programs will provide an academic component to give children a head start on school, said George Searcy, executive director of Hope Through Housing.
“It's about the kids feeling empowered to do well in school, which is something most low-income kids just don't feel,” Searcy said.
The nonprofit North County Health Services will occupy half of the 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of the complex. The other half has not yet been leased.
All National Community Renaissance multifamily housing projects include playgrounds and community centers. Many, including La Mision Village, also have outdoor barbecues and picnic benches.
To ensure that the complex is secure, security cameras have been installed and tenants must sign a policy saying they will not use drugs or smoke on the property, construction manager Rich Rollins said.
National Community Renaissance paid for the $26 million project through a mix of funding sources. About $11.4 million came from an income tax credit equity program and $4.4 million in a loan from MMA Financial.
The city's redevelopment agency contributed $6.24 million and the California Department of Housing and Community Development provided $4 million.
National Community Renaissance owns and operates more than 8,600 affordable-housing units that are home to more than 27,000 residents nationwide.
A grand opening is set for 10 a.m. July 15. The public is invited.
