CARLSBAD — A new 19-unit affordable housing community in the La Costa neighborhood has wrapped up construction two months ahead of schedule, adding below-market-rate apartments to San Diego County’s ongoing affordable housing shortage.
La Costa Family Apartments, a $5.8 million development financed through federal affordable housing tax credits by San Diego-based MirKa Investments, is located at the intersection of La Costa Avenue and Camino de las Coches near the La Costa Town Square shopping center.
The apartment complex includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units reserved for households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. Three ground-floor apartments are ADA-compliant.
The project sits adjacent to The Nest at La Costa, a 76-unit market-rate townhome development by Woodside Homes, with homes listed from $960,000 to more than $1 million.
Together, The Nest and La Costa Family Apartments comprise the 95-unit La Costa Town Square Parcel 3 residential development, first approved by the Carlsbad City Council in 2021.
The development transformed a vacant 7.2-acre site originally approved as a 55,000-square-foot office complex as part of the broader La Costa Town Square project, which covers 83 acres and currently features a shopping center, 64 single-family homes and 128 multi-family residences.
The property’s future changed during Carlsbad’s 2015 General Plan update, when city officials redesignated the parcel from office use to residential and required future development to provide significant affordable housing.
The eventual proposal subdivided the property into two parcels: one containing 76 market-rate townhomes and the other containing 19 affordable condominiums, allowing La Costa Family Apartments to be separately owned and managed while sharing access, visitor parking and recreational amenities with The Nest.
La Costa Family Apartments includes 19 affordable units, accounting for 20% of the project’s 95 homes, exceeding Carlsbad’s typical requirement that 15% of residential projects be set aside as affordable housing. Six of the affordable units have three bedrooms, offering more space for families.
The apartments range from approximately 563 to 1,005 square feet and include a community room, laundry facilities and storage areas for residents. The building was designed by Starck Architecture and matches neighboring townhomes, with private outdoor spaces and landscaping.
City planners described the project as an infill housing development within walking distance of shopping, transit and employment opportunities while also helping the city meet regional housing goals. The site is served by existing sidewalks, bike lanes and a bus stop along La Costa Avenue.
During public hearings, some residents questioned whether the development would increase traffic congestion along La Costa Avenue, strain local parks and reduce available open space. But city staff concluded the development met Carlsbad’s growth management standards, noting that existing roads, transit access and park facilities were adequate to serve new residents.
The project comes as housing affordability remains a growing challenge throughout the region. According to a 2026 County of San Diego report, 54% of renter households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, while more than one-quarter spend over half their income on rent.
The San Diego Housing Federation estimates the county is short more than 134,500 affordable rental units.
“Families will be able to move into affordable homes sooner,” MirKa Investments CEO Kursat Misirlioglu said in a statement announcing the project’s completion.
La Costa Family Apartments is the second affordable housing development completed by Level 3 Construction for MirKa Investments within the past year. The companies previously partnered on South River Village, a 43-unit affordable housing community in Oceanside.
Leasing for La Costa Family Apartments is underway, according to project officials.
