SAN MARCOS — Bringing to fruition a project that began almost 30 years ago, officials from the city of San Marcos, the county of San Diego, and National CORE unveiled the 63-unit Villa Serena Phase 2 affordable housing project Thursday morning.
The new three-story apartment complex, located at 339 Marcos Street in the Richmar Neighborhood west of Twin Oaks Valley Road, offers a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, along with a community room, playground and picnic area, both underground and above-ground parking, laundry facilities, and an on-site manager.
The units come furnished, and each includes an open-air balcony.
Combined with the Phase I building across Marcos Street (completed in 2023), the Villa Serena project overall has produced a total of 148 affordable housing units.
During a Sept. 10 ceremonial ribbon-cutting, County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a former San Marcos mayor, reflected on his time leading the city.
“We were building affordable housing before affordable housing was cool,” he said.
Current Mayor Rebecca Jones added, “We have almost 10% of our housing as deed-restricted affordable housing” in San Marcos.
“We are changing people’s lives,” Jones said.
Councilmember María Nuñez, whose District 1 includes Villa Serena, highlighted her connection to the area.
“I grew up in this neighborhood,” she told those in attendance.
Nuñez said residents often want to remain in the neighborhood as they grow up and start their own families, and projects like Villa Serena make that possible.
Villa Serena is just a few blocks from a transit station, a city park, the senior center, and a market. The San Marcos Boys & Girls Club also offers after-school programs to children and teens living in Villa Serena.
The Villa Serena project sits on the site of two apartment buildings built in the early 1970s: the Lido and Imperial buildings.
John Seymour, San Diego vice president of acquisitions and forward planning for National CORE, a nonprofit affordable housing agency responsible for developing and managing Villa Serena, said the organization purchased the two apartment buildings in 1997.
“It was in disrepair. We did a moderate rehab in the late 1990s, with the ultimate goal of demolishing and rebuilding,” Seymour said.
Seymour pointed out that, in tearing down and building new structures, Villa Serena increased its total apartment footprint on those plots of land by 12. In addition, Phase 2 had five units designated for special-needs residents — adding to the eight units in Phase I.
These can be for people with disabilities, or young adults aging out of the foster program as they turn 18. Assistance is provided through the cooperation of the county’s Behavioral Health Services team, National CORE’s HavenCORE property management, and National CORE’s Hope through Housing Foundation.
Financing for the $8.3 million in construction costs came from a mix of public and private funds, with the city, county and state contributing through different grants over the years, and low-income housing tax credits also lowering costs. Because construction costs have been paid, a spokesperson for National CORE said the below-market rent will cover operating costs in the years to come, requiring no ongoing subsidies.
Eligibility for residence at Villa Serena is set at families making less than 60 percent of the area median income. Applications are accepted at the National CORE Villa Serena website. A spokesperson said some units in Phase I are still available.
Also attending the ceremony were San Marcos Councilmember Danielle LeBlang and former Councilmember Pia Harris-Ebert, who was on the Council when this project first began in 1997. Both city and county representatives presented National CORE representatives with proclamations honoring the project’s opening.
After the ceremony, dignitaries and other guests toured the project.
