A new affordable housing development in the heart of La Mesa is giving dozens of families a chance to live more comfortably — and more securely — in a region where housing costs continue to climb.
The newly opened 8181 Allison apartment community, located near the corner of Date Avenue and Allison Avenue, is now home to 147 households. The development was built to help address the ongoing shortage of affordable housing across San Diego County.
For residents like Alimatu Kamara, the move has been life-changing.
Kamara has lived in San Diego for about four years and says the rising cost of rent made it increasingly difficult to keep up.
“Each year it consistently raised about $300 to $400,” Kamara said. “So I needed to reassess and figure out what would be my next move.”
That next move became 8181 Allison — where she now lives with her two daughters.
The complex was designed specifically for lower-income residents struggling to find housing in the region. All 147 units are now occupied, providing stability for families like Kamara’s.
She says the biggest difference is the sense of security and community the neighborhood offers.
“We can practically walk for brunch, we can go to the park, we can walk everywhere,” Kamara said. “The safety is really good because I feel like La Mesa is a little slower than some parts of San Diego. It seems more family-oriented… and it being a secured community.”
Developers say that kind of environment was intentional.
“We take a lot of pride in that,” said Geoff Brown, CEO and president of USA Properties Fund. “We want to make the community for the surroundings a nicer place as a result of our projects.”
Brown says the demand for housing like this remains extremely high across the county.
“There’s a huge need for affordable housing in San Diego County,” he said.
According to county officials, since 2017, the County of San Diego has invested more than $334 million into affordable housing projects. Those investments have helped open the doors to more than 3,000 homes, with another 2,600 units currently in development.
For Kamara and her family, the opportunity goes beyond simply having a place to live.
“It’s been a good experience,” she said. “It makes me appreciative of an opportunity like affordable housing to really give people a chance to rise, to save money in an economy that’s constantly going up.”
She says having stable, affordable housing gives families like hers the chance not just to get by — but to plan for the future.
