SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) – Plenty of people are settling into the close to 100 new affordable housing units in San Marcos. The complex is called Estrella.
I'm thankful. I'm so glad I'm here,” Lissette Rincon, who is living at Estrella Affordable Housing Complex, said.
Rincon is thankful for being here in this San Marcos apartment and much more.
"They just did a biopsy two weeks ago and they just told me that I'm cancer-free,” Rincon said.
After years of living with her parents, there was a desire to be independent.
"But with Hodgkins and everything, everything was all over the place, it was just hard for me,” Rincon said.
Outside of battling stage two Hodgkins-lymphoma for seven months, Rincon and her parents had another battle.
"We had to leave because the rent was so high. It was like $3,400 when we were paying like $2,000,” Rincon said.
Like many people in San Diego County, they were looking to find an affordable place to live in North County.
"This has like never happened to us so we didn't know where to seek for help,” Rincon said.
Medical treatment was another cost Rincon had to factor into her situation.
"I had to apply for MediCal; tried applying for Medical because I wasn't able to afford my bills. Everything was so high; everywhere,” Rincon said.
While at a month-to-month place on her own, Rincon said she looked for a more permanent place with affirmed housing - an affordable housing group.
She got on the wait list for Estrella - a 96-unit affordable housing project in San Marcos.
It was developed using federal HUD funding, according to San Deigo County.
Lisette moved in here a couple of months ago.
"The fun part of our job is moving people into affordable housing. It's just a great thing to see somebody when they first open the door and they're like, 'Oh this is my apartment!'" Telecia Mayo, Regional Manager for Estrella Complex
And with it being the holidays, Rincon said she’s thankful to have this place. "When I found out, I'm like I'm so thankful to God first and all of the people that supported me,” Rincon said. "It's like the best gift."
