Frequently Asked Questions

  • Neighborhoods Where We All Belong is a comprehensive effort by the City of Costa Mesa to address housing needs and comply with state housing law. We have named this effort “Neighborhoods Where We All Belong” to reflect the goal of planning new housing options for all.  In response to state requirements and the City’s ongoing commitment to promoting housing opportunities to meet the needs of current and future residents, the Neighborhoods Where We All Belong effort will feature a variety of City actions to encourage and facilitate high quality and affordable housing.

  • As identified in the City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element, adopted in 2023, the City is required to implement various programs to facilitate housing development to meet different income levels and needs. This is achieved primarily by updating zoning regulations to increase development opportunities and simplifying housing development the process. The programs slated for implementation as part of Neighborhoods Where We All Belong can be generally grouped into two categories:

    1. Residential Development Opportunity Programs

    To accommodate the City’s mandated fair share of Orange County’s housing needs (also known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA), the City must identify sites for housing development. The 2021-2029 Housing Element identifies these sites and requires that they be zoned to allow housing at specific densities. Note that the state requires the City to plan for new residential development opportunities to meet the RHNA but the City cannot force a property owner to choose to develop their land. Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will implement Housing Element Programs 3C, 3D, and 3N to encourage new residential development capacity in specific parts of North Costa Mesa, Urban Plan areas, overlay areas, and on previous Housing Element sites that are still vacant.

    Enabled by the passing of ballot Measure K in 2022, the City will create optional residential development opportunities on sites identified in Measure K. These sites are located in commercial and industrial areas that can benefit from optional mixed use or residential development. Focusing new housing opportunities in those areas will help preserve existing residential neighborhoods. Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will include public outreach to help determine appropriate heights of residential development in those areas. This will implement Housing Element Program 3G (Citywide Vote Requirement).

    For a map of sites that are part of Neighborhoods Where We All Belong, click HERE. For more information about approved ballot Measure K, click HERE.

    2. Zoning Code Amendment Programs

    The Housing Element identifies various sections of the City’s zoning code to be updated to meet to state and federal requirements and streamline residential development projects. In addition, the City will also prepare objective design standards for new residential and mixed-use developments to enable well-designed buildings and places. Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will implement these changes to the zoning code, as outlined in Programs 2E, 2F, 2H, 2J, 2M, 2N, 2O, 2P, 3F, 3S, 4E, 4G of the Housing Element. For more detailed information about these programs, view the Housing Element HERE.

  • Neighborhoods Where We All Belong reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to promoting housing opportunities to meet the needs of current and future residents of Costa Mesa. By encouraging housing on Housing Element sites and along commercial and residential corridors, Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will allow the City to comply with state law and build new housing in a manner that reduces potential impacts to existing residential neighborhoods.

    Neighborhoods Where We All Belong is the City’s coordinated way of meeting the requirements of the Housing Element, as mandated by state law. If the City fails to implement the programs identified in the Housing Element, the City becomes at risk to various consequences, such as fines, loss of local land use controls, and loss of state funding. It is imperative that the City and community work together to implement the changes to zoning described in the Housing Element.

  • The Housing Element identifies various sections of the City’s zoning code to be updated to encourage and facilitate more types of housing to meet a wide variety of needs. In addition, the City will also prepare objective design standards for new residential and mixed-use developments to enable well-designed buildings and places. Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will implement these amendments to the zoning code, as outlined in Programs 2E, 2F, 2H, 2J, 2M, 2N, 2O, 2P, 3F, 3S, 4E, 4G of the Housing Element. For more detailed information about these programs, view the Housing Element HERE.

  • Mandated by the State of California, the Housing Element is one chapter of the City’s General Plan. It analyzes housing conditions in the city, like where and how do people live, how much money do they spend on housing, and what barriers do they face to live in Costa Mesa. The Housing Element establishes goals, policies, and programs to address these conditions to make sure there are enough housing opportunities for everyone, across housing types and income levels. The City’s Housing Element was completed and adopted by the City Council in 2023. Implementation of its many programs, as required by state law is in progress. For more information about the Housing Element, click HERE.

  • Measure K was a ballot measure that was approved by Costa Mesa voters in November of 2022. As approved, Measure K now allows the City to implement a significant program of the City’s Housing Element – rezoning of sites to create optional residential development opportunities on select sites located in commercial and industrial areas in the City. Allowing new housing opportunities in those areas will create more housing options while preserving existing residential neighborhoods.

    Neighborhoods Where We All Belong will include public outreach to help determine appropriate heights of residential development on sites identified in the ballot measure. This will implement Housing Element Program 3G (Citywide Vote Requirement) and meet requirements in the ballot measure to have a public visioning process when establishing residential development potential. For more information about Measure K, click HERE.

  • RHNA stands for Regional Housing Needs Allocation and refers to a local government’s fair share of housing needs. Since 1969, the State of California has required every local government (cities and counties) to adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in their communities. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) first determines how much housing at a variety of affordability levels is needed for each region in the state. Then, regional governments develop a methodology to allocate that housing need to local governments. Finally, local governments then adopt housing plans to show how they are meeting that housing need. For more information about RHNA, click HERE.

  • Objective design standards are regulations used by cities and counties in California to regulate eligible housing developments. Objective design standards are defined by recent state housing law, such as Senate Bill 35 (2017) and SB 330 (2022), as standards that “involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official prior to submittal.” In other words, standards must be objective (as opposed to subjective) and must provide project applicants and project reviewers with a clear understanding of the requirements for development before a project is submitted. This is typically done by using language such as “shall” or “must” and quantifiable or measurable metrics, such as dimensions or quantities. This creates a more efficient and predictable path in the development, design, review, and approval of projects, which can reduce confusion, time, and cost for property owners, developers, designers, decision makers, staff, and members of the public. Objective design standards, consistent with the community’s vision, will be prepared for new residential and mixed-use projects in Costa Mesa as part of Neighborhoods Where We All Belong. For more information about objective design standards, click HERE.

  • Neighborhoods Where We All Belong is being conducted by the City of Costa Mesa, supported by a consultant team. The team includes professionals in planning, urban design, economics, and community engagement. The consultant team is being led by Dudek and supported by Kearns & West and Pro Forma Advisors.

  • Neighborhoods Where We All Belong is informed by an inclusive, accessible, and transparent community visioning process. You can get involved by any one of the following methods:

    In addition to study sessions and other public meetings with the City Council, there will be several outreach events. For more information about these events, click HERE.

  • All outreach and engagement materials for this effort will be provided in both English and Spanish. Project events will be staffed by both English- and Spanish-speaking translators. Please contact the City Clerk at (714) 754-5225 to request additional language interpreting services for City meetings. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make arrangements.

  • In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (714) 754-5225. Notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.