Costa Mesa staff says 2024 housing element progress largely on track; rezoning program, inclusionary ordinance highlighted

Pye Vaughn, principal planner in the Economic Development Services Department, told the Costa Mesa Planning Commission on April 14 that the city submitted its 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR) to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) after the City Council approved the document on March 18.

The APR covers the planning period October 2021–October 2029 and documents the city’s progress toward meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Vaughn said the city was allocated 11,716 units and is committed to implementing 47 housing programs and rezoning or providing capacity on 97 housing opportunity sites.

The report shows building activity and pipeline projects. Vaughn said the city completed construction of 284 housing units in 2024, and that the Luxe apartment project completed construction in 2024 with 209 units, 20 of which are restricted to moderate-income households. Staff reported issuing 23 residential building permits in the reporting window and receiving eight applications for multi-unit projects that, if built, would add about 272 units to the city’s housing stock. Vaughn said the city is tracking about 1,301 units in the development pipeline.

Why it matters: the APR is the city’s annual compliance report to HCD and helps determine eligibility for state housing grants and programs. The report lays out which housing-element programs the city has started or completed and signals where future capacity for…