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Costa Mesa approves response to Orange County grand jury housing report, calls for clarity on state mandates
Summary
Councilmembers agreed 7-0 to submit an amended response to the grand jury's housing-mandate report, highlighting local constraints such as limited developable land and ongoing local affordable-housing programs. Council asked staff to emphasize the city's existing housing work and to note procedural challenges with RHNA.
The Costa Mesa City Council on Aug. 4 approved the city’s formal response to an Orange County grand jury report on housing mandates, adopting staff-recommended language and additional council amendments by unanimous vote.
Councilmember Bewley, who pulled the consent item for discussion, said the report raised important countywide observations about rapidly changing state housing law and the need for transparency around RHNA methodology. "When I'm out there on a regular basis, talking with constituents, that's what you hear," Bewley said, agreeing with findings that the RHNA process can be opaque.
Staff described the grand jury as a countywide, impaneled body that investigates selected topics and issues findings and recommendations. The city’s response—drafted with legal input—largely agreed with many of the report’s findings but sought to explain operational constraints, infrastructure limits and the city's specific circumstances (for example, the Fairview Developmental Center and Measure K effects). Councilmember Marr moved to add language emphasizing the city’s ongoing affordable-housing efforts, including partnerships and the Housing Trust Fund; Mayor Stevens seconded. The council approved the amended response 7-0.
Public commenters were split: some criticized the grand jury report’s tone and recommended a briefer "agree/disagree" response, while others warned the city’s housing-element compliance challenges could hinder grant funding and leave the city vulnerable to state enforcement actions. City staff said the response would be submitted within the established timeline for grand-jury replies.
