After serving four years on the City Council, and as long on the Planning Commission, I’ve heard a constant refrain from Costa Mesa residents—housing has become scarce and far too expensive.
In fact, my daughters (17 and 21 years old) have lamented how they’ll never be able to afford a home here. The city’s median home price is $1.3 million, and starter homes are often on the market for only a few days due to the high demand. The average monthly rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is over $3,200.
Rising housing costs have significantly outpaced wages, not enough new homes have been built, and we have a 3 percent vacancy rate. People who are fortunate enough to own homes are staying put, which creates scarcity for new homebuyers. It is an unstable situation, and a crisis for many in our community.
In Costa Mesa, we have seen very little housing built over the last eight years—fewer than 200 new units from entitled projects. Because of a previous no-growth initiative, which halted virtually all new residential development, builders and developers found better opportunities in nearby cities. As a result, our home prices and rental rates have skyrocketed.
But over the last four years, our City Council has made a concerted effort to correct course:
- Initiating (and passing by Costa Mesa voters) Measure K, which preserved traditional neighborhoods while creating opportunities to revitalize our major commercial corridors and north of the 405 freeway, will facilitate housing for working professionals, families, and seniors;
- Working with partners such as Jamboree Housing on a 70-unit affordable senior housing project near our Senior Center;
- Approving the One Metro West project north of the 405 freeway, which will provide 1,057 homes. This development will include 106 affordable units, the largest single-site allocation of affordable housing in the history of Costa Mesa; and
- Preparing a community-driven Master Plan for reimagining the 100-acre Fairview Developmental Center as a new neighborhood guided by smart growth principles.
Most recently, after months of study and debate, the Council adopted an affordable housing ordinance. Like five other cities in Orange County, Costa Mesa now requires applicants of housing projects of a certain size (50 units) to either build a percentage of deed-restricted affordable units on site, or pay an in-lieu fee. Applicants offering for-sale homes are exempt. In addition, the Council approved $2.5 million allocated to an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which will help increase housing availability for families.
Importantly, we’ve also focused on making sure people remain housed and do not slip into homelessness. During the pandemic we adopted an eviction moratorium, provided $16 million in rent relief with State COVID funds, and made grants to local businesses to ensure our economy kept growing.
To address this complex and pervasive issue, the Council built our bridge shelter near the Airport in 2020. Currently housing 85 beds, the shelter will add 15 in the coming months through a County grant which also provides supportive services to the residents. Since 2019, we’ve permanently housed over 383 people, getting them off the streets and into clean, safe, and affordable homes.
The main obstacle to moving more people out of homelessness is the lack of available housing. But over the last two years, Costa Mesa has partnered with our state and county agencies to convert motels to much-needed permanent supportive housing. Through Project Homekey, the Motel 6 on Newport Boulevard was transformed into 88 affordable rental units for at-risk seniors and veterans; and the Travelodge on Bristol Street is slated to be redeveloped with 76 homes.
Creating more housing opportunities is critical to our economic and social health. As we compete with our neighboring cities for new investment, we need to ensure everyone–seniors, young adults, growing families, and individuals–has options to live near where they work and play, and to build a future in Costa Mesa. Our growth and prosperity depends on it.
Jeffrey Harlan is the Costa Mesa City Councilmember representing District 6 (the Eastside), since 2020. A land use attorney and former urban planner, Jeff’s policy focus is on housing, economic development, and public safety.
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