New Developments in Orange County
California is requiring every city in Orange County to build new housing, and the scale is unlike anything OC has seen at one time. More than 183,000 units are mandated across the county's 34 cities and unincorporated communities by 2029. Here is every major project, city by city, ordered by mandate size and tracked from proposal to construction.
Updated as projects move from proposal to approval to construction.
The 6th-cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment has put every Orange County city on the clock. Collectively, OC's 34 cities and the county's unincorporated communities must plan for and permit more than 183,000 new homes by October 2029. The allocations range from 23,554 units required in Irvine to 296 in Villa Park, but no jurisdiction is exempt. Note that the 183,000 figure reflects the state mandate floor. Irvine alone has more than 50,000 units planned, approved, or under construction across Great Park Neighborhoods, the Irvine Business Complex, and other sites. When you account for projects that exceed the minimum requirements across all cities, the total number of homes being built in Orange County this cycle is on track to surpass 200,000. Cities that fail to comply face builder's remedy, state lawsuits, loss of local zoning control, and financial penalties. Huntington Beach fought the state and lost. Newport Beach went to court and its housing plan was upheld. Every other city is watching what those outcomes mean for their own plans.
What followed is a buildout unlike anything Orange County has experienced at once. More than 30 named developers, builders, and institutional landlords are actively working projects in the county right now. They include national homebuilders such as Lennar, Toll Brothers, Brookfield Residential, Taylor Morrison, Meritage Homes, and KB Home; major institutional developers including Related California, FivePoint Holdings, Hines, Simon Property Group, and AvalonBay Communities; and regional players like Burnham-Ward, Sares Regis, Merlone Geier Partners, Shopoff Realty, Integral Communities, and more. Malls are becoming neighborhoods. Golf courses are in play. Office parks, military bases, oil fields, and courthouse sites are all being built out at the same time.
To understand the policy driving all of it, read our coverage of the Huntington Beach housing element battle and the Newport Beach housing element court ruling. These are not homes you can buy today. For homes built in 2020 or later that are available right now, visit our New Construction Homes for Sale page. This page tracks what is coming, ordered by how many units each city must build, and every entry links to our full write-up.
Irvine | 23,554 Units Required
Great Park Neighborhoods: 10,566 Homes on the Former Marine Base
FivePoint Holdings is building the largest master-planned community in Orange County on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Over 7,000 homes sold, builders include Lennar from $1.22M and Toll Brothers from $1.5M, and a 5,252-unit Transit Village expansion is in the pipeline.
Read the full story »Gateway Village: 1,138 New Homes in North Irvine
Brookfield Residential broke ground June 23, 2026 on a 70-acre community at Portola Parkway and Jeffrey Road. The deal closed the All American Asphalt plant and created a 700-acre Gateway Preserve. Model homes open summer 2027 with prices expected to be attainable by Irvine standards.
Read the full story »Summit at Orchard Hills: Irvine's Luxury Hillside Community Delivering Now
Toll Brothers and Shea Homes are building 520 estate homes at the highest elevation in Irvine. Toll Brothers homes run from $5.9M to $6.8M across two collections. Shea Homes Crestview offers 70 homes from $2.9M. Some homes are move-in ready now, with additional deliveries through 2027.
Read the full story »Irvine Business Complex: 15,000 Homes Planned as Office Park Converts
The city rezoned the Irvine Business Complex for up to 15,000 homes and developers are moving fast. Lennar paid $232M for the Von Karman campus and is building 426 units priced from $1.2M to $1.55M. Demolition is underway and the city backstopped the entire site at $300M.
Read the full story »Oak Creek Golf Course: Up to 2,400 Homes May Replace the Fairways
The Irvine Company proposed 3,100 units; the City's General Plan amendment capped the site at 2,400. The Environmental Impact Report scoping process began July 2026 with a public meeting set for July 20. The golf course remains open while environmental review plays out.
Read the full story »Garden Grove | 19,168 Units Required
Garden Grove: 19,168 Units Required, Almost Nothing in the Pipeline
Garden Grove carries the second-largest housing mandate in Orange County and is in serious trouble meeting it. More than 37% through the planning period, the city has permitted only 861 above-moderate units out of 8,990 required and zero very-low income units out of 4,166 required. The only significant project underway is Brookhurst Place, a mixed-use development in Koreatown with roughly 528 units across both phases. Major developers have largely stayed out, the city fought its mandate for years before getting its housing element certified in late 2023, and a May 2026 chemical emergency at GKN Aerospace raised new questions about environmental risks on the industrial corridors being eyed for residential conversion. The gap between what Garden Grove must build and what it is building is the largest in Orange County.
Read the full story »Breckyn by Melia Homes: New For-Sale Townhomes in Garden Grove
Melia Homes secured City Council approval for 26 for-sale townhomes at 9822 Russell Avenue on a former school site near Brookhurst and the SR-22. With 3 and 4 bedroom plans from 1,442 to 1,800 square feet, this is one of the only new ownership opportunities in Garden Grove.
Read the full story »Garden Grove Finally Approved the Nickelodeon Hotel
The City Council voted 7-0 in June 2026 to approve the 23-story, 500-room Nickelodeon Resort Hotel on Harbor Boulevard. A $277 million project that has been in the works since 2002 is now fully entitled and moving toward permits.
Read the full story »Anaheim | 17,453 Units Required
Platinum Triangle: Nearly 6,000 Homes Built, 15,000 More Coming
Anaheim rezoned 820 acres of industrial land near Honda Center in 2004. Nearly 6,000 homes are already built and occupied. Henry Samueli's $4 billion OC Vibe entertainment campus is under construction with a 2028 Olympics deadline. A pedestrian bridge will connect Honda Center directly to the Metrolink station. Capacity for 15,000 more units of development remains.
Read the full story »Angels Stadium Site: 150 Acres, a Corruption Scandal, and What Happens Next
The city owns 150 acres around Angel Stadium. A $320 million sale to Angels owner Arte Moreno collapsed in 2022 when the FBI caught the mayor leaking confidential negotiating strategy to the buyer. The city paid $123 million in state housing penalties over the botched transaction. The Angels extended their lease to 2032. The city is now starting the process over, with a site worth more than ever next to a $4 billion development across the street.
Read the full story »The Mill: 56 For-Sale Townhomes Near the Anaheim Packing District
Meritage Homes is building 56 three-story townhomes on a two-acre former saw mill site along East Santa Ana Street in the Anaheim Colony neighborhood, a short walk from the Packing District. Two- and three-bedroom floor plans from 1,200 to 1,800 square feet, with two-car garages and solar on every home. Site is in early construction with utilities stubbed in as of mid-2026. Opening estimated 2027.
Read the full story »Anaheim Hills Festival: 447 Apartments Where the Movie Theater Closed
The Regal Edwards theater at the Festival Shopping Center on Santa Ana Canyon Road closed in 2022. The Anaheim City Council voted 4-3 in March 2026 to let Aliso Viejo-based Shea Properties replace it with a four-story, 447-unit apartment building wrapping a 954-space parking garage. The project sits in a very high fire hazard severity zone and faced months of opposition over wildfire evacuation concerns. No groundbreaking date announced as of mid-2026.
Read the full story »3036 W. Lincoln Avenue: 50 For-Sale Condos on a 24-Year Vacant Lot
A former motel site vacant since 2002 on West Lincoln Avenue received Planning Commission approval in April 2026 for 50 for-sale condominiums in a four-story building using California's density bonus law. Five units are deed-restricted affordable for low-income buyers for 55 years, and the project sits within Anaheim's Beach Boulevard Specific Plan corridor. The developer has not been publicly named; no construction start date has been announced as of mid-2026.
Read the full story »Huntington Beach | 13,368 Units Required
Ten Luxury Homes Approved Along PCH With Ocean Views
With full clearance from the California Coastal Commission, a rare oceanfront site along PCH is approved for 10 detached luxury homes of roughly 3,800 to 4,100 square feet. New detached coastal product in HB is nearly nonexistent, making this one of the most unusual approvals in the city in years.
Read the full story »The Marisol: A $252M Senior Community on Main Street
A 214-unit senior care community with $252 million in construction financing secured, targeting a 2028 opening. Our write-up covers what the silver tsunami means for Orange County housing and why senior care is attracting institutional capital right now.
Read the full story »Magnolia Tank Farm: Shopoff's Plan for South Huntington Beach
The old oil tanks are gone and Shopoff Realty plans roughly 250 homes, a boutique hotel, retail, and parks on the 29-acre site north of PCH. Better or worse for South HB? We take an honest look at what the project means for the neighborhood and what residents are saying.
Read the full story »Bella Terra Residential: 300 Apartments Where Burlington Used to Be
Burlington Coat Factory closed permanently at Bella Terra in early 2025, and a 7-story, 300-unit apartment building is approved to take its place at Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard. Designed by TCA Architects, the project includes 25,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 45 deed-restricted affordable units. Construction has not yet broken ground as of mid-2026.
Read the full story »Fullerton | 13,209 Units Required
Downtown Fullerton: A State Lawsuit, 759 Rezoned Parcels, and the Transit Hub That Changes Everything
California sued Fullerton for failing to adopt a housing plan and won. The resulting settlement required the city to rezone 759 parcels for by-right housing. The Fullerton Transportation Center Specific Plan envisions 1,560 homes next to OC's busiest Metrolink station. Over 1,100 units are already approved or under construction. Harbor Boulevard gets a road diet starting summer 2026 to support the density coming.
Read the full story »Costa Mesa | 11,760 Units Required
One Metro West: Costa Mesa's Biggest Housing Project in Decades
More than 1,000 apartments in six and seven story buildings near the 405, plus creative office, retail, and a 1.5-acre public park. It is the largest new housing development Costa Mesa has seen in decades and a preview of what transit-adjacent infill looks like at scale.
Read the full story »Bear Street: Meritage Homes Takes the Former Trinity Broadcasting Campus
Meritage Homes paid $44.5 million for the landmark Trinity Broadcasting site on Bear Street and holds approvals for 142 homes, a mix of detached two-story houses and stacked townhomes. One of the more unusual land acquisitions in recent Costa Mesa history.
Read the full story »Fairview Developmental Center: Thousands of Homes Next to the Golf Course
The city's specific plan for the former state property next to the Costa Mesa Golf Course could bring 2,300 to 3,800 homes at a range of income levels. The community process is underway and the outcome will reshape the western side of Costa Mesa.
Read the full story »Affordable Housing and Community Projects Across Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa continues to add smaller infill and affordable projects across the city. Our write-up covers the full pipeline and what it means for Eastside and Westside values as the city works through its mandate.
Read the full story »California Is Suing Costa Mesa Over Its Housing Plan
California AG Rob Bonta filed suit against Costa Mesa on July 16, 2026, over its missing housing element certification. Here is what the lawsuit claims, how Costa Mesa got here, and whether fines are actually coming.
Read the full story »County of Orange (Unincorporated) | ~10,381 Units Required
Unincorporated Communities
- Anaheim Hills
- Rossmoor
- Foothill Ranch
- Ladera Ranch
- Rancho Mission Viejo
- Trabuco Canyon
The County of Orange administers housing policy for communities outside any incorporated city's jurisdiction. Several communities here are technically neighborhoods within cities: Anaheim Hills is part of the City of Anaheim (included in Anaheim's 17,453-unit mandate) and Foothill Ranch was annexed into Lake Forest in 2010. Rossmoor, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo, and Trabuco Canyon remain unincorporated. The O'Neill family's Rancho Mission Viejo continues to see active residential development on privately held ranchland in South County. Blog posts coming soon.
Westminster | 9,759 Units Required
Westminster Mall: Bolsa Pacific Breaks Ground on 1,200 Homes
The Westminster Mall redevelopment, now called Bolsa Pacific, has broken ground on a plan for 1,200 homes. It is the biggest change to West County housing in decades and we break down the costs, the community impact, and what it means for homeowners in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Read the full story »Sycamore Creek Plaza: 213 Apartments and a Village Plaza at Springdale and Dorothy Lane
A long-empty corner in Westminster is getting 213 apartments, eight ground-floor restaurants and shops, and a public fountain plaza. Groundbreaking is set for 2026. The project follows the same walkable mixed-use model as Bolsa Row in Little Saigon, at a neighborhood scale designed for the surrounding streets.
Read the full story »Buena Park | 8,919 Units Required
Downtown Buena Park: A $650 Million Mall Conversion One Block From Knott's
The former Sears at Buena Park Downtown is being demolished now to make way for 1,302 new homes in a $650 million project by Merlone Geier Partners. Down the street, Shopoff Realty paid $60 million for the old Amway campus and received June 2026 approval for 281 more homes with Lennar as the builder. The state requires Buena Park to add 8,919 units by 2029.
Read the full story »Tustin | 6,782 Units Required
Tustin Legacy: 1,600 Acres on the Former Marine Base
The federal government gave Tustin 1,600 acres at no cost in 2002. Now the city is selling parcels to Brookfield, Lennar, and AvalonBay to fund one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Southern California. 9,000+ homes planned, 4,000+ already built. The North Hangar fire cost the Navy $129.8 million to clean up. The South Hangar's fate is still being decided.
Read the full story »Newport Beach | 4,845 Units Required
Ritz-Carlton Residences: The Marriott Becomes a Luxury Tower
Eagle Four Partners and Lyon Living paid $216 million for the former Newport Beach Marriott in 2020 and are converting it into a 22-story Ritz-Carlton Residences tower with up to 159 condos priced from $3 million to $15 million and up.
Read the full story »Irvine Company: 184 New Apartments at Villas Fashion Island
The Irvine Company broke ground in May 2026 on Phase 2 of Villas Fashion Island, replacing a demolished parking garage with 184 market-rate apartments across five stories. Completion is expected in early 2028.
Read the full story »Related California: Two 22-Story Towers at Big Newport
Related California plans to replace the Edwards Big Newport theater with two 270-foot luxury residential towers holding 150 condos priced from $5 million to $30 million and up. Planning Commission approved the project unanimously in March 2026.
Read the full story »Irvine Company Block 100: 600 Apartments at Gateway Plaza
The Irvine Company plans to demolish the 142,000-square-foot Gateway Plaza office campus at 110 Newport Center Drive and build up to 600 apartments. Part of the company's vested right to develop 1,500 units in Newport Center. Planning Commission approved 5-0 in March 2025.
Read the full story »Newport Beach Car Wash: 51 Years, Then the Irvine Company at $32.5M
The Newport Beach Car Wash ran for 51 years before closing in May 2026 when the Irvine Company paid $32.5 million for the 1.26-acre site. It is being folded into Block 100. The story behind the sale is one of the more unusual chapters in Newport Center history.
Read the full story »Lincoln Property: 100 For-Sale Townhomes Near John Wayne Airport
Lincoln Property Company won unanimous Planning Commission approval in April 2026 to replace a 7-story office building at 1500 Quail Street with 100 for-sale townhomes, 3 to 4 bedrooms each, all with 2-car garages. Part of the emerging Airport Area neighborhood the city is calling Uptown Newport Beach.
Read the full story »Newport Village: The Moshayedis' 15-Year Bet on Mariners' Mile
MX3 Ventures and MSM Global Ventures, led by STEC co-founders Manouch and Mark Moshayedi, are proposing 198 residential units and a public waterfront boardwalk on 9.4 acres along West Coast Highway. Still in environmental review after more than a decade of revisions.
Read the full story »Newport Beach Golf Course: Surf Park Rejected, Housing Next?
The city council rescinded the surf park approvals after residents pushed back. With Newport needing thousands of new units under state mandates, housing is now the most likely future for the site.
Read the full story »Newport Beach Housing Element Upheld in Court
A court ruling upheld Newport's housing plan, clearing the way for new towers and setting a precedent every coastal OC city is watching. This is the policy engine behind much of the building on this page.
Read the full story »Picerne Group: 541 Apartments Coming to Bristol Street Near the Airport
Picerne Group has approval for two connected apartment projects along Bristol Street North near John Wayne Airport: 312 units at 1300 Bristol (approved 2023) and 229 units at 1400 Bristol (approved May 2024), linked by a pedestrian bridge. Both sites replace aging office buildings and include affordable units.
Read the full story »Picerne Group: 312 Apartments Inside Koll Center at 4400 Von Karman
Picerne Group has approval to build 312 apartments on 13 acres inside the Koll Center Newport business park, atop an 825-space parking structure, with a one-acre public park included in the project. The city approved the project in January 2021 and it cleared a two-year legal challenge in July 2023.
Read the full story »Cefalia Development: New Apartments Planned at 1526 Placentia Ave
Cefalia Development has filed permit PR2024-0500 for a new apartment complex at 1526 Placentia Ave in West Newport Beach, replacing a former convenience store on a 0.35-acre RM-zoned lot. The project is in the early stages of the city review process. Unit count and project name have not yet been released.
Read the full story »Fountain Valley | ~4,827 Units Required
Euclid + Heil: 626 Homes on a Former Strawberry Farm Next to Mile Square Park
Shopoff Realty and Lennar paid $65 million for 18 acres at Euclid Street and Heil Avenue in 2021. The approved project includes 183 for-sale townhomes, 36 for-sale triplexes, 304 market-rate apartments, and 83 senior affordable units. Grading is underway; first homes expected 2028.
Read the full story »Slater Avenue Apartments: Fountain Valley's First Luxury Apartment Community
JPI and Heitman broke ground June 2, 2025 on 272 luxury apartments at 10231 Slater Avenue. Five stories, two resort pools, 7,300 sq ft of ground-floor restaurants, 33 affordable units, and first deliveries expected in 2027. The city's first large apartment project in over 20 years.
Read the full story »Placentia | ~4,365 Units Required
Placentia North OC Rail Corridor: Building a Neighborhood Around a Future Train Station
Jefferson Cenza opened 418 luxury apartments at 501 W. Crowther Ave in November 2023, steps from a funded but unbuilt Metrolink stop. The TOD zone allows up to 1,378 more units. The station has $34.82M in funding secured. A Chapman Corridor Revitalization Plan covers a second 55-acre stretch of the city.
Read the full story »Orange | 3,936 Units Required
The Village at Orange: From JCPenney to 167 Condos
The long-vacant JCPenney came down in April 2025. In its place, Integral Communities and Lennar are building 167 townhome-style condos aimed at first-time buyers, young families, and downsizers. One of the first major mall conversion projects in the county to actually deliver homes.
Read the full story »Uptown Orange: 334 Luxury Apartments Open Near UCI Medical Center
AMLI Uptown Orange at 385 S. Manchester Ave is the city's highest-density housing zone in action. 334 LEED Platinum apartments are already open and occupied. Zoned for 60 du/ac, the area benefits from UCI Medical Center expansion, The Outlets of Orange, ARTIC, and the upcoming OC Vibe pedestrian bridge across the Santa Ana River.
Read the full story »Katella Avenue Corridor: Orange's Gateway Into the OC Vibe Era
West Katella runs alongside Angel Stadium, Honda Center, ARTIC, and the $4 billion OC Vibe project in Anaheim. The city has designated the corridor for up to 60 units per acre, Stadium Promenade is identified as a prime redevelopment site, and a 350-foot pedestrian bridge across the Santa Ana River is planned to connect Orange directly to OC Vibe.
Read the full story »Orange Heights: Irvine Company's 1,058-Home Community in the Orange Hills
Twenty years in the making. The Irvine Company wants to build 1,058 single-family homes on 421 acres in the eastern foothills. A 6,600-acre open space donation is permanent. More than 27,000 people have signed a petition to stop it. A Supplemental EIR is underway, with a draft expected late 2026 or early 2027.
Read the full story »Cypress | ~3,927 Units Required
Cypress: Nearly 4,000 Units and a Commercial Corridor With Few Easy Options
Cypress must plan for close to 4,000 new homes by 2029. The city's commercial strips along Katella, Lincoln, and Ball Road are among the leading candidates for residential conversion in North OC, but Cypress has historically resisted higher-density housing and faces a complex compliance path. Blog post coming soon.
Lake Forest | ~3,228 Units Required
Lake Forest: More Than 3,200 Units at the Gateway to South County
Lake Forest sits at the northern entry to South County and includes the Foothill Ranch area, annexed in 2010. The city must plan for more than 3,200 new homes by 2029. Older office parks and retail along Lake Forest Drive and El Toro Road are among the most actively evaluated sites for residential conversion as the city works through its mandate. Blog post coming soon.
Santa Ana | 3,137 Units Required
The Village Santa Ana: South Coast Plaza Village Becomes a 25-Story Neighborhood
The 1973-era mall is being replaced by 1,583 homes, office, retail, and nearly 14 acres of open space, with towers up to 25 stories. Approved unanimously and built in five phases over 20 years by the Segerstroms and Hines.
Read the full story »Related Bristol: 3,750 Homes on the Metro Town Square Site
Related California is replacing Metro Town Square with 3,750 homes, a hotel, and 13 acres of parks across 42 acres. Together with The Village Santa Ana, this corridor will add over 5,000 homes to the city at the same time.
Read the full story »Skyline OC: Orange County's Tallest Residence Is Now Selling Condos
Twin 25-story luxury condo towers near South Coast Plaza at 9 and 15 MacArthur Place are converting from rental apartments to for-sale condominiums under Miami-based developer Crescent Heights, who paid $240 million for the property in April 2025. Pricing starts around $600,000 with penthouses reaching $3 million; HOA runs $1,100 to $1,500 per month with no Mello Roos. The first phase has sold out with additional phases releasing across the 349-unit project.
Read the full story »Yorba Linda | ~2,415 Units Required
City Ventures: 62 Townhomes Approved After a Long Community Fight
City Ventures paid $5 million for a site at 19081 Yorba Linda Boulevard in February 2025 and won City Council approval in March 2026 on a 4-1 vote for 62 townhomes. The site was rezoned from residential estate to medium density by Measure JJ, a voter-approved rezoning that passed with over 90 percent yes in November 2024. The project used the state density bonus law and came with more than 160 conditions of approval, including a 12-foot wall adjoining the neighboring Chabad property.
Read the full story »Brea | 2,365 Units Required
Brea Mall: 380 Apartments, Life Time Fitness, and Din Tai Fung on the Old Sears Site
Simon Property Group is converting the former Sears at Brea Mall into a 15.5-acre mixed-use project with 380 apartments, a 90,000-square-foot Life Time Fitness resort, and a lineup that includes Din Tai Fung, Zara, and Rivian. First residents moved in during 2025. Meanwhile, an oil company turned 265 acres of drilling land north of the 91 Freeway into a City Council-approved 1,100-home master-planned community. Brea is building through a 2,365-unit state mandate and the pipeline is largely approved.
Read the full story »Mission Viejo | ~2,211 Units Required
Mission Viejo: A Master-Planned Community Navigating Its First Major Housing Mandate
Mission Viejo was designed in the 1960s as a master-planned community and was never built with significant redevelopment in mind. The city must plan for more than 2,200 new homes by 2029. The Shops at Mission Viejo mall and aging commercial strips along Marguerite, La Paz, and El Toro Road are the most likely sites for residential conversion as the city works through its mandate. Blog post coming soon.
Laguna Hills | 1,985 Units Required
Terravita: 480 Homes on an Old Office Campus
Seven office buildings on Mill Creek Drive will come down to make way for 480 homes, a mix of attached for-sale houses and apartments. It is the clearest example yet of obsolete office converting to housing in South County and a model other cities are watching.
Read the full story »Village at Laguna Hills: What Is Replacing the Mall That Closed in 2018
The 867,000-square-foot Laguna Hills Mall opened in 1973, closed December 31, 2018, and was fully demolished by 2023. Developer Merlone Geier Partners is replacing it with 1,456 homes, a dramatically different mix from the all-rental 2022 plan: the revised 2026 version includes for-sale townhomes and detached single-family homes alongside apartments, plus 165,000 square feet of retail, a specialty grocer, 200 affordable senior and veteran units, and two hotels targeting a combined $2.3 million per year in city tax revenue. City Council approval of the modified plan was anticipated in summer 2026.
Read the full story »La Paz Village: 180 Senior Apartments Approved Via Builder's Remedy
Developer Nick Buchanan used California's builder's remedy law to win a 3-1 City Council approval in September 2025 for 180 apartments for residents 55 and older at the La Paz Village shopping center on La Paz Road. The $130 million, five-story building includes studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms with a theater, pool, gym, and salon; 18 units are reserved for very low-income seniors. A lawsuit filed in January 2026 against the Orange County Realtors trade group over property access may affect the construction timeline.
Read the full story »Seal Beach | ~1,239 Units Required
Seal Beach: A Tiny Coastal City Squeezed Between a Naval Weapons Station and Leisure World
Seal Beach must plan for more than 1,200 new homes despite having very limited developable land. The city borders the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station to the north and the Leisure World senior community to the east, both off limits for new housing. Old Town Seal Beach falls under Coastal Commission jurisdiction. The city's compliance path is one of the most constrained in OC. Blog post coming soon.
Stanton | ~1,227 Units Required
Stanton: A Dense, Underserved City at the Center of OC's Housing Pressure
Stanton is one of the smallest and most densely populated cities in Orange County, with a high concentration of lower-income households and an aging housing stock. It must plan for more than 1,200 new homes by 2029. The Beach Boulevard corridor and Ball Road area are the most likely focus of new development as the state pushes commercial-to-residential conversion along these aging suburban strips. Blog post coming soon.
Laguna Niguel | 1,207 Units Required
Hoag Buys the Ziggurat for $207M
Hoag won the million-square-foot Ziggurat federal building and its 27-acre Laguna Niguel parcel with a $207 million bid, setting up one of the most consequential redevelopments in South County history. What Hoag builds here, and what the county gets in return, will shape this corridor for decades.
Read the full story »Laguna Niguel City Center: The City's First Downtown on a Former Courthouse Site
A $260 million mixed-use project on 24 county-owned acres (the former South County Justice Center) will bring Laguna Niguel its first real downtown. The plan includes 275 apartments, 95,700 square feet of retail and restaurants, a new 16,250-square-foot library, and an 89-year ground lease paying the county $452 million over its term. Burnham-Ward and Sares Regis are the developers. Groundbreaking is expected in late 2026.
Read the full story »Aliso Viejo | ~1,193 Units Required
Aliso Viejo: OC's 33rd City Faces Its First Major Housing Mandate
Aliso Viejo was incorporated in 2001 as Orange County's 33rd city and was built almost entirely as a planned community with limited commercial land. It now faces a 1,193-unit state housing mandate. The city's older office parks and commercial centers near Aliso Creek Road are among the more likely sites for residential conversion as it works toward compliance. Blog post coming soon.
San Juan Capistrano | 1,054 Units Required
San Juan Capistrano: Housing Mandate Meets a Mission Town
San Juan Capistrano must plan for 1,054 new units by 2029. The city's historic character, equestrian zoning, and Coastal Commission overlap make this one of the more complex compliance puzzles in South County. Blog post coming soon.
San Clemente | 982 Units Required
Sea Summit at Marblehead: One of the Last New Ocean-View Communities in Orange County
Taylor Morrison built 309 homes across four neighborhoods (Aqua, Sapphire, Azure, and Indigo) on 116 acres of restored coastal habitat west of I-5. Panoramic whitewater views, trail access toward the Pacific, a clubhouse, and some of the most dramatic new-construction settings in South County. The land went through Brigham Young University, a Japanese corporation, a Southern California homebuilder, and the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy before Taylor Morrison built what you see today.
Read the full story »Marblehead San Clemente: Views, Taxes, Schools, and the Full Land Story
Marblehead Inland is the established master-planned community east of I-5, with elevated terrain, ocean and harbor views, and a price range that runs from the $900s to well above $2 million. This buyer's guide covers neighborhood breakdowns, Mello Roos costs, school assignments, and the 1968 land purchase by Brigham Young University that started it all.
Read the full story »La Habra | ~803 Units Required
La Habra: On the OC-LA County Border With 800 Units to Plan
La Habra sits at the northern edge of Orange County on the Los Angeles County border and must plan for more than 800 new homes by 2029. Its older commercial corridors along Whittier Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard offer some of the more accessible infill opportunities in North OC. Blog post coming soon.
Los Alamitos | ~767 Units Required
Los Alamitos: A Small City Next to a Race Course and a Military Base
Los Alamitos is a small incorporated city bordered by the Los Alamitos Race Course and the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos. It must plan for approximately 767 new homes by 2029. The city has very limited land for new development and is navigating some of the most constrained site inventory in OC. Blog post coming soon.
Rancho Santa Margarita | ~680 Units Required
Rancho Santa Margarita: OC's Last Incorporated City and One of Its Smallest Mandates
Rancho Santa Margarita, incorporated as Orange County's 34th and final city in 2000, carries one of the smaller RHNA mandates in the county at approximately 680 units. Built around a manmade lake as a planned community, the city has limited sites for new housing and has been among the more proactive South County cities in certifying its housing element. Blog post coming soon.
Dana Point | 530 Units Required
Dana Point Harbor: A $600 Million Transformation and the Fight to Keep Dana's Soul
The county signed a 66-year ground lease with Dana Point Harbor Partners (Burnham-Ward, Bellwether, and R.D. Olson) to fully rebuild the harbor before the 2028 Olympics. The $600 million project delivers a rebuilt marina with 2,500+ slips, 12 new commercial buildings, 100,000 square feet of retail and dining, and two new hotels (Dana House at 130 rooms and Surf Lodge at 136 rooms). The parking structure opened July 3, 2025. Longtime restaurants like Harpoon Henry's and Harbor Grill are gone. The county stands to collect more than $700 million in ground rent over the lease term. And locals are asking: is Dana becoming Newport Beach?
Read the full story »Laguna Beach | 394 Units Required
Laguna Beach Housing Element: How a City of Artists and Cliffs Plans to Add 394 Homes
Laguna Beach has less than two square miles of flat land, a Coastal Commission that controls most of what can be built, and a 394-unit state mandate it must plan for by 2029. The city's housing element was certified by HCD in 2024. This is the story of how one of California's most constrained coastal cities is navigating the mandate, what sites are in the plan, and what it means for property owners and buyers in the village.
Read the full story »Villa Park | ~296 Units Required
Villa Park: OC's Smallest City by Area Has the County's Smallest Housing Mandate
Villa Park is the smallest incorporated city in Orange County by land area and home to some of the county's largest single-family lots. Its 296-unit RHNA mandate is the smallest assigned to any OC city. With almost no commercial land and very low housing density by design, Villa Park's compliance path will likely depend on a small number of targeted infill sites. Blog post coming soon.
Stay Ahead of What Is Coming
New developments create windows of opportunity for buyers and real questions for nearby homeowners. If you want to know how a project on this page affects your plans or your property value, let's talk. No pressure, just local knowledge.
Call or Text Eric: 949-430-7500