Where is an emergency shelter allowed in Costa Mesa?

Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the Costa Mesa Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.

Zones where an emergency shelter can go

Costa Mesa's code calls this use “39a. Emergency shelters”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.

Zone	Status	Code
MP Industrial Park	Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 10: Emergency shelters located on sites owned, controlled, and/or operated by the city in the MP and/or the PDI zone are a permitted use, not subject to a master plan requirement and the standards in section 13-200.79(1), (2), (4), (8), (10) and (13) do not apply to such uses.	Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX
PDI	Needs a conditional use permit — see note Note 10: Emergency shelters located on sites owned, controlled, and/or operated by the city in the MP and/or the PDI zone are a permitted use, not subject to a master plan requirement and the standards in section 13-200.79(1), (2), (4), (8), (10) and (13) do not apply to such uses. Note 1 (zone heading): Uses proposed in this zone are subject to verification of consistency with the adopted master plan. Uses not specified in the master plan, could be allowed, subject to the review process indicated in this matrix, if the proposed use is determined to be compatible with the adopted master plan. Residential uses shall not be permitted on any site or parcel of land on which residential uses are expressly prohibited by the general plan.	Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX

Zones where it is not allowed

R1, R2-MD, R2-HD, R3, AP, CL, C1, C2, C1-S, TC, MG, PDR-LD, PDR-MD, PDR-HD, PDR-NCM, PDC, I&R, I&R-S, I&R-MLT, P.

What else applies

Standards for this use: § 13-200.79 Emergency shelters: development and operational standards (e.g. 30 beds max, 120-day stay, 300 ft between shelters).
Allowed only in MP and PDI, and only with a Conditional Use Permit. Note 10: when the shelter is on city-owned, controlled or operated land in MP or PDI it is a permitted use. Supportive and transitional housing (rows 12.1, 12.2) and Low barrier navigation center (12.3) are separate rows and not used here.
State law: State law (Gov. Code § 65583, SB 2) requires every city to allow emergency shelters by right in at least one zone.
Not covered here: Zones in specific plan areas: 13-30(f) sends readers to the specific plan text.; Mixed-use overlay in an urban plan area: 13-30(g) sends readers to the urban plan text (overlay, not a base zone).; Unlisted uses: 13-30(d) says an unlisted use is reviewed by the development services director; with no substantial similarity it needs a conditional use permit. So a missing row is not 'prohibited'; the '•' cells are.; Unlisted uses: 13-30(d) says an unlisted use is reviewed by the development services director; with no substantial similarity it needs a conditional use permit. So a missing row is not 'prohibited'; the '•' cells are.. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.

Other uses in Costa Mesa

Who this affects

HomeownersBuyersReal estate agentsSmall developers

Frequently asked questions

Can I have an emergency shelter in the MP zone in Costa Mesa?

Only with a conditional use permit. Costa Mesa's use table lists it that way in MP (Industrial Park) (Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX). The code adds a condition: “Emergency shelters located on sites owned, controlled, and/or operated by the city in the MP and/or the PDI zone are a permitted use, not subject to a master plan requirement and the standards in section…”

Can I have an emergency shelter in the R1 zone in Costa Mesa?

No. Costa Mesa's use table does not allow it in R1 (Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX).

General information, not legal advice.