Group Homes

Parts of Newport Beach have had significant numbers of Group Residential Uses. Generally, the City considers a Group Residential Use to be a residence where the land use is not a traditional single housekeeping unit. This may include but not be limited to a boarding house, a dorm, a "reunion rental," a State-licensed recovery home, a sober living home, and an elder care home.

The City of Newport Beach would like to see each of our residential neighborhoods retain its residential character -- meaning that parking is managed, commercial activities are limited, and neighbors respect neighbors (in terms of noise, clutter, debris, secondhand smoke, profanity, and other nuisances). We also believe that the rights of disabled persons to reside in legal, safe, habitable spaces in our community must be preserved.

Ordinance 2008-05. In January 2008, the City Council adopted a new ordinance (Ordinance 2008-05) that changed the way we regulate many group residential uses. For many existing homes, operators had to get a Use Permit to stay in place.  APA Standard; Nonstandard Subdivision Area Map; Flow Charts: Part 1 and Part 2

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Please explore the documents linked below to learn more about the City’s regulation of Group Residential Uses -- including how some land uses that accommodate disabled persons are protected by federal and state fair housing laws. For more information or to be placed on an e-mail distribution list about this issue, please contact Melinda Whelan , Assistant Planner at mwhelan@newportbeachca.gov.  

General Information

• Newport Beach Residential Recovery Facility List
• Comparing Group Homes Regulations for Newport Beach and Costa Mesa

Forms and Applications

• Requests for Reasonable Accommodations
• Reasonable Accommodations Necessary Findings
• Supplemental Reasonable Accommodations for Housing Providers
• Hearing Officer Decision Appeal
• Use Permit - Group Residential Use

Other Resources

California Department of Health Care Services - Facility State Licensing Information and Residential and Outpatient Current Licensed and/or Certified Facilities List (found under Resource)

• Orange County Sober Living Network Homes
• Residential Recovery Facilities Conference -  March 2,  2007
  • Informational Binder Contents - Part 1
  • Informational Binder Contents - Part 2
• Community Meeting on Group Residential Uses - October 11, 2021
  • Presentations
  • Meeting Summary (presentation notes, community comments, questions and answers)
• Community Meeting on Group Residential Uses - April 4, 2022
  • Presentation - California Department of Social Services on Licensing/Regulating Social Rehabilitation Facilities
  • Presentation - Assembly District 74 Legislative / Group Residential Uses Update 

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