Mission Viejo eyes 215-unit mixed-income housing near Saddleback College

Mission Viejo City Council has given an Irvine-based developer 120 days to evaluate a 22.8-acre city-owned parcel adjacent to Saddleback College for a mixed-income housing project projected to yield roughly 215 units, with 30% reserved for low-income residents.

The unanimous April 14 vote is a key step in Mission Viejo's effort to meet a state mandate requiring the city of 90,000 to zone for 2,217 new homes — including 1,075 units for low-, very-low- and extremely-low-income families — before 2029, a deadline pressing municipalities across Orange County.

The council's vote authorizes Trumark Homes to enter the 22.8-acre site — which sits beside Saddleback College and the city's animal shelter — and carry out soil testing, biological assessments and other environmental and technical studies over the coming 120 days, according to Voice of OC. Findings will determine site constraints before any formal development deal is drafted.

The property is jointly owned by the Mission Viejo Housing Authority and the city and was identified in the city's housing element as a potential future residential site. About six of the 22.8 acres are considered developable, with approximately 215 housing units projected for that footprint.

Under the proposed structure, 30% of units would be designated affordable for low-income households and the remaining 70% would be offered at market rate. In Orange County, a four-person household earning less than approximately $135,350 annually qualifies as low-income, according to Voice of OC.

"The unique part about this is the mixed-income development," Eric Nelson, vice president of Trumark Homes, told the council. "It would be 30% affordable to low-income and the remaining would be market rate." Nelson acknowledged that parking design is still undetermined. "We don't know the plan yet, but we focus heavily on making sure there's enough parking," he said.

Councilmember Brian Goodell pointed to Nelson's familiarity with southern Orange County governance when voicing support. "Just for everyone's comfort level, Eric has thorough knowledge of how the city governments work here in south county and has been serving the community of Dana Point for many years," Goodell said. The city selected Trumark through a Surplus Land Act process that drew proposals from four development teams.

If feasibility studies prove favorable, the city expects Trumark Homes to return to the City Council with a formal purchase and development agreement in fall 2026.