A free public forum on Newport Beach's Measure H takes place Wednesday, Oct. 14, giving voters a structured debate before the Nov. 3 election.

Ballots have already been mailed to all active registered voters in Orange County. The Speak Up Newport forum offers residents a chance to hear both sides argue the housing measure face-to-face at the Civic Center Community Room, 100 Civic Center Drive.

The program runs from 6 to 7 p.m. A reception begins at 5:15 p.m. No registration is required for in-person attendance, and a Zoom simulcast is available for those who register in advance.

Measure H, a citizen initiative sponsored by the Newport Beach Stewardship Association, would cut the city's housing plan by roughly 65%, the Orange County Register reported. The City Council adopted a state-approved housing element in July 2024 calling for 8,174 new units. Measure H would cap that number at 2,900.

Those 2,900 units would be spread across five areas: Airport Area (929 units), Newport Center (870), Coyote Canyon (521), West Newport Mesa (406) and Dover/Westcliff (174), according to Stu News Newport. The measure would reserve 2,160 units for low-income households and 740 for moderate-income households, according to the city attorney's impartial analysis.

Speaking in favor of the measure will be Walter Stahr, representing the Stewardship Association. Stahr, a Harvard Law graduate and author, is also running for the District 3 City Council seat. Speaking against will be Elizabeth Hansburg, co-founder and director of People for Housing OC, a YIMBY housing-advocacy group she co-founded in 2017.

City Attorney Aaron Harp wrote in his impartial analysis that the measure's limits could constrain the city's ability to meet state housing obligations. If Newport Beach falls out of compliance, Harp wrote, it could face enforcement actions including limits on local land-use authority, court-ordered remedies and monetary penalties. Because the measure would establish voter-approved caps, the city's ability to adjust housing capacity or respond to future state requirements could be limited without another vote.

Three sitting council members, Noah Blom, Michelle Barto and Sara Weber, signed the official ballot argument against the measure in June. They warned it would concentrate lower-income housing into five areas rather than supporting mixed-income communities across the city.

Supporters, in their ballot argument signed by Marshall "Duffy" Duffield and four others, countered that the plan satisfies state housing law without overdevelopment.

Attendees can email questions in advance to [email protected] or submit them during the program. Parking is available in the Civic Center parking structure and adjacent lot.