Cities throughout Orange County, California, are appealing state-mandated quotas to build more high-density and affordable housing. Some local officials say the quotas are too high and have been shifted unfairly from nearby counties. Irvine, Newport Beach, Yorba Linda, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Mission Viejo are among the cities that have launched appeals with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), which are scheduled to be heard through Jan. 22. At the group’s Jan. 7 meeting, Kome Ajise, the executive director of SCAG, said the organization had received 31 letters from 48 different jurisdictions contesting the state’s “regional determination” for affordable housing. At the same meeting, Anaheim City Councilman Trevor O’Neil, a SCAG regional councilmember, pressed SCAG President Rex Richardson for a closed session meeting to discuss potential litigation against the state over its regional determination number. The fight over affordable housing—and particularly where it will be located—revolves around the state’s Regional Housing Needs …