Local governments should initiate early, consistent, relationship-based engagement with residents and community partners—beginning years before a project breaks ground—to build trust, align expectations, and minimize opposition. This engagement should go beyond one-off meetings and instead include community-based organizations (CBOs) as true co-design and peer-review partners throughout Housing Element updates, rezoning, and major development reviews, using models such as SB 1425’s environmental justice (EJ) engagement standards as a floor, not a ceiling. Meaningful long-term partnerships help communities understand benefits, shape decisions, and support infill, upzoning, and climate-resilient housing development.