Laserfiche WebLink
State Sues Huntington Beach Over Blocked <br />Homebuilding <br />Friday, January 25, 2019 <br />Priscella Vega and Liam Dillon <br />Los Angeles Times <br />At Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request, California filed a lawsuit Friday against the city of <br />Huntington Beach over what state officials describe as the city’s failure to allow enough <br />homebuilding to accommodate a growing population. <br />Newsom said the suit is needed to address rising housing costs that threaten economic growth <br />and deepen inequality. The lawsuit accuses Huntington Beach of defying a state law that requires <br />cities and counties to set aside sufficient land for housing development. <br />The California Department of Housing and Community Development issued letters to the city in <br />2015 and 2018 requesting that it comply. <br />“Many cities are taking herculean efforts to meet this crisis head on,” Newsom said in a <br />statement. “But some cities are refusing to do their part to address this crisis and willfully stand <br />in violation of California law. Those cities will be held to account.” <br />The state is asking that an Orange County Superior Court judge order Huntington to comply with <br />the law. It also seeks attorney fees and other costs. <br />But Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates contended “the city has been, in fact, <br />complying with all applicable state housing and zoning laws.” <br />Huntington “has been and will continue to work with the California Department of Housing and <br />Community Development regarding meeting the city’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment,” <br />Gates said in a statement Friday. “Any delay experienced by the city in its ability to amend its <br />zoning and/or make additional progress has been caused by the city fighting lawsuits and court <br />appeals filed by plaintiffs such as the Kennedy Commission.” <br />He pointed to recent court victories in an ongoing lawsuit in which the Kennedy Commission, an <br />affordable-housing advocacy group, alleged that an amendment to the city’s development plan <br />for the Beach Boulevard-Edinger Avenue corridor violated state housing law. <br />Gates called the state’s lawsuit “timed poorly” because it interrupts months of discussions <br />between the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Kennedy <br />Commission toward reaching a resolution of outstanding disputes. <br />He said it also raises questions about the state’s motive, as “50 other cities in California have not <br />yet met their RHNA targets.”