{"id":9665,"date":"2026-07-18T15:12:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=9665"},"modified":"2026-07-18T15:12:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:12:41","slug":"newsom-continues-crackdown-on-cities-over-housing-plan-requirements-no-city-gets-a-pass-governor-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=9665","title":{"rendered":"Newsom continues crackdown on cities over housing plan requirements. &#8216;No city gets a pass,&#8217; governor says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-element=\"story-body\" data-subscriber-content=\"\">\n<p>California Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2018s administration has threatened five new California cities with legal repercussions for failing to comply with required housing plans as <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hcd.ca.gov\/about-hcd\/newsroom\/HAU-15-NOV\" target=\"_blank\">part of the governor\u2019s ongoing efforts<\/a> to ensure that local municipalities meet obligations to increase affordable housing across the state. <\/p>\n<p>The administration\u2019s latest <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-newsom-administration-take-legal-action-against-local\" target=\"_blank\">legal filings<\/a> accuse Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest and Turlock of missing benchmarks for the latest round of mandated housing planning, as outlined by the state\u2019s landmark housing supply law, formally known as the \u201chousing element.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The law, which has been in place since 1969, requires cities and counties every eight years to develop plans to add housing based on a specific allocation that takes into account the region\u2019s needs. It\u2019s a massive undertaking that is aimed at easing California\u2019s ongoing housing crisis but has routinely drawn criticism for undermining local autonomy, requiring difficult parameters \u2014 which often include zoning changes \u2014 and not always <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/projects\/la-pol-ca-housing-supply\/\" target=\"_blank\">translating to the scale of needed housing<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>But given the state\u2019s growing need, and now armed with a new law that allows more <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-issues-statement-legislation-authorizing-additional-civil\" target=\"_blank\">serious fines<\/a> for municipalities that fail to comply, Newsom\u2019s administration has doubled down on the housing element. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornia can\u2019t solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and dare us to do something about it,\u201d Newsom said in a statement about this latest legal action. \u201cThese five jurisdictions had every chance to follow the law and plan for their fair share of housing. &#8230; Housing law applies statewide, and no city gets a pass.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But three of the cities facing the new legal repercussions say they are actively working to complete the lengthy plans, despite a slow process. Huntington Beach, meanwhile, has been more defiant, refusing for years to zone for thousands of new homes that the housing law had required. Huntington Beach became the poster child for <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/socal\/daily-pilot\/news\/tn-dpt-me-hb-housing-lawsuit-20190125-story.html\" target=\"_blank\">such enforcement<\/a> when Newsom\u2019s administration filed the <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2019\/01\/25\/housing-accountability\/\" target=\"_blank\">first such lawsuit against the Surf City<\/a>, which the state eventually won. Just <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/socal\/daily-pilot\/news\/story\/2026-06-17\/forced-by-courts-huntington-beach-passes-its-overdue-housing-element-plan\" target=\"_blank\">this month, the city <\/a>finally passed its updated housing element <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/socal\/daily-pilot\/news\/story\/2025-12-23\/judge-says-huntington-beach-must-adopt-housing-plan-within-4-months\" target=\"_blank\">as ordered by a judge<\/a> following a lengthy legal battle with the state. Huntington Beach also faces at least $170,000 in fines after years of noncompliance.<\/p>\n<p>Ben Martinez, Calexico\u2019s city manager, said his city continues to work with state officials on the plans and \u201cremains fully committed to achieving compliance with California Housing Element law.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>City officials in Half Moon Bay echoed that sentiment. Mayor Debbie Ruddock said her city \u201cis committed to working collaboratively with our state partners to meet housing requirements and expand housing opportunities for residents at all income levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven our ongoing work with [the department of Housing and Community Development] and the Coastal Commission, we are surprised that the state feels this additional action is necessary,\u201d Ruddock said in a statement. <\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/socal\/daily-pilot\/news\/story\/2026-07-16\/state-sues-costa-mesa-for-not-complying-with-housing-law\" target=\"_blank\">called the legal response from the state <\/a>\u201cunbelievable,\u201d in an interview with the Daily Pilot. He said his city staff have been working directly with the state throughout the process, trying to reach compliance. <\/p>\n<p>Ridgecrest City Manager Travis Reed said the state was in possession of its most recent draft, which he expected would \u201creceive Housing Element certification in the near future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Turlock City Manager John J. Murphy said the city will continue to work on its housing element even as any legal process proceeds, and said the city now has \u201cclear path forward\u201d to compliance. But he did acknowledge that \u201cthis process has involved a substantial amount of planning and technical work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Prior to filing these five cases in the cities\u2019 respective county courts, the California attorney general\u2019s office on behalf of the Department of Housing and Community Development had also filed four other legal complaints. Those cases \u2014 against Anaheim, Elk Grove, La Ca\u00f1ada Flintridge and Norwalk \u2014 all ended with either a favorable court ruling or both sides reaching a agreement, according to the attorney general\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>The state had also threatened legal action against seven other municipalities, including <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-newsom-administration-reach-agreement-city-artesia\" target=\"_blank\">Artesia<\/a>, <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-newsom-administration-reach-agreement-city-la-habra\" target=\"_blank\">La Habra Heights<\/a> and <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/news\/press-releases\/attorney-general-bonta-newsom-administration-reach-agreement-city-malibu\" target=\"_blank\">Malibu<\/a>, but were able to reach settlements before going to court, the attorney general\u2019s office said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornia\u2019s housing crisis demands action, not excuses,\u201d California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said in a statement. \u201cJurisdictions that remain out of compliance with our Housing Element Law are standing in the way of the homes Californians need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>State officials said the new filings come after <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hcd.ca.gov\/about-hcd\/newsroom\/HAU-15-NOV\" target=\"_blank\">repeated warnings<\/a> about noncompliance and efforts from state officials to work with the cities. The new legal petitions seek a judicial order that would compel the cities to adopt a compliant housing element and ask the court to impose appropriate fines or penalties. <\/p>\n<p>The filings cite timelines in which the cities failed to complete or stopped responding to state feedback about revisions or shortcomings in their housing elements, calling the planning documents now \u201cyears overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe vast majority of California\u2019s cities and counties have stepped up to achieve housing element compliance,\u201d Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a statement. \u201cFor the small number that are still falling short, &#8230; [we] send a clear message: no community is exempt from doing its part to solve our housing crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2018s administration has threatened five new California cities with legal repercussions for failing to comply with required housing plans as part of the governor\u2019s ongoing efforts to ensure that local municipalities meet obligations to increase affordable housing across the state. The administration\u2019s latest legal filings accuse Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/9c23c70\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5869x3081+0+459\/resize\/1200x630!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F58%2F51%2F437d04d84f3c88727e19fcc4fe30%2F2231388676.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}