The City of Huntington Beach has been sued by the California Governor, State Attorney, and Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for violating laws relating to affordable housing construction and development.
After receiving notices from District Attorney Rob Bonta, the lawsuit was filed Wednesday against the City of Huntington Beach for “unlawfully withholding applications for the SB 9 and ADU projects.”
Actions taken by Huntington Beach authorities are seen as a “direct threat to the state’s efforts to increase the availability of housing opportunities for low-to-middle income people amid a nationwide housing crisis.” state,” the statement said.
The lawsuit alleges that “Huntington Beach must plan for 13,368 new housing units over the next eight years. They are also required to abide by state housing law, like everywhere else in California,” but “they refuse to do both.”
Governor Gavin Newsom said, “The housing crisis facing families across the state demands that all cities and counties do their part, and those who flagrantly violate state housing laws State will be held responsible.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter Feb. 14 advising the city of Huntington Beach that passing an amendment “would violate California housing liability law.”
This law, called the “Housing Element,” is intended to ensure that all cities and counties can meet the needs of all people in the community. “To be eligible, 20% of the units in the project must be affordable to low-income households or 100% affordable to moderate-income households,” according to a publication from the Department of Law and Policy at the University of California, Davis. .
According to the notice, the City of Huntington Beach is seeking to exceed existing laws for the construction of affordable housing.
Thursday’s action against the city is part of a “commitment” by Governor Newsom to “defend and increase access to affordable housing in California.” Among the measures taken by the administration is the creation in 2021 of a Housing Accountability Unit, to have “tighter oversight at the local level to create more housing, faster throughout California”.
The city of Huntington Beach is located near the Pacific Ocean in Orange County. It is known for its beaches which host surfing tournaments and for its quality of life.
However, all jurisdictions must have designated low and middle income areas.