“Our message is clear, our message is consistent.” Attorney General Bob Bonta said. “If local governments attempt to skirt state housing laws, if they refuse to do the bare minimum to address the dire lack of affordable and accessible housing in California, we will hold them accountable.”
California has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk, claiming that the city’s recently-imposed ban on the establishment of new homeless shelters violates fair housing and anti-discrimination statutes.
According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit constitutes part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ongoing campaign to push back against cities defying efforts to expand California’s overburdened housing market.
“Today’s lawsuit should come as no surprise. Despite receiving several warnings, the City of Norwalk has refused to appeal its unlawful ban on new supportive housing for our most vulnerable residents. Enough is enough,” state Attorney General Bob Bonta said in a press release. “Every city and county in California has a legal obligation to help solve our homelessness crisis. We have not, and we will not hesitate, to ensure that everyone with the power to approve or disapprove housing takes their duties seriously.”
California claims that Norwalk’s moratorium on new homeless shelters is a flagrant violation of statutes including the Housing Crisis Act, the state Affirmatively Further Fair Housing rule, and the Housing Element Law.
“Our message is clear, our message is consistent.” Bonta said. “If local governments attempt to skirt state housing laws, if they refuse to do the bare minimum to address the dire lack of affordable and accessible housing in California, we will hold them accountable.”
Although Norwalk had been asked to repeal its moratorium in September and in October, the city refused, prompting California to cut it off from the state’s homelessness-relief fund.
“Norwalk’s moratorium on housing for its most vulnerable residents is not only unlawful—it is a rejection of people’s basic health, safety, and humanity,” California Housing & Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez. “We’re grateful for the Attorney General’s partnership to ensure all cities and counties are held accountable when they fail to comply with state housing law. I am disappointed the city did not reverse course on its own accord, choosing instead to waste time and public resources and be forced by the court to do the right thing.”
Norwalk officials have since shared their disappointment with the state’s decision to sue, saying that the city has taken obvious steps to curtal homelessness.
“Norwalk hosted one of the largest Project Roomkey sits during the pandemic,” Mayor Margarita Rios told NBC4-Los Angeles. “Despite these efforts, Norwalk has received no … funding, forcing the city to use its own resources to manage the fallout from abandoned state-mandated programs, which puts both residents’ safety and the city’s finances at risk.”
California has filed—and won—similar lawsuits against other cities in the past, including the nearby Orange County communities of Anaheim and Huntington Beach.
Sources
California sues city of Norwalk over homeless shelter ban
California sues LA suburb for temporary ban of homeless shelters
Governor Newsom sues Norwalk for unlawful homeless shelter ban
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