California Governor Issues Final Warnings to 15 Jurisdictions Over Housing Law Non-Compliance
Governor Gavin Newsom and the Department of Housing and Community Development have issued a 30-day ultimatum to 15 cities and counties, citing their failure to address the state's housing shortage and homelessness crisis through restrictive zoning.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Department of Housing and Community Development have issued final warnings to 15 jurisdictions that have failed to comply with state housing laws. The recipients, which include Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest, and Turlock, are more than two years behind in adopting the required housing elements. These communities have been given a strict 30-day window to respond before facing potential legal action.
The enforcement initiative targets restrictive local zoning practices that the state argues are directly contributing to the housing shortage and homelessness crisis. Under California law, every community must adopt a housing plan, known as a housing element, which demonstrates how it intends to meet regional residence needs across all income levels. While 92 per cent of the state's jurisdictions have complied, these 15 holdouts remain non-compliant with no clear path to finalisation.
Governor Newsom stated that no community receives a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating greater housing access. The administration views the blocking of new housing by local governments as a primary driver of the state's homelessness issues. This stance is reinforced by the recent approval of Proposition 1 in 2024, which funds residential treatment beds and outpatient slots for behavioural health care, linking supply constraints directly to social outcomes.
An additional 22 jurisdictions that are currently on track to finalise their plans face similar notices if they do not complete their work within 60 days. This broader enforcement push aims to overcome local barriers to building and ensure that housing supply keeps pace with demand. The state has previously filed five housing-related lawsuits, securing favourable outcomes in all of them to date.
The Housing Accountability Unit, established in 2021, has been active in this area, taking more than 1,200 accountability actions and unlocking 12,486 housing units, including over 3,644 affordable units that had stalled in local planning. The unit's work underscores the state's determination to unclog one of the housing market's biggest bottlenecks by overriding local restrictions that limit the construction of duplexes, townhomes, and apartment buildings.
