California Sues Los Angeles Suburb Over Homeless Shelter Moratorium, Accusing Violation of State Housing Laws

 

California has filed a lawsuit against Norwalk, a suburb of Los Angeles, alleging that the city’s recent extension of a moratorium on homeless shelters and temporary housing violates state fair housing and anti-discrimination laws. The legal action marks another step in Governor Gavin Newsom’s broader push to address California’s housing crisis, challenging local governments he believes are obstructing state laws aimed at expanding affordable housing.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that Norwalk’s policy contravenes multiple state housing regulations. The city council had voted in September to prolong its temporary ban on homeless shelters and emergency housing until next year, blocking Los Angeles County’s recent proposal to convert a local hotel into housing for homeless individuals. Norwalk, home to around 100,000 residents, now joins a growing list of California cities facing legal pressure over housing policies.

In defense of the moratorium, Norwalk city councilmembers issued a statement citing safety concerns associated with previous state programs that placed homeless people in temporary accommodations like motels. They argued that Norwalk has already contributed to addressing the homelessness issue and implied that state-led initiatives had generated local challenges. However, the lawsuit urges the court to overturn the city’s moratorium, underscoring that California will not tolerate local actions that allegedly infringe on housing accessibility.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that the state will act against any local government attempting to sidestep its housing obligations. “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,” Bonta stated on Monday.

The lawsuit follows a public reprimand from Newsom, who had previously warned Norwalk officials of potential legal consequences. Last month, California’s Housing and Community Development Department also rescinded the city’s housing plan, a move that disqualifies Norwalk from receiving state funding for housing initiatives. Bonta disclosed that state officials recently met with Norwalk representatives in an attempt to resolve the issue, but no agreement was reached.

“The Norwalk city council’s failure to reverse this ban, despite knowing it is unlawful, is inexcusable,” Newsom declared. “No community should turn its back on its residents in need.”

California has increasingly enforced state housing laws in recent years, with at least two other cities facing lawsuits last year for rejecting affordable housing and shelter projects. In September, Newsom also enacted a set of 32 housing bills, aiming to expedite affordable housing construction and strengthen state authority over non-compliant cities.

As California faces an urgent housing shortage, with estimates indicating a need for 2.5 million new homes by 2030, tensions between state and local governments over housing policies have intensified. The state currently constructs about 100,000 new homes per year, of which only 10,000 are affordable units. In response to the housing and homelessness crisis, Newsom has prioritized state-led solutions, directing approximately $40 billion toward affordable housing development and $27 billion toward addressing homelessness.

Earlier this year, Newsom ramped up pressure on local governments to tackle homelessness more aggressively, even warning that failure to take visible action could lead to cuts in state funding for homelessness programs.

As California’s housing and homelessness issues continue to escalate, the outcome of this lawsuit may set a precedent, potentially influencing local governments’ approaches to housing policy in the face of statewide mandates.