Governor threatens legal action against cities flouting housing law
Interstate Grading and Paving, Inc. owner Craig Caron shows the parcels where housing trailers will be installed on the Stone Pine Cove Farmworkers Housing Project in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Thursday, Jan.
23, 2025. Of the 15 cities Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Wednesday with legal action over housing law violations, only one is in the Bay Area: Half Moon Bay. As the state grapples with severe housing shortages, Newsom gave the coastal San Mateo County city, and 14 others, 30 days to respond to the notices before the state refers their cases to the attorney general for potential legal action. All cities and counties named in Newsom’s statement are more than two years behind schedule and more than 60 days away from securing a state-certified housing element — a required plan that spells out how a city will permit a set number of new homes across different income levels within a given time period.that received notices are Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest and Turlock.California’s Department of Housing and Community Development , told this news organization a total of 20 cities and counties are out of compliance but are expected to meet requirements within 60 days — which is why they did not receive a notice of violation. “However, if those jurisdictions fall off track, HCD will send a Notice of Violation and consider further enforcement,” a department spokesperson said. San Mateo County, consistently ranked among the most unaffordable places to live in the country, is among the jurisdictions without a state-certified housing plan. But it did not receive a final notice because the housing department found that while it has met the core requirements of state housing law, it still needs to complete rezoning to be fully in compliance. Half Moon Bay, a San Mateo County coastal city of just over 11,000 residents, gained national attention in 2023 when a mass shooting at a farm labor camp exposed the squalid living conditions of farmworkers in the area. The city is required to plan for at least 480 new units, with more than half designated for moderate and low-income earners. The city said it is working toward compliance, but its location within the coastal zone requires additional coordination with the California Coastal Commission, adding steps that have slowed the process. “The city takes the governor’s comments seriously and is continuing to work toward full compliance with state housing law,” the city said in an emailed statement. “We’ve drafted the needed rezoning updates and are working with the California HCD to finalize them. We’ll continue moving these updates forward to meet state requirements and stay on track to achieve our housing goals.” Jeremy Levine, policy manager at the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, said the Coastal Commission is not the primary reason projects and rezoning in Half Moon Bay have been delayed. “Complying with state law will require more than just completing zoning on paper — it will require making real projects possible,” Levine said. Newsom said his office would continue strict enforcement of housing laws through the state’s Housing Accountability Unit — formed in 2021 to crack down on local officials who skirt state housing laws — pushing back against what he called anti-housing opposition and holding local governments accountable, “because every Californian deserves a place to call home.” “I’m disappointed on behalf of the state and the people of California that after years of effort, we still have communities that aren’t meeting the needs of their residents,” Newsom said. “There’s no carve-out here. No community gets a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating more housing access.” The housing department has previously entered court-enforced agreements with San Bernardino, Coronado, Fullerton, Malibu, La Habra Heights, Artesia and Norwalk. In December 2025, a court ordered Huntington Beach to adopt its housing element within 120 days. Aside from potential lawsuits, cities that fail to meet requirements risk fines, loss of state grant funding and are subject to the “builder’s remedy” — a provision that strips local governments of control over land use decisions and allows developers to bypass local zoning rules if they include affordable units., but not named on Newsom’s list. Belvedere received state certification earlier this week, while Clayton submitted its updated housing plans last month and is still under review, according to the housing department. In 2024, a year after the mass shooting, Newsom called the delay of a farmworker housing project at 555 Kelly Ave. “egregious” and warned the state would hold the city accountable if it did not move forward.Map: 15 California communities get ‘final warning’ from Newsom about housing strategySan Jose property deal helps affordable homes project move forward The project — a five-story development that would provide 40 units for farmworkers aged 55 and older — received city approval that year but is not yet close to breaking ground. It has faced significant community opposition over traffic and parking concerns. This month, the council approved extending negotiations between the city and developer Mercy Housing to work out contract details that would allow construction to begin. The city’s own timeline projectsBelinda Arriaga, founder of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, an organization that works with farmworker and immigrant communities along the San Mateo County coast, said the urgency is real. “Over the four years farmworkers have been waiting for this project, many have gotten ill,” Arriaga said. “Every year that passes by is critical for them — some have been working 30, 40 years in the fields along the coastside. We have to get this done — and done faster.”Savannah Guthrie's 'Today' interview sparks backstage power struggles, tensionsDear Abby: If I can't see the baby, then I want my money backDear Abby: The bride admitted to me that the wedding was a shamMiss Manners: They won't even set a menu until the guests arrive
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why California’s Bay Area is America’s natural wine hubKnown for its offbeat culture and penchant for organic produce, northern California’s Bay Area has turned into the country’s capital of natural wine, fostering a scene of unfussy pairings and relaxed bars.
Read more »
Why California’s Bay Area is America’s natural wine hubKnown for its offbeat culture and penchant for organic produce, northern California’s Bay Area has turned into the country’s capital of natural wine, fostering a scene of unfussy pairings and relaxed bars.
Read more »
LIST: 'No Kings' protests against Trump administration happening across the Bay Area on SaturdayAnother day of 'No Kings' protests against the Trump administration is planned across the Bay Area on Saturday, with San Francisco likely being the largest of the demonstrations.
Read more »
Another round of ‘No Kings’ protests planned for Saturday across Bay Area, nationNearly 60 such protests are planned around midday Saturday in the Bay Area
Read more »
‘Unsung Heroines’ tells stories of forgotten yet influential Bay Area womenGrowing up in the U.K., the Welsh Rae Alexandra was bored to tears by history in her high school classes. It wasn’t until she visited San Francisco, fell in love with it, moved here and learned about some glaring discrepancies in…
Read more »
D-FW firm creating luxury community near golf, lake activities in Horseshoe Bay areaOff the shores of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson in Central Texas, a Dallas-Fort Worth real estate company is creating a luxury community with easy access to lake...
Read more »