The state of California has filed a legal suit against Norwalk, a Los Angeles suburb, over a ban on establishing new homeless shelters and emergency housing. Norwalk voted in September to extend its moratorium on such housing, sparking accusations of state law violations and criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argues the city is neglecting its responsibility during California's housing crisis. The city claims its past efforts to address homelessness have raised public safety concerns, specifically pointing to state programs that place homeless individuals in motels.
Attorney General Rob Bonta contends Norwalk is flouting half a dozen housing laws with its moratorium and is urging the court to nullify it. "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," said Bonta. The state warned Norwalk in September that it might take legal action and recently revoked the city's housing plan, endangering funding accessibility. Newsom condemned the city council's actions as unlawful, stating: "No community should turn its back on its residents in need."
This lawsuit represents part of California's broader strategy to enforce state housing regulations, with dozens of housing-related bills recently signed into law by Newsom. The state is challenging cities that hinder housing progress, pressing for the construction of 2.5 million homes by 2030 amid an annual average of only 100,000 new homes, including a mere 10,000 affordable units. Newsom's administration has spent $40 billion on affordable housing and $27 billion on actions to address homelessness. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
