patrick.net

At Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request, California filed a lawsuit Friday against the city of Huntington Beach over what state officials describe as the city’s failure to allow enough homebuilding to accommodate a growing population.

Newsom said the suit is needed to address rising housing costs that threaten economic growth and deepen inequality. The lawsuit accuses Huntington Beach of defying a state law that requires cities and counties to set aside sufficient land for housing development.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development issued letters to the city in 2015 and 2018 requesting that it comply.

“Many cities are taking herculean efforts to meet this crisis head on,” Newsom said in a statement. “But some cities are refusing to do their part to address this crisis and willfully stand in violation of California law. Those cities will be held to account.”

The state is asking that an Orange County Superior Court judge order Huntington to comply with the law. It also seeks attorney fees and other costs. ...

State Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) said in a statement that he was “befuddled” that Newsom — a former mayor of San Francisco, a city with high housing costs — singled out Huntington Beach with litigation instead of engaging in “goodwill gestures” to help cities reach their housing goals.