California sues Turlock, 4 other cities over alleged failure to comply with housing law
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed lawsuits Thursday against five California cities, including Turlock, alleging they have failed to comply with the state's Housing Element Law by not adopting housing plans that meet state requirements.
The lawsuits target Turlock, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Calexico and Ridgecrest in an effort to ensure local governments are planning for enough housing to meet future demand.
During a news conference, Bonta said California remains in a housing crisis and that cities must do their part to address the shortage.
Bonta said about 95% of California cities are now in compliance with the state's housing planning requirements and that the lawsuits are intended to hold the remaining cities accountable.
CBS News Sacramento has been following Turlock's housing planning efforts for several years.
Last spring, Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak said the city's initial housing plan had not been approved by the state and that officials were working to address the state's concerns by making the necessary revisions.
According to the lawsuit, Turlock was required to submit an updated housing element by December 2023, but did not submit a revised plan until 2024. After reviewing the latest version this month, the state alleges the city's housing element still does not satisfy all legal requirements.
In a statement, the City of Turlock said it has made significant progress toward compliance and that the final remaining step is adopting the required rezoning rules.
"The City has made significant progress toward Housing Element compliance, and we have a clear path forward. This process has involved a substantial amount of planning and technical work, and City staff have worked diligently to bring us to this point. Our focus now is on completing the remaining public process, achieving Housing Element compliance, and continuing to plan responsibly for Turlock's long-term future," said Dr. John J. Murphy, Turlock city manager.
Ben Metcalf, managing director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, said cities have had years to meet the state's requirements, "and they haven't done it yet."
"So while they may raise issues around capacity, they may raise issues around political challenges," he continued. "Certainly, from the state's perspective, they are laggards and they are delinquent."
California's Housing Element Law requires every city and county to update its housing plan every eight years. Those plans must demonstrate how local governments will accommodate housing needs for residents across all income levels.
As part of the current planning cycle, California is requiring cities and counties to plan for nearly 2.5 million additional homes statewide, an effort state leaders say is necessary to address the ongoing housing shortage.
