Newsom announces a lawsuit against this Southern California city

LOS ANGELES – Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California has filed a lawsuit against the city of Norwalk over its ordinance banning new homeless shelters and other housing.

“The Norwalk City Council’s inability to overturn this ban, despite knowing it is illegal, is inexcusable. No community should turn its back on its residents in need,” Newsom said in a statement.

The lawsuit comes after repeated warnings that the city’s ban violates several state planning and housing laws.

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And on top of that, the state is accusing the city of failing to meet its housing goals as required by state law.

It all stems from a moratorium that was voted on in August.

The Norwalk City Council originally passed an ordinance in August that placed a 45-day moratorium on emergency shelters, single occupancy rooms, supportive housing and transitional housing. That prompted Newsom to warn the city last month that it violated state law, and he urged the city to reverse course.

However, the city council confirmed its position and voted to extend the moratorium for another ten months.

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“Today’s lawsuit should come as no surprise. Despite several warnings, the City of Norwalk has refused to rescind its unlawful ban on new supportive housing for our most vulnerable residents. Enough is enough,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Every city and county in California has a legal obligation to help solve our homelessness crisis. We have not, and will not hesitate, to ensure that anyone with the power to approve or disapprove housing takes their duties seriously.”

According to Newsom’s office, the city of Norwalk has only issued permits for 175 housing units during the current “housing element cycle,” which is just 3.5% of the 5,034 unit allocation “needed to ensure the community has sufficient housing disposes’.

On Oct. 3, the state announced it would revoke Norwalk’s housing element certification in response to the city’s ban on homeless shelters. This makes the city ineligible for housing and homeless funding.

RELATED COVERAGE: Norwalk residents react to the city’s expansion of the ban on homeless shelters