California sues Costa Mesa over housing plan compliance

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Costa Mesa and four other cities Thursday, alleging they have not met state housing plan requirements, according to Voice of OC.

The lawsuit puts one Orange County city at the center of California’s push to force local governments to plan for more housing as state officials escalate enforcement over housing elements.

Bonta sued Costa Mesa, Calexico, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest and Turlock on Thursday, Voice of OC reported. State officials said Costa Mesa had not adopted a legally compliant Sixth Cycle housing element and had not completed required rezoning.

The state said Costa Mesa missed an Oct. 15, 2021, deadline to adopt a compliant housing element. In a Thursday news release cited by Voice of OC, Bonta said, "Jurisdictions that remain out of compliance with our Housing Element Law are standing in the way of the homes Californians need. We are well past the halfway point of the current housing planning cycle, and timely compliance is not optional,"

Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens said the lawsuit was unnecessary because the city has been working with the state Department of Housing and Community Development, Voice of OC reported. "We have been working on addressing the housing crisis for years with some notable progress. In fact, the State’s complaint admits that we are currently working with HCD toward certification of our housing element. Indeed, we are currently waiting for the state’s comments to our most recent submission. There is no reason for a lawsuit," Stephens said.

Councilman Manuel Chavez said the city’s housing element work was affected by other local policy fights, including Measure Y and inclusionary housing efforts, according to Voice of OC. "We were trying to repeal a slow growth ordinance that was passed in 2016," Chavez said in a Thursday evening interview.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also criticized cities that have not met state requirements. "California can’t solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and dare us to do something about it," Newsom said in the Thursday news release, according to Voice of OC.

The case adds Costa Mesa to a widening list of cities facing state legal pressure over housing plans, with Huntington Beach already facing escalating penalties, Voice of OC reported.