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Housing

California Attorney General Reaches Settlement with City of Norwalk on Unlawful Housing Ban

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, along with Governor Gavin Newsom and California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez, announced a settlement with the City of Norwalk to resolve the state's lawsuit over the city's unlawful ban on new housing for California's most vulnerable residents. The settlement requires the City of Norwalk to repeal its unlawful housing ban, create a trust fund for affordable housing, pay $250,000 into the trust fund, meet reporting requirements, and notify stakeholders that the ban has been repealed. This settlement marks a significant step towards addressing the state's housing crisis, and highlights the state's commitment to protecting the rights of vulnerable populations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The City of Norwalk will repeal its unlawful ban on new housing, including emergency shelters, supportive housing, single-room occupancy housing, and transitional housing, within 15 business days after receipt of the notice of entry of judgment.
  • The City will create a local housing trust fund for the development of affordable housing, with a minimum deposit of $250,000.
  • The City must implement key aspects of its housing element that are overdue, including taking steps to ensure its policies, development standards, and incentives align with its obligation to plan for housing at all income levels.
  • The City must submit quarterly reports to HCD on the status of proposed housing projects that include affordable housing or shelter and supportive housing.
  • The City must make factual findings, with analysis, when disapproving applications for housing development that include affordable housing or shelter and supportive housing.
  • The City must post and maintain a statement on its official website for 180 days, stating that the moratorium has been repealed and the City is now accepting all such applications without waiver or exemption requirements.
  • HCD will recertify the City's housing element as substantially compliant with state law within three business days after the City repeals the ban.

Statistics:

  • $250,000: The amount deposited by the City of Norwalk into the trust fund for affordable housing.
  • 15 business days: The timeframe for the City of Norwalk to repeal its unlawful housing ban after receiving the notice of entry of judgment.
  • 180 days: The duration for which the City must post and maintain the statement on its official website stating the repeal of the moratorium.
  • 6 housing element cycles (2021-2029): The duration for which the City of Norwalk must submit quarterly reports to HCD on the status of proposed housing projects.

Sources:

  • [California Department of Justice: Announcement of Settlement with City of Norwalk on Unlawful Housing Ban](https://www.oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-attorney-general-reaches-settlement-city-norwalk-unlawful-housing)
  • [City of Norwalk: Urgency Ordinances 24-1752U and 24-1753U](https://www.norwalkca.gov/agenda/2024/08/06/ordinance-24-1752u-24-1753u/)
  • [California Department of Housing and Community Development: Notice of Violation to City of Norwalk](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/administration/codes/code_sections/norwalk-notice-of-violation.pdf)

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