Judge denies Huntington Beach's request to block enforcement of state housing laws

The ongoing affordable housing fight between the state and Huntington Beach got some intervention this week from a federal judge in Santa Ana.

U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter's decision in Huntington Beach v. Newsom denies Huntington Beach's request to temporarily block enforcement of state housing laws. 

The state law requires Huntington Beach to zone for 13,368 units to be built inside the city limits from October 2021 through 2029.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Bonta, Governor Gavin Newsom, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development filed a lawsuit against the City of Huntington Beach for violating state housing laws. The lawsuit followed a decision by the Huntington Beach City Council declining to ban the processing of applications for SB 9 projects and Accessory Dwelling Units, or granny flats, in violation of multiple state housing laws.

Attorney General Rob Bonta applauded the court's decision denying Huntington Beach's attempts to circumvent state law. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Local governments don't get to pick and choose which state laws they want to follow. Huntington Beach's lawsuit is another baseless and obstructionist attempt by the city to defy state housing laws," said Bonta. "Our state housing laws are a crucial tool for bringing much needed affordable housing to our communities."

Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland has argued that the state's law of adding 13,368 additional housing units in just the next few years is a move that would "nearly double" the city's population.