Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom Issue Statements on Appellate Victory Against Huntington Beach’s Federal Challenge to State Housing Laws

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statements in response to the unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirming the district court’s dismissal of the City of Huntington Beach’s federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of state housing laws: 

“I am pleased that yet another court has emphatically rejected Huntington Beach’s attempt to exempt itself from state housing laws,” said Attorney General Bonta. “While the City has been wasting the public’s time and money pursuing this meritless lawsuit, its neighboring communities — along with every Californian struggling to keep a roof over their heads or wondering where they’re going to sleep tonight — need Huntington Beach to step up and adopt a housing plan without further delay. My office will continue pursuing all remedies in the state case against the City, where the court has already determined the City violated the state’s Housing Element Law.”   

“Today, yet another court has slapped down Huntington Beach’s cynical attempt to prevent the state from enforcing our housing laws,” said Governor Newsom. “Huntington Beach officials’ continued efforts to advance plainly unlawful NIMBY policies are failing their own citizens — by wasting time and taxpayer dollars that could be used to create much-needed housing. No more excuses — every city must follow state law and do its part to build more housing.”

A copy of the decision can be found here.