California Governor Gavin Newsom, alongside Attorney General Rob Bonta, has struck a deal with the City of La Habra Heights aimed at bringing their housing plans up to state standards. Under the terms of the agreement, as reported by the Governor's Office. La Habra Heights has committed to establishing a housing element that would see the development of 244 housing units, with a focus on affordability for lower-income residents.
"No more excuses — every community has a responsibility to create housing and to help reduce homelessness," Newsom said, as per the Governor's Office, emphasizing the imperative for localities like La Habra Heights to actively engage in addressing California's significant housing shortages. Despite being in a high opportunity area, the city had previously lacked multifamily and affordable housing options, a situation that the stipulated judgment seeks to amend.
Missing the original October 2021 deadline to adopt a compliant housing element, La Habra Heights has been on the radar of the state's Housing Accountability Unit, an entity established by Newsom in 2021. The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) served a Notice of Violation in March of this year, setting the stage for the recent feat in negotiations. The city also risks being sidelined from certain state funds earmarked for housing and homelessness until the agreement's conditions are fulfilled.
The Governor's announcement arrives amid other efforts by the state to ramp up its housing production, with an over $40 billion investment from Newsom's administration. These efforts, coupled with the establishment of the Housing Accountability Unit, have sparked a 15-year peak in housing starts, furthering the state's mission to not only address current shortages but to preempt future ones.
