California is not letting up. In a move that shakes the political landscape, Gavin Newsom’s administration filed lawsuits against five cities that violated the Housing Element Law. The accusation is clear: they are at least two and a half years behind in adopting plans to guarantee homes for all income levels. The governor’s message was direct: “California cannot solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and challenge us to do something about it.”
The cities in the crosshairs are Calexico, Costa Mesa, Ridgecrest, and two more that Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) included in the legal action. According to the governor’s office, these jurisdictions had multiple opportunities to comply but chose not to. Now, they will have to answer to the courts.
The law, in effect since 1969, requires every city and county to plan housing for all income levels and update their plans every five to eight years. But these five have accumulated delays that are now scandalous. Under the Housing Accountability Act, if they don’t align, they become subject to the “Builder’s Remedy,” which generally prevents them from rejecting certain projects that include required percentages of low- and moderate-income housing due to zoning reasons. And since January 2025, Senate Bill 1037 imposes monthly civil penalties on them. The money collected goes to a fund that finances affordable housing within the affected jurisdiction.
Reactions were swift. Calexico stated that it “has made considerable progress in reviewing its Housing Plan and is actively incorporating HCD comments into the updated draft.” Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens expressed surprise: “We are surprised and disappointed that the state has filed such an unnecessary lawsuit. We have been working for years to address the housing crisis with notable progress.” Ridgecrest, for its part, said it had not received legal notice and that it “is collaborating with HCD to address the remaining Housing Plan requirements and expects to receive certification soon.”
The precedent is heavy: in 2023, Newsom sued the city of Huntington Beach for refusing to update its housing plan, more than four years after the legal deadline. In May 2026, a Superior Court judge ordered the city to pay $160 million in fines, which will increase by $50,000 monthly until it complies. Now, the five cities face a similar fate if they don’t get their act together.
The housing crisis in California is a cancer that keeps growing. While the state demands planning, these cities resist. Newsom is not playing games: either they align or they pay. The question is whether the rest of the municipalities will learn the lesson before it’s their turn.
che newsom al fin se puso las pilas? para mi es puro verso estos municipios reventaos ignoran la ley de vivienda y se rien de la crisis habitacional multas millonarias? poco deberian nacionalizarles los terrenos y construir vivienda publica ya basta de privilegios para los ricos que se jodan los especuladores viva la lucha de clases
Para mí este Newsom es un dictador de mierda, quiere meternos en cajitas de fósforo con esas multas millonarias. Las ciudades no se dejen avasallar por este zurdo comunista que les roba la autonomía. Yo creo que hay que defender California de la agenda progresista, viva la libertad carajo.