Governor Newsom issues final warning to 15 communities violating state housing laws

Under California state housing law, every community must adopt a housing plan — known as a housing element — that demonstrates how they intend to meet regional housing needs for residents at all income levels, and must submit that plan to HCD for review. With HCD’s guidance and technical assistance, coupled with enforcement, 92 percent of California communities have attained housing element compliance in the 6th cycle. Today’s action addresses 15 cities and counties that remain out of compliance – beginning a final push to ensure that every California community has a plan to support housing for all income levels. These stand out from the 480 jurisdictions throughout California that have adopted a final housing element and related zoning changes necessary to comply with state law, and an additional 22 that are expected to finalize their plans within the next two months. 

The 15 communities that received notice today remain more than two years behind schedule and lack a path to compliance within 60 days, indicating noncompliance and a lack of intent to adhere to state housing law. If any of the cities and counties on track to complete the steps necessary for compliance fail to do so within the next 60 days, they, too, will receive a Notice of Violation and may face a lawsuit.

More housing. More accountability.

Governor Newsom established HCD’s Housing Accountability Unit in 2021 to ensure that every community is meeting its obligations to plan for housing and follow state housing laws. In 2024, Governor Newsom expanded the unit’s oversight to also include monitoring cities’ and counties’ efforts to address homelessness. The HAU has “unlocked” 12,486 housing units, including over 3,644 affordable units, that may otherwise have been stuck in the local planning process.

The HAU has taken more than 1,200 accountability actions to date, including securing 10 stipulated judgments and settlement agreements. HCD has also filed five lawsuits, against Anaheim, Elk Grove, La Canada Flintridge, Norwalk, and Huntington Beach. HCD has secured an agreement or favorable court ruling in all five. 

The Housing Accountability Unit sent Notices of Violation to 15 cities and counties with housing elements that have not demonstrated a near-term path to compliance with state law — despite extensive and ongoing technical assistance from HCD. 

The 15 jurisdictions that received Notices of Violation this week are: Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest, and Turlock. HCD has previously entered court-enforced agreements with San Bernardino, Coronado, Fullerton, Malibu, La Habra Heights, Artesia, and Norwalk, and is in active litigation against Huntington Beach, regarding housing element compliance.

Should these communities fail to meet compliance, they are subject to potential legal action by the state. 

Californians can track how their community is addressing mental health, homelessness, and housing at accountability.ca.gov.

Reversing decades of inaction on homelessness

Governor Newsom is the first Governor in state history to make addressing the housing and homelessness crises a statewide priority. Creating affordable housing for Californians and ensuring that every community follows state housing law are key components in meeting this goal. Governor Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model for America:

✅ Streamlining and prioritizing building of new housing — Governor Newsom made creating more housing a state priority for the first time in history. He has signed into law groundbreaking reforms to break down systemic barriers that have stood in the way of building the housing Californians need, including broad CEQA reforms. 

✅ Creating shelter and support — Providing funding and programs for local governments, coupled with strong accountability measures to ensure that each local government is doing its share to build housing, and create shelter and support, so that people living in encampments have a safe place to go. 

✅ Addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness — Ending a long-standing behavioral health bed shortfall in California by rapidly expanding community treatment centers and permanent supportive housing units. In 2024, voters approved Governor Newsom’s Proposition 1 which is transforming California’s behavioral health systems — delivering more than the promised 6,800 residential treatment beds (6,919) and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots (27,561) for behavioral health care to date.

✅ Creating new pathways for those who need the most help — Updating conservatorship laws for the first time in 50 years to include people who are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care, in addition to food, clothing, or shelter, due to either severe substance use disorder or serious mental health illness. Creating a new CARE court system that creates court-administered plans for up to 24 months for people struggling with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, often with substance use challenges.

✅ Removing dangerous encampments — Governor Newsom has set a strong expectation for all local governments to address encampments in their communities and help connect people with support. In 2024, Governor Newsom filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court defending communities’ authority to clear encampments. After the Supreme Court affirmed local authority, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state entities and urging local governments to clear encampments and connect people with support, using a state-tested model that helps ensure encampments are addressed humanely and people are given adequate notice and support.  In 2025, just a year after he issued an executive order urging local governments to better address encampments, the Governor announced his State Action for Facilitation on Encampments (SAFE) Task Force to address encampments in California’s ten largest cities. The task force has addressed encampments in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Sacramento, and Fresno — connecting dozens of people with shelter. Since 2021, Caltrans has removed more than 20,600 encampments on state right-of-way, offered services to nearly 62,000 people, and collected approximately 3.4 million cubic yards of litter and debris.