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Huntington Beach is running out of ways to fight state housing mandate
New housing development under construction in California.
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Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
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CalMatters
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How much longer can Huntington Beach fight state housing mandates?
LAist's Jill Replogle explains why Surf City is running out of options.
Huntington Beach appears to be running out of options in its effort to stave off state housing mandates after a recent California Supreme Court decision.
California requires cities to plan and zone for housing to meet the needs of the population at all income levels. In the most recent planning cycle, Huntington Beach was told it had to plan for 13,368 new homes.
The city balked, and the state sued Huntington Beach in 2023 for failing to comply.
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Voters will be asked in November if the city should adopt the charter model. Other OC cities like Santa Ana and Huntington Beach have adopted charters. -
The change will mean CalOptima members who fall off Medi-Cal will remain eligible to enroll with the plan. -
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The city’s argument, in a nutshell
The city has argued it doesn’t have to comply because it’s a charter city, which gives it more autonomy in some areas of governance than non-charter cities.
Huntington Beach also has said that planning for such a large number of units would force it to violate state environmental laws. A state appeals court in a September ruling didn’t buy either argument.
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What’s next?
A San Diego court now must determine penalties against Huntington Beach, even as the city has vowed to keep fighting the housing mandate. An appeals court has ordered the lower court to give the city 120 days to approve a housing plan.
Other remedies the court will consider include:
- Suspending the city’s ability to approve building permits — essentially bringing all development in the city to a halt; or, on the opposite end of the spectrum,
- Forcing Huntington Beach to approve any and all applications to build homes — in other words, completely removing the city’s discretion to plan for development.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 16.
How to keep tabs on Huntington Beach
- Huntington Beach holds City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.
- You can also watch City Council meetings remotely on HBTV via Channel 3 or online, or via the city’s website. (You can also find videos of previous council meetings there.)
- The public comment period happens toward the beginning of meetings.
- The city generally posts agendas for City Council meetings on the previous Friday. You can find the agenda on the city’s calendar or sign up there to have agendas sent to your inbox.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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